World Bowls Tour

Not to be confused with World Bowls.

The World Bowls Tour is an organisation that 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 experiencing period of fragmentation following the loss of the television coverage of 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 games.^[2] In 1992, a player-led organisation formed the Professional Bowls Association, during the 1992 World Indoor Bowls Championship, which was 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 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

The youngest player is Desmond Lai from Hong Kong, China, who at the age of 15 (January 2024) took part in the 2024 World Bowls Indoor Championships.^[33]