Rising lawn bowls star wins Golden Nugget

AUSTRALIAN indoor bowls champion Jack McShane won the prestigious Golden Nugget at Club Tweed.

The 19-year-old defeated Ballina’s Aaron Teys 25-22 in the men’s final and was the only player to go through the tournament unbeaten.

Australian representative Jamie-Lee Worsnop also overcame three-time champion Natasha Van Eldik in a 25-24 thriller in the women’s final.

The Golden Nugget is an invitational singles event which attracts 12 of the best male and female bowlers to Tweed Heads each year.

It is one of the longest-running events on the bowls calendar and will celebrate its 40-year anniversary in 2027.

Club Tweed bowls coordinator Emma Boyd described it as the Wimbledon of lawn bowls, with a worldwide audience watching on the live stream and big crowds at the venue throughout the week of competition.

“I would consider it the world’s best singles competition, and it’s been cemented in our club’s history for a very long time,” Boyd said.

“It’s a spectacle for our sport and it gives our members and people around the region a chance to see a world class field up close.”

History was made in the junior section, with Bianca Szeto from Hong Kong becoming the first international winner.

Warilla bowler Travis Moran also became the first back-to-back champion in the junior boy’s competition.

He is following the footsteps of Teys and Australian representative Corey Wedlock, who both bowl for the Warilla Club.

After the tournament, Teys and Wedlock were selected in the Australian 2025 World Cup team to play at Malaysia in November.

Both will be hoping to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland next year.

“We’ve selected a group with proven international experience, recent success and the right balance of leadership and form,” Australian coach Gary Willis said.

“The World Cup is a great opportunity for our players to test themselves against the best in the world, in a new format and untried conditions.”