Sam Cooley and Bek Martin Secure Fourth Consecutive NSW Open Titles in Dramatic Fashion

The 2024 NSW Open lived up to its billing as one of the premier events on the national bowling calendar, with intense competition, standout performances, and thrilling finales. Both Sam Cooley and Bek Martin successfully defended their titles, each capturing their fourth consecutive NSW Open crown in a dramatic, high-stakes showdown at iPlay Tenpin City Lidcombe.

Women’s Division: Martin’s Historic Run Continues

Bek Martin, the defending champion, came into the 2024 NSW Open looking to secure a remarkable fourth consecutive title. The title placing her in elite company with Bec Whiting and Ann-Maree Putney as the stand-alone female bowlers to achieve four titles. After a dominant performance in the qualifying rounds, she set the stage for what would be a dramatic run through to the finals.

Martin led all qualifiers after Stage 1 scoring +117, finishing 74 pins ahead of her good friend and long-time rival, Bec Whiting. Whiting, a four-time NSW Open champion herself, was closely followed by fellow NTS Open bowler, Alison Oag, just 6 pins behind in third. Rounding out the top four was Logan City Tenpin’s Emily Bottomley, who finished with a total of 1,997 pins in her ten-game qualifying effort.

In the middle of qualifying, Martin found her stride with an impressive six-game stretch, posting scores of 212, 211, 250, 226, 206, and a blistering 268 which was the highest of all female bowlers in the tournament. Her consistency saw her finish qualifying with 2,117 pins, averaging 211.7.

Men’s Division: Cooley Makes His Move

The open side was dealt a surprise as practice commenced Friday to notice a late scratching of number one ranked bowler Jarrod Langford, and with the second ranked bowler Blake Walsh also not bowling due to being overseas, the opportunity to mix the open rankings up before the TBA Australian Masters became a very real reality.

The open division saw a fierce battle for the top spots in qualifying, with Bernie Grueso Jnr emerging as the top qualifier after an incredible performance that included a standout three game series from game 2 with scores of 257, 269, and a perfect 300. The perfect game standing as the top score of all male bowlers in the tournament, Grueso posted a total of 2,326 pins in his ten-game set, leading the pack heading into the Top 24, Stage 2. Trailing by 41 pins was defending champion Sam Cooley, while youth bowler Seth Gray finished just 10 pins behind Cooley in third.

Grueso maintained his momentum through Stage 2, finishing with 4,145 pins after 18 games. Jordan Dinham, bowling in his home centre and preparing for his upcoming debut with Team Australia at the Asian Championships, climbed from seventh to second, putting himself in contention with an impressive final stretch including a stellar four-game series of 1,040 that included 239, 279, 258, and 264. Seth Gray held onto third, while Sam Cooley slipped to fourth, leaving him with work to do heading into Matchplay.

Matchplay Drama: The Battle for the Title Matches

The tournament then began the top 8 Matchplay finals with bowlers aiming to finish in the top 2 to advance to the title matches. The number one seed would then only require one win from the title match to win the title, with the second seed needing to force a second match and winning that to claim the title.

In the women’s division, Emily Bottomley staged an incredible run in Matchplay, winning six of her seven matches to shoot to the top of the standings and secure a place in the title match. Her impressive climb was fuelled by a series of strong performances, and she finished ahead of Martin, who found herself in second place, just 37 pins ahead of Whiting. Martin struggled to find her rhythm early in Matchplay but managed to hold on for a spot in the title match, despite not securing her first win until game four of the finals and finishing with three wins.

On the men’s side, Bernie Grueso Jnr faltered in Matchplay, winning only two of his seven matches. Despite a pair of 234 games, it wasn’t enough to maintain his lead, and he slid down the standings to finish in fourth position. Seth Gray held steady in third, winning three matches and maintaining his podium position throughout the entire tournament.

Meanwhile, Sam Cooley’s experience and title winning pedigree came to the fore. With the final two spots in the title match on the line, Cooley delivered a masterclass in clutch bowling, winning six of his seven matches. His performance included standout games of 275 and 278, catapulting him from fourth into second place, scoring +186 for the seven games and securing a chance at yet another title.

Local favourite Jordan Dinham, continued his hot stage 2 form and was superb throughout Matchplay, winning five of seven matches, consistently posting scores above 234 and scoring an incredible +308 to secure the top spot and the double chance heading into the title match.

Title Matches: Champions Rise Again

Both defending champions, Martin and Cooley, found themselves needing to win the first match to force a rechallenge and keep their title hopes alive. In the women’s division, Bek Martin stepped up with a commanding 206-189 victory over Bottomley, securing her place in the deciding game.

