The PNB Masters Championships delivered a weekend of high drama at Stella Park and Hillary, with top bowlers battling for places on the medal podium. Tight finishes, dramatic turnarounds, and narrow margins produced thrilling finals as champions were crowned and medals decided. The Men's Open final sectional round on Sunday morning turned the standings upside down, with Wayne Roberts needing a win to force his way into the gold-medal play-off.
In the Men's Open, Troy Garland produced the upset of the section by defeating section leader Warren van der Sloot. Garland and Roberts both finished on five points, but Roberts' superior aggregate secured his place in the gold-medal play-off, leaving Garland to contest the bronze. Section 2 saw Keegan Bauristhene finish comfortably on six points, while Paul White and Dion Audie ended on five. White's superior aggregate earned him the second bronze play-off berth.
The Veterans produced equally dramatic final-round action, with Lance Mansfield leading Section 1 on five points when he faced Roger Boulle, who needed a substantial victory to draw level and overhaul Mansfield on aggregate. Boulle delivered a textbook performance, achieving exactly what he needed to secure the gold-medal play-off, leaving Mansfield to battle for bronze. In Section 2, Lindsay North topped the standings on six points, with Arnold Muscat second on five.
The finals intensified the drama, with Bauristhene racing to a 10–2 lead over Roberts after seven ends, but Roberts refused to surrender. He stalled Bauristhene's momentum for seven ends before turning the game around and eventually leveling the score at 15-all. Roberts then produced a devastating finish, collecting six shots over three ends to claim another Open Masters title.
The bronze battle was just as fiercely contested, with White edging Garland 21–19. Adding further lustre to the Open podium, all three medallists have worn Protea colours — a fitting endorsement of the decisions made by the national selectors. The Veterans final was another marathon, with North leading Boulle for 21 ends, but at 17–16, Boulle found another gear, taking five shots over three ends to secure consecutive Masters titles.
Across at Hillary, Natalie Botha won four of her five sectional games to top her Women’s Open section ahead of Debbie de Kock, while Glenda Matthews produced a perfect five-from-five to win Section 2, leaving 2025 champion Linda Tolmay to play for bronze. The Women’s Veteran section winners were equally emphatic, with Leonie Koedyk and Linda Didlick both completing their sectional campaigns unbeaten to earn their place in the gold-medal showdown.
In the Women's Open final, Matthews and Botha traded early ends before Matthews' precision and tactical skill began to tell. She pulled clear to win 21–13 and claim a remarkable sixth PNB Masters title. Tolmay took bronze. Didlick produced a display of deadly accurate drawing in the Veteran final, overcoming Koedyk to add another Masters title to her collection, while Sarie Bisset claimed bronze.
Key points
- Wayne Roberts won the Men's Open gold medal.
- Glenda Matthews claimed a remarkable sixth PNB Masters title in the Women's Open.
- Linda Didlick added another Masters title to her collection in the Veteran women's category.
