World Bowls Tour

Not to be confused with World Bowls.

The World Bowls Tour is an organisation which promotes indoor bowls and organises competitions (primarily in the United Kingdom), including the World Indoor Bowls Championships.^[1]

World Bowls Tour

Abbreviation	WBT
Website	www.worldbowlstour.org

History

In 1990 the sport was under a period of fragmentation following the loss of the television coverage connected with the World Indoor Bowls Championships. John Hall the President of the English Bowls Association unsuccessfully called for closer co-operation between the indoor and outdoor game.^[2] In 1992, a player led organisation formed the Professional Bowls Association, during the 1992 World Indoor Bowls Championship, which were held in the Preston Guildhall to promote indoor Bowls worldwide and on television.

On 1 January 1997, under the then chairman Richard Corsie, the PBA created the World Bowls Tour and after the 1997 championship replaced the World Indoor Bowls Council as the leading indoor organisation.^[3] The purpose of the World Bowls Tour was to set up and create championships and competitions to further the aims of the PBA.^[4]

Structure

Position	Name
Chairperson	David Bolt
Tournament Director	Tom Weir
Assistant Tournament Director & Finance Director	Martin Gale
Corporate Director	Jason Parkinson

Awards

• World Bowls Tour Awards

Events

Current and former indoor bowls competitions organised by the World Bowls Tour.^[5]

World Indoor Bowls Championships

Main article: World Indoor Bowls Championships

Scottish International Open

Main article: Scottish International Open

The International Open (defunct)

Year	Winner	Runner-Up	Score	Ref
1983	David Bryant (1/2)	Bob Sutherland	7–4 7–3 7–1	[6]
1984	Terry Sullivan	Tony Allcock	5–4 (sets)
1985	Jim Baker	John Watson	5–7 4–7 7–0 7–3 7–3 7–6 7–4
1986	Stephen Rees	David Bryant	7–3 7–2 7–0 7–1 2–7 3–7 4–7 4–7 7–0	[7]
1987	Tony Allcock	David Corkill	7–6 1–7 2–7 7–3 7–0 4–7 7–4 5–7 7–5	[8]
1988	Gary Smith	Richard Corsie	6–7 7–5 7–5 7–6 7–6 3–7 6–7 7–0	[9]
1989	David Bryant (2/2)	David Corkill	1–5 5–7 7–6 7–5 7–3	[10]
1991	Andy Thomson (1/3)	Tony Allcock	6–7 4–7 7–5 7–2 7–1	[11]
1992	Andy Thomson (2/3)	John Price	7–3 3–7 7–5 7–5	[12]
1994	Mark McMahon	Andy Thomson	4–7 7–5 7–3 7–0	[13]
1995	Hugh Duff	Ian Schuback	2–7 7–3 7–4 7–1	[14]
1997	Les Gillett	David Gourlay	7–5 7–0 6–7 7–4	[15]
1998	David Gourlay (1/5)	John Price	7–0 0–7 7–6 3–7 7–2	[16]
1999	Ian Schuback	David Gourlay	5–7 6–7 7–5 7–3 7–2	[17]
2000	David Gourlay (2/5)	John Price	7–2 7–2 0–7 5–7 7–3	[18]
2001	Ian Bond	Greg Harlow	7–4 6–8 2–1	[19]
2002	David Gourlay (3/5)	Jason Greenslade	9–7 6–7 2–1	[20]
2003	Andy Thomson (3/3)	Les Gillett	9–10 13–4 2–1	[21]
2004	Greg Harlow (1/3)	David Gourlay	10–4 4–8 2–0	[22]
2005	Greg Harlow (2/3)	Robert Weale	8–12 10–5 2–0	[23]
2006	Greg Harlow (3/3)	David Gourlay	12–7 10–8	[24]
2007	Paul Foster (1/2)	Jason Greenslade	15–5 5–6 2–1	[25]
2008	Darren Burnett	Brett Wilkie	13–4 10–9	[26]
2009–2012 not held
2013	Alex Marshall	Robert Paxton	10–2 10–1	[27]
2014	Paul Foster (2/2)	Alex Marshall	9–8 15–3	[28]
2015	Nick Brett	Alex Marshall	12–4 9–8	[29]
2016	David Gourlay (4/5)	Jamie Chestney	11–9 10–6	[30]
2017	Jamie Chestney	Stewart Anderson	9–4 8–6	[31]
2018	David Gourlay (5/5)	Greg Harlow	11–9 5–9 2–1	[32]
not held since 2018

Sponsors and previous names

• CIS UK Championship (1983-1993)
• Saga/BUPA Care Homes International Open (1994-2004)
• engage International Open (2005-2008)
• Co-op International Open (2013-2018)

Welsh International Open (defunct)

Year	Winner	Runner-Up
2002	Les Gillett	Robert Weale
2003	Tony Allcock	David Gourlay
2004	Kelvin Kerkow (1/2)	Andy Thomson
2005	Kelvin Kerkow (2/2)	Robert Weale
2006	Jason Greenslade	David Gourlay
2007	Paul Foster	Robert Weale
2008	Mark Royal (1/2)	Greg Harlow
2009	Robert Chisholm	Simon Skelton
2010	Darren Burnett	Simon Skelton
2011	Mark Royal (2/2)	David Gourlay
2012	David Gourlay	Greg Harlow
not held since 2013

