SA Open brings out the best in women's bowls
Several high-profile players excelled at the recent Bowls South Africa Women's Open in Ekurhuleni.
Championship Sunday didn't disappoint once again as the leading players battled their way into contention with the hopes of being crowned South Africa's best for 2025.
South Africa's newest Open Singles champion is Bridget Herselman, who took some time off on Mother's Day to edge 21 year old Leila Snyman in a true spectacle of a finale.
Herselman,, herself only 27 and a mom of little one, rose to the occasion in a match that looked like it could go either way throughout the contest.
Eventually, it was Herselman who managed to prevail in the race to 21.
Snyman showed her good form once more in the final and was up at the halfway stage but quite never far enough to make Herselman doubt her drawing abilities.
Herselman, who has been something of a stalwart in the national setup, will now get to test her skills in the World Champion of Champions after finally relegating her young opponenet 21-18.
Another top South African performer Anneke Scheepers managed to ensure another gold medal return. Scheepers was eliminated by Snyman in the last eight of the Singles and lost in the semi-finals as a skip in the Fours leaving her Pairs campaign as her last chance.
A 24-7 win over Esme Kruger and Lara York laid the platform for a resounding 27-6 over Claire Cowan and Elma Louw - ironically, the remaining members of Scheepers and pairs partner Megan Ferreira's Fours side.
Those big wins sent Scheepers and Ferreira into the final full of confidence and it showed on the greens at Dellville Germiston as a comfortable 22-14 win followed in the final.
Anneke Scheepers and Megan Ferreira won the Pairs title
Remarkably, the Women's Fours final featured the two teams that faced off for gold last year. And once again, it the team skipped by Tracy Meyeridricks with Taz Bright at third and Charlotte Rossouw and Colleen Marshall in the front that managed to be the last team standing after a 22-18 win over South African international Esme Kruger and her team of Lara York, Ina and Rolinda Fourie.
Ina Fourie replaced Nan Roos in the only change to the silver medallists.
The attention now turns to Port Elizabeth as the Men's competition begins on Saturday, 17 May.
Women's Fours
Gold Meyeridricks, T / Bright, Taz / Rossouw, Charlotte / Marshall, Colleen (Sedibeng Rolbal/Bowls / Henley on Klip)
Silver Kruger, Esmé / York, Lara / Fourie, Ina / Fourie, Rolinda (Eden Bowls / Hartenbos)
Women's Open Singles
Gold Herselman, Bridget (Sables Bowling Association / Leases)
Silver Snyman, Leila (Sables Bowling Association / Krugersdorp)
Women's Pairs
Gold Scheepers, Anneke / Ferreira, Megan (Western Province Bowling Association / Goodwood)
Silver Mostert, C / Gardiner, Verinia (Ekurhuleni Bowls / Benoni)
Women's Veteran Singles
Gold Pretorius, Denise (Bowls Gauteng North / PHSOB)
Silver Mills, Cherry-Ann (Ekurhuleni Bowls / The Lake)
