Four SA greenkeepers win national lawn bowls title

MORE time practising on the greens rather than tending to them has earnt four SA lawn bowlers a $20,000 national championship.

15.7.2015.The SA men's fours team recently won the $20,000 Australian fours title on the Gold Coast. Making the story quirky is all four players are greenkeepers at their local clubs. Players l-r Wayne Ruediger, Steven Dennis, Nathan Pedersen, and Scott Thulborn. pic tait schmaal.

MORE time practising on the greens rather than tending to them has earnt four SA lawn bowlers a $20,000 national championship.

The state team won the men’s fours title at the Australian Open on the Gold Coast last month.

Making the triumph more remarkable is the quartet’s full-time occupations as greenkeepers at their respective clubs.

Ascot Park young gun Nathan Pedersen says the tournament being moved to winter — when greens go dormant for three months — allowed his teammates to fine tune their game.

“They held this Australian Open at a greenkeeper’s dream time,” Pedersen, who recently completed his greenkeeping apprenticeship, says.

“You’d be lucky to do a couple of hours a day of work (in winter) ... so we weren’t doing a big week of work before we went away.”

The team, which also features Adelaide Bowling Club’s Scott Thulborn, Grange’s Wayne Ruediger and West Lakes’ Steve Dennis, won nine matches in four days to claim the title.

Pedersen says close bonds between the four, forged on and off the greens, helped them edge a tight final against New Zealand.

“Even when we’re not bowling with each other, we’re communicating with each other about work stuff.

“If you want to play bowls full-time you’re best job is to be a greenkeeper.

“Most greenkeepers choose the job because of bowls, they don’t become a greenkeeper then three years later take up bowls.”

Thulborn, who won the Open decider on his final bowl, says it is common in eastern states for clubs to lure promising young players with greenkeeping apprenticeships.

The Australian Premier League player says he often spends 10-12 hours a day on the greens in summer between mowing, spraying, watering and playing.

“You’re comfortable on a bowling green because you’re on one all the time,” the 31 year old says.

“If a bowling club is your employer they are a lot more understanding of all the trips for tournaments and a bit more lenient with allowing you to have the time off.”

Thulborn will represent Australia in Malaysia in October while Pedersen will pull on the green and gold at the Hong Kong Classic the following month.

So will the pair be more critical of the playing surfaces they come across on their travels?

“Greenkeepers are actually more forgiving of not perfect greens than the average bowlers are,” Thulborn says.

“We understand how difficult the job can be and how easily things can go wrong.”