Sponsors and previous names

• Former Names - Welsh Masters / Welsh Grand Prix

World Matchplay (defunct)

Year	Winner	Runner-Up
2007	Greg Harlow	Mervyn King
2008	Andy Thomson	Alex Marshall
2009	Mervyn King	David Gourlay
2010	Ian Bond	Jason Greenslade
not held since 2010

Statistics

Most successful bowlers (singles only)

Bowler	World Indoor Bowls Championships	The International Open	Scottish International Open	Welsh International Open	World Match Play	Total wins
Paul Foster	5	2	3	1	-	11
David Gourlay	1	5	2	1	-	9
Greg Harlow	1	3	3	-	1	8
Andy Thomson	3	3	1	-	1	8
Alex Marshall	6	1	-	-	-	7
David Bryant	3	2	1	-	-	6
Tony Allcock	3	1	-	1	-	5
John Price	1	4	-	-	-	5
Stewart Anderson	2	-	3	-	-	5
Richard Corsie	3	-	1	-	-	4
Nick Brett	1	1	2	-	-	4

Youngest Player

Desmond Lai, at age of 15 (January 2024) from Hong Kong China, in World Bowls Indoor Championships 2024 ^[33]

References

1. "About". World Bowls Tour. 29 October 2015.
2. Newby, Donald (1990). Daily Telegraph Bowls Yearbook 91. Pan Books Ltd. pp. 8/9. ISBN 0-330-31664-8.
3. Jones, David Rhys (January 1997). "Jones, David Rhys. "New body defended by Corsie." Times, 1 Jan. 1997, p. 29". The Times. Times Digital Archives. p. 29.
4. "About WBT". Webpage. WBT/World Bowls Tour. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
5. "Competitions and results". World Bowls. 29 October 2015.
6. Sullivan, Patrick (1986). Guinness Bowls Records. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 136. ISBN 0-85112-414-3.
7. Newby, Donald (1988). Bowls Year Book 88. Daily Telegraph. ISBN 0-86367-220-5.
8. Allan, Gordon (9 November 1987). "A see-saw final won by Allcock". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. p. 48.
9. Newby, Donald (1989). Bowls Year Book 89. Daily Telegraph. pp. 88/89. ISBN 0-330-31093-3.
10. Allan, Gordon (6 November 1989). "Masterful display by Bryant". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. p. 36.
11. "For the Record". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. 27 April 1991.
12. "Thomson No. 1". The Times. No. 64322. London: Times Digital Archives. 2 May 1992. p. 35.
13. Jones, David Rhys (3 October 1994). "McMahon magic conjures up title". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. p. 26.
14. "Singles title for Duff". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. 2 October 1995. p. 26.
15. Jones, David Rhys (20 October 1997). "Gillett slays cool at finish to win Open". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. p. 27.
16. "Price falls to Gourlay". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. 2 November 1998. p. 35.
17. Jones, David Rhys (22 November 1999). "Row takes shine off Schuback triumph". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. p. 30.
18. "Gourlay confirms high-flying status". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. 20 November 2000. pp. 11[S].
19. Jones, David Rhys (12 November 2001). "Bond shows aptitude for sudden death to lift title". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. pp. 8[S].
20. Jones, David Rhys (11 November 2002). "Gourlay retains winning habit". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. p. 36.
21. Jones, David Rhys (17 November 2003). "Thomson back in the old routine". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. p. 32.
22. Jones, David Rhys (8 November 2004). "Harlow sees off Gourlay to claim 'career-best' victory". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. p. 69.
23. Jones, David Rhys (7 November 2005). "Harlow employs his powers of recovery to retain title". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. p. 77.
24. "Harlow leads way". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. 6 November 2006. p. 70.
25. "Bowls". The Times. London: Times Digital Archives. 12 November 2007. p. 61.
26. "WBT International Open - Burgess Hill, West Sussex: Quarter-finals". Bowls. The Times. No. 69495. London: Times Digital Archives. 1 December 2008. p. 61.
27. "Marshall's First International Open Win". World Bowls Tour.
28. "Fantastic Foster". Bowls International.
29. "CONGRATULATIONS TO NICK BRETT". Henselite.
30. "CO-OPERATIVE FUNERALCARE INTERNATIONAL OPEN DRAW 2016". World Bowls Tour. 27 January 2016.
31. "CO-OP FUNERALCARE INTERNATIONAL OPEN 2017 SCHEDULE & SCORES". World Bowls Tour. 19 November 2016.
32. "CFC INTERNATIONAL OPEN 2018 SCHEDULE AND SCORES". World Bowls Tour. 30 January 2018.
33. World Bowls Tour (16 January 2024). "NUMBER 15 SEED MIKE STEPNEY NEGOTIATES A SAFE PASSAGE INTO THE 2nd ROUND OF THE WORLD INDOOR BOWLS SINGLES". World Bowls Tour. Retrieved 16 January 2024.