Bowyer Wins 2005 English Men’s Curling Championships

Bruce Bowyer successfully steered his team to victory in the English Men’s Curling Championships at the Greenacres Curling Club in Renfrewshire, Scotland. Bowyer, with his team of Stephen Hinds at third, Richard Hills at second and lead Mark Wilkinson, finished clear of the rest of the pack on six wins and two losses, in what proved to be a very closely fought contest. At the start of the final day’s play, three teams were still in the running. Bowyer had lost his previous match against Michael Opel (3-4) which had kept Opel in the running. He now had to beat Phillip Atherton in his final game and then watch Bowyer and Atherton play there final game to see if he had a play-off. However, Atherton knew that two wins on the final day would make the title his and his team set off against Opel at pace. Opel started to come back at Atherton, but the early start gave Atherton the comfort that he needed to see the 9-6 victory through.

With Bowyer beating Lumsden 10-2 the final session saw Bowyer and Atherton paired against each other in a virtual final. In a very tense game Bowyer took the lead in the first end by stealing a two, slightly against the run of play when Atherton raised his opponent’s stone onto his own with his last shot. However, Atherton plugged away over the next few ends and levelled the score with a steal in the fifth. Bowyer hit straight back with a two only to see Atherton take ones at the next two ends to tie the game again. Another two by Bowyer in the ninth was then followed by a two by Atherton in the tenth, but it could so easily have been a three had Atherton’s first stone not been so deep. With the game tied after the tenth end, the extra end saw both teams swapping control. Bowyer trying to clear Atherton’s guards early on and then having to change tactics to attack the shot in the four foot. With Bowyer’s first stone in the extra end he tried to play a gentle take out around Atherton’s guard to lie shot, but caught the guard. Atherton tried to replace the guard, but played the shot slightly wide leaving Bowyer a more open shot with his last. He came around the guard and hit Atherton’s shot on the nose to win the game and the Championship.