Sam Cooley, proving why he is one of the most decorated bowlers in NSW Open history, delivered a stunning 288 in his first title match against Dinham, who could only manage 207. Cooley’s score was a personal best for the tournament and set up a highly anticipated rechallenge.

In the deciding matches, both champions demonstrated their class once again. Martin, laser-focused on making history, edged past Bottomley 206-189 to claim her fourth consecutive NSW Open title, cementing her legacy in the tournament’s storied history.

Cooley, needing one final push, brought his best to the final showdown, defeating Dinham 268-238 to secure his fifth NSW Open title and surpass bowling greats Jason Belmonte, Ann-Maree Putney, and Bec Whiting to become the most successful bowler in the event’s 41-year history.

A Fitting Conclusion

With both champions retaining their crowns and further solidifying their places in NSW Open history, the 2024 edition will be remembered as one of the most thrilling and competitive in recent years. Sam Cooley and Bek Martin once again proved why they are two of the most dominant bowlers in the country, rising to the occasion when it mattered most.

For Bek Martin, her first NSW Open title in 2019, was the first ranked event win for the Victorian since 2017. With the weight lifted off her shoulders, Bek has maintained a stranglehold on the title for four straight years.

It’s been an incredible year on the lanes for Bek. Currently the number one ranked bowler in the women’s division, Bek now turns her attention to pulling on the green and gold once again as she prepares to embark to Bangkok, Thailand at the end of the week for the 27^th Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

For Sam, a fourth consecutive and fifth overall NSW Open champion. Sam now surpasses Jason Belmonte, Ann-Maree Putney, and Bec Whiting as the most winningest bowler in NSW Open’s 41-year history. An incredible result from an incredible bowler from Shellharbour Tenpin Bowl in New South Wales. Sam will prepare to travel back to the United States this week as he gears up for the PBA League events with him representing the Detroit Motown Muscle in 2024 while fellow PBA bowler Jason Belmonte will lineup for the Los Angelas LAX once again.

Tenpin Bowling Australia congratulates all participants on an outstanding tournament and looks forward to seeing what lies ahead in the next chapter of this prestigious event.

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FEMALE CHAMPION JOURNEY

Qualifying

193	176	212	211	250
226	206	268	178	197

Total Qualifying	2,117
Average	211.7
+/-	+117
Position	1st – Top Qualifier

Matchplay

167	193	189	221
244	195	180

Bonus	60 (3 wins from 7 matches)
Pins Total	3,506
Total	3,566
+/-	-11
Matchplay Average	198.43
Position	2nd

Title Match vs Emily Bottomley

Match 1	206-189
Rechallenge Match 2	196-177

High Game

268

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MALE CHAMPION JOURNEY

Qualifying

200	226	232	279	194
233	175	242	258	246

Total Qualifying	2,285
Average	228.5
+/-	+285
Position	2nd

Stage 2

226	254	174	226
227	206	182	221

Stage 2 Total	1,716
Stage 2 Average	214.5
Stage 2 +/-	+116
Position	4th
Running Tally	4,001

Matchplay

275	188	191	184
245	278	225

Bonus	120 (6 wins from 7 matches)
Pins Total	5,587
Total	5,707
+/-	+186
Matchplay Average	226.57
Position	2nd

Title Match vs Jordan Dinham

Match 1	288-207
Rechallenge Match 2	268-238

High Game

288

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FUTURE FRAMES

Four down, one to go.

The TBA Australian Masters is the final pit stop on the Women’s and Open TBA Ranked event circuit for 2024, and things are heating up with one event remaining.

Women and Open division bowler’s rankings are totalled by the following calculation:

• Open Division: Best 3 Open events, and the TBA Australian Masters
• Women’s Division: Best 3 Women’s events, and the TBA Australian Masters

With the best three attempts now locked away, all that remains is the final performances at the TBA Australian Masters.

Preliminary rankings have been distributed to participants today following the NSW Open. As per the process in 2024, bowlers will now have a week to flag any issues they notice before the rankings are finalised and published on the website next Tuesday.

With entries opening this week for the TBA Australian Masters, we can’t wait to see how everything plays out to conclude an exciting year on the lanes for the premier Open and Women’s divisions.

Please note that the National Junior Rankings have now been published following review week of the Louise Eady Melbourne Junior Cup. Please note, this does not include potential changes for the best other event if a better performance was done at the NSW Open.