Josh Studham becomes youngest state singles lawn bowls champion in event’s 107-year history
TEENAGE lawn bowler Josh Studham hopes to open the door for a new breed of SA talent to shine after becoming the youngest men’s state singles champion in the event’s 107-year history.
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TEENAGE lawn bowler Josh Studham hopes to open the door for a new breed of SA talent to shine after becoming the youngest men’s state singles champion in 107 years.
The Holdfast Bay player shocked a field full of senior international performers to down fellow emerging talent Nathan Pedersen in the tournament final at Murray Bridge on the weekend.
Studham said securing the sought-after title, which dated back to 1911, capped his meteoric rise in the sport.
“I don’t know how it happened, but it happened,” Studham, 17, said.
“I got told I was the youngest (ever winner), but I didn’t know it went back that far.
“I was really happy and I’m pretty proud to make history.”
Studham defeated another state under-18 player, Gerrin Jenke, in the semi-final to set up the championship decider against 23-year-old Pedersen.
He led by eight shots early in the contest, before holding off his fast-finishing opponent to prevail 21-17 and claim the title first won by South Park’s H. Morris in the 1911/12 season.
Studham, a former Balaklava High student, said the dominance of youth at the business end of the tournament pointed to a bright future for SA bowls.
“We have heaps of talent coming in,” said Studham, who began playing night owls eight years ago.
“It looks pretty handy for the sport of bowls in this state if it’s all young people coming through.”
Port Wakefield-based Studham has made the 220km round trip to Adelaide each weekend for matches and training, since joining Holdfast in 2014.
His record-breaking success was just the latest accolade in his glittering career, after he became the youngest under-18 state singles champion aged just 12.
Studham was set to link up with the SA men’s squad for its Australian Sides title defence in Darwin this week.
He had no issue calling some players more than half a century his elder teammates.
“Bowls is a bit of an older person’s game, but I don’t really mind.
“Hopefully it can take me to a Commonwealth Games to play for Australia one day.”
The women’s state singles title was won by Renata Callisto.
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