Defending champion Andrew Dunnett of Linlithgow is the No1 seed in the £4000 West Lothian Masters that celebrates its 21st Anniversary this year and swings into action on Monday 5th August with a field that is 166 strong competing for the £1000 top prize and the coveted Green Jacket.
Voted last years WLBA Player of the Year – he also won the District Singles and was top skip in the title winning Hamilton Trophy Team – Dunnett recenetly made his international debut for Scotland and was a member of a rink that won all three games.As it so happens that Rink contained two other WL Masters in Grant Logan (skip) and two times champion Neil Speirs.
Logan (43) is the No2 seed this year while Speirs (40) is the No 4 with the two Kirkliston stars separated at No3 by former England and Scotland internationalist Gary Smith of Linlithgow (60) who also happens to be the CEO of World Bowls Ltd. Smith won the Masters in 2010 and was a losing finalist in 2011 and 2014. Linlithgow have three seeds in the top five with 46 year old cap experienced Ewan Shearer a prolific winner of titles in West Lothian bidding to add to his 2001 Masters success and bidding at Ayr Northfield this week to win the National title.
The others seeds are; No6: Greg Logan (40) Kirkliston; No7: John Aitken (64) Kirkliston; No8: Thomas Mann (38) Newbridge; No9: Raymond Logan (64) Kirkliston; No10: Darren Pearce (21) Kirkliston; No11: Brian Craig (51) Glenmavis; No12: Cameron Greer (31) Bathgate High; No13: Glen King (36) West Calder; No14: Steven Fleming (47) Linlithgow; No15: Mark Allison (45) Kirkliston; No16: Frazer Muirhead (57) Uphall Station.
The host greens for Mondays first round play are, Broxburn, Bellsburn, Buchan Park, Polbeth, Deans, East Calder, Harrysmuir, Linlithgow, and Queensfrerry, And for the second round play on Tuesday they are, Bathgate, Kirkliston, Glenmavis, Oakbank, Pumpherston, Whitburn, West Calder, Ratho, Kinneil, Bankton Mains, Buchan Park, Middleton Hall, Newbridge, Blackburn,Mid Calder, and Polbeth. Wednesday’s third round play is scheduled for, Oakbank,Linlithgow, Glenmavis, Bathagte, Pumpherston, Armadale, Deans, and Broxburn. The headline advertiser for the landmark 21st Masters is Gordon Bow Plant Hire Ltd and Gordon Bow Engineering Ltd.
The national championships played last week at Ayr Northfield failed to produce a title celebration from the West Lothian contingent but there was a bold effort by the Glenmavis ladies rink of Marlynn Whitfield, Delia Flannigan, Angie Uttley, and Lorraine Craig. Craig and her front-three led Alloa East End 15-14 entering the last end of the final but conceded a single that set up an extra-end winner takes all climax that brought the heart break of a 16-15 defeat. Hopes were high that the prolific Uphall Station partnership of Sandra Steven and Kirsteen McLelland could extend their fabulous record in the Pairs from five titles to a glorious sixth however they suffered the agony of an 18-17 defeat in the semi finals from Auchineck – who went to defeat Dumfries in the final.
A dramatic climax in the semi finals of the Gents Singles saw West Lothian spearhead figure Ewan Shearer of Linlithgow hold 3 shots for game at 20-18 down but an explosive strike from Gordon White of East Lothian burnt the head. White clinched his place in the final with a single on the replay then captured the title with a 21-9 win over Martyn Rice of Dumfries.
West Lothian suffered a disappointing 73-63 defeat at the hands of Edinburgh & Leith in Monday’s Matt Purdie tie at Buchan Park but last years champions will finish top of their section if defeating West Fife and Borders in the remaining two fixtures.