Lucrative Ray White Rural Invitational bowls tournament won by team skippered by Cambridge’s Blake Nairn

The Ray White Rural Invitational has been one for the books this year as more than 100 bowlers from across WA made the trip to Emu Point Sporting Club on Saturday and the event attracted a talented field for the second year running. With a slight prize money increase which allowed for cash to be won for individual rounds, players from Perth, Mandurah, Busselton, Mt Barker, Denmark, Albany, Leonora and Harvey all turned up to compete for their share of the $10,000 on offer. Carrying on from last year, 28 teams of four players hit the greens in the successful competition that continues to gain traction in the Great Southern region. Cambridge star bowler Blake Nairn and his team finished on top with a score of 12 points and an aggregate of 28 shots up. Nairn was joined by fellow bowlers Sean Mawdsley, Ben Leggett and Steve West with the quartet bagging the top prize of $4000. Doubleview bowler Kyle Mcilroy was joined by teammates Ryan Moyle, Shane Loftus and Dave Rankin who were close behind in second with 12 points and 18 shots up, netting $2400. Wagin’s Warren Holt and his team were third for the day on 12 points and 13 shots up, winning $1200 in the process. Holt was joined by teammates Jono Davidson, Richard Plant and Fred Holt. Eaton bowler Dave Carruthers hit the greens with Colin Hotker, Greg Aitkin and Shane Pullan by his side as the veterans rounded out the top four and finished their afternoon on nine points and 28 shots up. Event organiser Todd Jefferis said the event was an enormous success and he hoped the Invitational would grow even more in the years to come. “The event was fantastic, especially considering we lost a few good teams from last year but we managed to fill it out again with top bowlers from all over,” he said. “We raised around $1500 with raffles and also plenty of money from the bar which isn’t the sole purpose but it helps maintain the facilities and it’s very positive for the club. “The event is really about showcasing bowls and bringing the best bowlers down here by offering enough prize money to the competitors. “We’d love it if some more sponsors jumped on board in coming years because the guys that come down here spend a lot of money and support the region and that benefits everyone involved.”