Whiting Dominates 20th Year of QLC Defeating Past Champions
By Chris Rushton
Australia’s number one female bowler has won a record fifth Queensland Ladies Classic title on the weekend at Caboolture Bowl by 353 pins.
When the tournament began on Saturday afternoon, which included four previous QLC winners, Whiting laid a base for victory averaging 209 in the first block of qualifying, bowling games of 206, 224, 212, 194, 213, 181, 196 and 248 to lead the field heading into Sunday.
On day 2, Whiting continued her charge into the deciding rounds, averaging 201 in the second block, to lead 2012 winner Alicia Melton who was only 46 pins behind.
Entering the match play rounds as the number one seed, the Victorian bowler won the first two three way matches that included a tournament high of 289 in match 2. After taking maximum points in matches 4 and 5, Whiting only managed 20 points in the match 6, but her lead was enough to see her win the 7th and final match to claim a win at the 20th year of the tournament in devastating fashion. Melton finished in second place and Belinda Linton rounded out the podium.
The 20th year of the tournament saw an increase in the number of ladies competing, including three-time winner and former Australian and Queensland representative, Kelly Warren, who came out of a 15 year retirement to finish in 17th place, averaging 183 to leave the door open for a permanent return to the lanes.
The tournament sees Whiting keep her number one rankings spot with only two women’s events left on the 2018 calendar.
To view the final standings visit www.tenpinresults.com.au.
Missed getting there on the weekend? Head over to CabBowl-LIVE to find the links to the qualifying and finals here.
Photos courtesy of Caboolture Bowl
