At 16 and 17, they’re club singles champions
It’s hard to imagine a lower combined age of a bowls club’s singles champions anywhere than Melbourne Bowling Club this season.
At just 16 and 17 respectively, Curtis Hanley and Tayla Morison are Melbourne BC’s singles champions.
Hanley defeated experienced Chris “Bear” O’Meagher in the final 25-24 after a hard fought battle.
He trailed O’Meagher 13-21 and staged an disciplined comeback to beat last year’s club champion.
Hanley is no stranger to winning in the clutch. He and brother Cain won the Victorian Open men’s pairs final in November with the very last bowl – delivered by Curtis.
Morison defeated Tara Ferrier. The game was fairly even to the halfway mark, with Ferrier leading 10-9.
Morison then found form and romped home to a 25-10 final victory, again over last year’s club champion.
There have been several juniors in Victoria who have won club championships – famously State star Dylan Fisher as an 11-year-old at Mount Eliza BC a decade ago.
But it’s hard to think of another club whose men’s and ladies champions in the same year have both been teenagers, let alone with a combined age younger than most club singles champions.
The Melbourne BC championship wins continue breakthrough seasons for both Hanley and Morison.
Both made the singles semi-finals at the Victorian Open, while Morison has been added to the Victorian senior team to play NSW at Mulgrave Country Club on January 20-21.
