A Recap of the May 9th BLBC Triples Tournament

What a day it was! On Saturday, May 9th, the Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club was graced with the kind of weather that makes you forget about marine layers and remember why we live in California. Under comfortable sunny skies, 24 bowlers, forming eight teams, took to the greens for our latest Triples Tournament.

As a well established club we have seen many bowls delivered, but rarely have we seen a performance as clinical and dominant as the one displayed by the “Bell Brigade.”

The Early Rounds: Setting the Pace

Game 1 saw Janice Bell, Michael Leutzinger, and Bernadette Chan signal their intent immediately, dispatching Rob, Annie, and Mark with a decisive 14-3 victory. Meanwhile, Hugo Deaux, Patricia Erwin, and Joseph Chow began their climb to the final with a hard-fought 10-7 win over Chris Davis, Lennon, and Sal.

Special mention must go to Mike O’Leary, Ethan, and Glenn, who looked like early contenders after a 12-8 win over Mike Armstrong, Charlie, and Gordon.  Also the team of Daniel, Cindy, and Ginger seemed formidable with a strong 19-5 showing over Kevin, Leslie, and Steve.

The Mid-Day Charge

By the time the shadows were beginning to shift, Team Bell was a locomotive without a brake. In Round 2, Janice and company navigated a tricky 12-9 match against Chris Davis’ team, while Hugo Deaux’s trio kept pace, grinding out an 11-6 win against Rob’s team.

The drama peaked in Round 3, where Team Bell hammered home their advantage with a 15-5 victory over Team O’Leary. On the adjacent rink, Team Deaux kept their streak going with a 14-6 win against Mike Armstrong’s crew. It was clear we were on a collision course.

The Final

The final showdown pitted the only two undefeated teams after three rounds — Team Bell against the consistently excellent Team Deaux.

It was a tactical chess match on grass. Hugo Deaux, Patricia Erwin, and Joseph Chow put up a valiant defense, showing the kind of chemistry that usually requires a laboratory. However, there was no stopping the momentum of Janice Bell, Michael Leutzinger, and Bernadette Chan. Janice seemed to have her bowls on a remote control, Michael was the definition of “cool under pressure,” and Bernadette provided the kind of setup work that makes a skip’s life easy. 

The Bell team emerged victorious, claiming the title and the bragging rights that come with it.

Final Standings (Notable Highlights):

• Tournament Champions: Janice Bell, Michael Leutzinger, Bernadette Chan.
• Runners-Up: Hugo Deaux, Patricia Erwin, Joseph Chow.

If you’d like to see all the scores from the matches throughout the day, check the tournament spreadsheet.

Thank you to everyone who participated, to those who helped prep the greens, and to the weather for being perfect. We’ll see you all at the next one!