On Saturday, June 6, 2026, twelve teams descended upon the greens for the highly anticipated 2026 BLBC Pairs Tournament.  We were blessed with mostly sunny skies and quite comfortable temperatures.

Here is how the action unfolded across the rounds:

The Podium Finishers

• 1st Place: Michael O’Leary & Phyllis Yau-Chan The undisputed champions of the tournament. Michael and Phyllis went on an absolute tear, finishing with a perfect 4-0 record. What makes this victory truly remarkable is that Michael O’Leary is still technically a novice bowler! Supported by the steady and consistent Lead bowling of Phyllis Yau-Chan—joining the fray as a dual member from Rossmoor—this duo proved unstoppable.
  
  They started strong against Daniel Gorelick & Cindy Moss (14-7), dominated Chris Davis & Annie Brillhart in Game 2 with a massive 20-6 victory, survived a tough test from Bing Burns & Phil Grattan (16-12), and clinched the tournament championship in Game 4 winning a very close and competitive nail-bitter of a match against runners up Cris Benton & Art Kotoulas (10-8). 

• 2nd Place: Cris Benton & Art Kotoulas An incredible run for Cris and Art, who put on a clinic throughout the day. They took down Hugo Deaux & Sal Garcia (12-8) in Game 1, handled Lennon Hamilton & Bernadette Chan (11-8) in Game 2, and cruised past Michael Leutzinger & Leslie Engler (18-6) in Game 3. They went into the Game 4 Final with a 3-0 record but were ultimately outdone by the strong O’Leary & Yau-Chan pairing, finishing a highly commendable 3-1 for second place.

Game 1: The morning session gave us a taste of the competitive field. Michael Leutzinger & Leslie Engler and Luis Zapata & Glenn Nunez both put up commanding 14-point performances to notch their first wins. Meanwhile, Bing Burns & Phil Grattan and Chris Davis & Annie Brillhart immediately locked horns in a gritty 10-10 draw.

Game 2: This round saw our eventual runners-up (Cris Benton & Art Kotoulas) and champions (Michael O’Leary & Phyllis YauChan) separate themselves from the pack. It also featured a fantastic bounce-back performance from Daniel Gorelick & Cindy Moss, who shook off a first-round loss to put up a stellar 17-9 win over Mo Shooer & Sandy Souza.

Game 3:  While the leading duos maintained their undefeated streaks, the rest of the green saw some beautifully chaotic battles. Daniel Gorelick & Cindy Moss fought Lennon Hamilton & Bernadette Chan to a dramatic 8-8 tie, while Hugo Deaux & Sal Garcia and Mo Shooer & Sandy Souza apparently couldn’t be separated either, locking in a 9-9 draw. Janine Maddock & Lydia Zapata also secured a resounding 14-7 win over Chris Davis & Annie Brillhart to shake up the middle tier.

Game 4: The Championship Showdown With the tournament on the line, the final matchup was set between the only two undefeated squads left standing: Michael O’Leary & Phyllis YauChan and Cris Benton & Art Kotoulas. It was a tactical, low-scoring chess match where every inch mattered. When the dust settled, the novice-and-Rossmoor-powerhouse connection managed to squeeze out a 10-8 victory to secure the tournament crown!

A massive thank you to everyone who stepped onto the green, helped set up the rinks, provided hospitality/snacks, and brought that classic Berkeley competitive spirit. Congratulations again to Michael and Phyllis for an incredible performance!  

If you would like to see all the game results by round they can be found on the tournament spreadsheet.

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!