Pocket Preview: 2024 Australian Tenpin Bowling Open
By Matt Stevens
This Easter weekend, the competitive spirit ignites at Zone Bowling Frankston with the Australian Tenpin Bowling Open. This event, the season’s second Open Division event, promises an intense battle among bowlers vying to secure their spot in the highly competitive finals.
Running for the 48th time, the demanding format event requires contenders to navigate through 16 qualifying games, setting the stage for the top 20 bowlers to progress to stage 2 for an additional six games. From there, the top 10 will advance, culminating in a thrilling nine-game matchplay round. Bonus pins will be up for grabs in this final push for the title, with accumulated pinfall carrying through to the end.
Adam Hayes, the defending champion, is eyeing a hat-trick of titles, following his inaugural win in 2022. A local to the Frankston lanes, Hayes’ intimate knowledge of the venue positions him as a formidable contender, alongside an eager cohort of emerging stars ready to make their mark.
Running in tandem with the Vic150, this event ensures a feast of bowling excellence for enthusiasts and participants alike over the Easter weekend.
Tenpin Bowling Australia wishes all competitors the best of luck and high scoring.
Please note the recap of the event will be released on Tuesday following the Easter holiday break
AUSTRALIAN TENPIN BOWLING OPEN
PAST CHAMPIONS
| Year | Winner |
| 1972 | Ken Sheehan (Qld) |
| 1973 | Steve Mackie (NSW) |
| 1974 | Joe Velo (NSW) |
| 1975 | Joe Velo (NSW) |
| 1976 | Vic Bubniw (Vic) |
| 1977 | Eric Thompson (Vic) |
| 1978 | Not Contested |
| 1979 | Not Contested |
| 1980 | Not Contested |
| 1981 | Not Contested |
| 1982 | Ken Watson (NSW) |
| 1983 | John Sullivan (Vic) |
| 1984 | Steve Lovell (NSW) |
| 1985 | Len Hogg (Vic) |
| 1986 | Steve Lovell (NSW) |
| 1987 | Len Hogg (Vic) |
| 1988 | John Sullivan (Vic) |
| 1989 | Sam Romeo (NSW) |
| 1990 | Brenton Davy (SA) |
| 1991 | Mark Ramsay (Qld) |
| 1992 | Terry Wenban (NSW) |
| 1993 | Ian Bradford (Vic) |
| 1994 | Sam Romeo (NSW) |
| 1995 | Paulo Valdez (Philippines) |
| 1996 | Carl Bottomley (Qld) |
| 1997 | Frank Ryan (Vic) |
| 1998 | Anthony Flynn (Vic) |
| 1999 | Carl Bottomley (Qld) |
| 2000 | Matthew Riley (Tas) |
| 2001 | Cara Honeychurch (Vic) |
| 2002 | Cara Honeychurch (Vic) |
| 2003 | Cara Honeychurch (Vic) |
| 2004 | Brandon Qualischefski (Qld) |
| 2005 | Michael Little (NSW) |
| 2006 | David Porto (Vic) |
| 2007 | George Frilingos (Qld) |
| 2008 | Matt Riley (NSW) |
| 2009 | Dominic Barrett (England) |
| 2010 | Paul Trotter (Vic) |
| 2011 | Jason Belmonte (NSW) |
| 2012 | Ben Coupland (NSW) |
| 2013 | David Porto (Vic) |
| 2014 | Glen Loader (NSW) |
| 2015 | Michael Little (NSW) |
| 2016 | Sam Cooley (NSW) |
| 2017 | Jarrod Langford (QLD) |
| 2018 | Sam Cooley (NSW) |
| 2019 | Sam Cooley (NSW) |
| 2020 | Not Contested |
| 2021 | David Porto (VIC) |
| 2022 | Adam Hayes (VIC) |
| 2023 | Adam Hayes (VIC) |
AUSTRALIAN TENPIN BOWLING OPEN
MULTIPLE TIME CHAMPIONS
| Joe Velo (NSW) – 1974 & 1975 |
| John Sullivan (Vic) – 1983 & 1988 |
| Steve Lovell (NSW) – 1984 & 1986 |
| Len Hogg (Vic) – 1985 & 1987 |
| Sam Romeo (NSW) – 1989 & 1994 |
| Carl Bottomley (Qld) – 1996 & 1999 |
| Matt Riley (NSW) – 2000 & 2008 |
| David Porto (Vic) – 2006,2013 and 2021 |
| Cara Honeychurch (Vic) – 2001, 2002 & 2003 |
| Sam Cooley (NSW) – 2016, 2018, 2019 |
| Michael Little (NSW) – 2005, 2015 |
| Adam Hayes (VIC) – 2022, 2023 |
