FORTY interstate bowlers will be chasing an elusive prize when the $35,000 Penguin Classic Pairs begins on Monday.
Although many interstate bowlers have tried in the past they have so far been unsuccessful, with Tasmanian bowlers winning the tournament in all of its previous 29 years.
The tournament will run from Monday until Thursday when the finals will be held at the Penguin green.
Among the visiting pairs is Queensland's over-60 champion Barry Ward, of Tarragindi, who will partner clubmate Gary Groeger.
They are a well performed pair who should advance from their sectional play at Ulverstone.
The Penguin tournament has attracted 240 competitors and sectional play will be held at Burnie, South Burnie, Turners Beach, Ulverstone and Penguin before all consolation and finals games are held at Penguin next Wednesday and Thursday.
Five former winners of the tournament have entered again, including 1987 winner David Castles.
Castles partnered the late Peter Lawson to win the event in just its fifth year.
Next week he will bowl with Phillip Moore and they are involved in sectional play at South Burnie.
Penguin's Wayne Manson, a three-time winner, will partner Geoff Alford and their sectional play will be at Turners Beach.
Burnie champion Mark Nitz is another three-time winner, who this year will be partnered by clubmate Sam McLean.
Scott Summers (2010) and Sean Alderson (2009) will have David Whatmore and Andrew Appleyard and will play their sectional games at Penguin.
Father and son combinations competing are Latrobe Mayor Michael Gaffney and his father, Kevin, who have drawn to play at South Burnie, while Sandy Bay pair Bob and Chris Bye will take part at Ulverstone.
There is a poor entry of women's teams this year, although proven performers Judy Hope, of Sheffield, and Marlene Singleton, of South Burnie, are expected to be competitive.
Pam Lade, of Penguin, will play with her 13-year-old grandson, Noah, in sectional play at Ulverstone.
The tournament will be officially opened by Roadways chief executive Phil Sidney at Penguin at 8.30am on Monday.
DRAW FOR SECTIONAL PLAY -
PENGUIN
Section 1: W Lampkin-T Hack, B Walters-J Walters, D Button-G Matters, A Carver-D Jones, M Donovan-L Donovan, P French-D Jeffrey.
Section 2: A Appleyard-S Alderson, J Stewart-R Anderson, L Munnings-J Richmond, B Whittaker-G Browne, C Fielding-G Fielding, M Webb-B Webb.
Section 3: S Morrison-T Benneworth, L Maher-R Purton, R McMullen-M Simms, D Bateman-M Burk, J Hope-M Singleton, B Butler-N Ruthurford.
Section 4: R Murray-P Mundy, B Goold-L Reynolds, T Arnold-P Tierney, M Pointon-L Schloman, S Warfe-T Castricum, S Summers-A Whitmore.
TURNERS BEACH
Section 5: R Franklin-K Radford, K Gras-D Turia, G Douce-D Gamble, D Fawkner-B Hickman, S Foster-C Foster, L Becker-T Dwyer.
Section 6: G McGhie-C Wilcox, J Rando-B McIntosh, D Berwick-D Heron, T Linger-G Linger, S Stevens-M Thompson, W Manson-G Alford.
SOUTH BURNIE
Section 7: P Johns-G Whitton, E Shaw-G Shaw, T Wheldon-T Bakes, M Denny-T Butler, K Wooten -J Laws, G Ayton-V Billingham.
Section 8: L Patterson-K Mulligan, C White-A Plapp, P Hoffman-M Sweeny, D Brain-P Davis, P Thow-G Thow, G Moore-G Monson.
Section 9: A Coomber-N Carlon, L Good-C Scott, C Symes-G Crowe, K Beavis-S Beavis, G Meacham-L Harrison, J Brown-C Brown.
Section 10: J Spencer-A Bennett, G Stephens-S Duncan, B Allan-J Muntings, A Atkinson-V Douglas, K Miller-R Miller, K Hamilton-G Hamilton.
Section 11: P Moore-D Castles, M Wooton-C Laws, D Thomas-K White, D Patterson-J Lancaster, T McCulloch-L Weeding, B Mabb-B Gibson.
Section 12: T Russell-A Green, T Targett-T King, J Beswick-H Evans, R Horton-B Horton, J Kight-B Gooch, T Carpenter-R Harmon.
ULVERSTONE
Section 13: P Studd-F Garden, D Walker-M Berwick, B Blair-A DeSousa, S Brand-P Brand, J Redshaw-K Redman, K Willie-C Porter.
Section 14: B Ward-G Groeger, W Butcher-T Hofman, C Roach-A Roach, T Johnson-W Cole, P Bugg-I Bugg, T Hanaveer-C Allanby.
Section 15: B Ayres-P Ramsay, G McIntosh-W Henwood, B Bye-C Bye, P Brown-K Dowling, D Edrich-B Healey, R Melon-T Wooton.
Section 16: J Neal-P Hoiberg, B O'Donnel-P Harker, I Zantuck-J Clark, P Lade-N Lade, S Geeves-M Eaton, E Bugg-S Hingston.
BURNIE
Section 17: W Howard-P Sturzaker, G Malley-D Hodgetts, E Fidler-B Dudfield, G Courtney-M Higgison, G Mevisson-R Howard, D Summers-G King.
Section 18: G Williams-D Langmaid, E Moore -R Marshall, T Dealy-E Murray, K Gilchrist-D Gilchrist, J Oates-C Pedley, D Osborne-D Perko.
Section 19: M Nitz-S McClean, G Davis-L James, N Pedley-B Oates, T Poulter-M Poulter, E Dean-J Hodgetts, M Gaffney-K Gaffney.
Section 20: W Wilcox-T Docking, L Hills-R Morgan, W Hadley-E French, F McDarmid-S Dick, J Sutcliffe-R Geeves, K Bowkett-G Treweek.
Email a friend