Neville Denham won his second Major Singles crown in three years and will represent Woonona at the last Zone Champion of Club Champion Singles early next year.
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Denham beat his Club Triples teammate Robbie Baker 31-10 in the Woonona decider in a rematch of the 2019 decider which Denham won by the narrowest of margins, 31-30.
Denham went on to make the final of the 2019 Zone 16 Champion of Club Champion Singles, beaten by Warilla's Jackaroos star Corey Wedlock.
While all Major Singles and Pairs champions qualify for the 2021 Zone 16 Champion of Club Champion (COCC) finals scheduled for next March, the COCC format will be scrapped from 2022 and replaced by State Finals as part of a shake-up of Bowls NSW competitions.
''I love playing for this club and it'll be special to play in a Zone event and represent Woonona again,'' Denham said. ''Robbie and I are good mates. It's great to make another final and from there it can go either way.''
The early exchanges of the decider were tight, with Denham winning nine of the first 12 ends to lead 11-4; from which he was never threatened.
And while Baker chases an elusive first Woonona Major Singles title, he also reached this year's Triples final and if his rink can win their Fours semi-final on Saturday, he will have qualified for eight club finals in three years.
This year's Woonona Major Singles Championship final was also the last under the 31-up format with next year all Singles events to be 25-up. Meanwhile Woonona BC, like all Zone 16 clubs, are working through their remaining 2021 Club Championships following the four-month COVID lockdown.
Woonona have finalists settled in Major Pairs, with Steve Cheney and Jim Tully to meet Paul Robertson and Jared Hamilton on November 21.
It's already been a great result for Cheney and Tully who didn't play Pennants or much social bowls this season.
It is back-to-back finals for Cheney, who skipped last year and is now leading for the experienced Tully.
Woonona are also down to the semi-finals in Club Fours with the Neville Denham-skipped rink to take on Jared Hamilton, and Troy Johnson to skip against Steve Haines this Saturday, with the final on Sunday.
The championship year began with Bernard Harding, Peter Bott and Barry Martin taking out the Club Triples, while Mick Cross won the 2021 Minor Singles and John Van De Voorde and Kevin Musgrove claimed the Minor Pairs.
Woonona also have a men's and a women's side to represent Illawarra in the rescheduled 2021 State Pennant Finals next March.
The Woonona Men's Grade 5 side won the club's first Zone Pennants flag for 20 years in the Zone Finals last June.
Long wait for Aussie Indoor
The side effects of COVID and ongoing travel restrictions entering Queensland have forced Bowls Australia to postpone the 2021 Australian Indoor Championships until next August.
Next month's championships at Tweed Heads BC were due to feature a star-studded men's and women's Singles field but with continuing border uncertainty for bowlers qualifying from interstate, the 2021 event has been cancelled.
Illawarra bowlers Steve Sprod, Corey Wedlock and Shane Pascoe, along with St Johns Park's Ben Twist won through the Warilla qualifying hub last April to make the elite 32-man field.
The four bowlers along with all other 2021 qualifiers have been granted direct entry into the 2022 Australian indoor draw which will now include the 2021 and 2022 qualifiers.
The men's and women's field will double to 64 players with the prize pool also doubling from $24,000 to $48,000.
While Windang bowler Steve Sprod was looking forward to playing at the 2021 event, he is guaranteed a prized spot in the 2022 field starting August 15.
The Australian Indoor Singles has been won by the likes of Jackaroos star Aaron Teys, his multiple world champion Warilla clubmate Jeremy Henry and South Coast legend Karen Murphy.
Zone 16 program released
The Zone 16 events calendar for the 2022-23 has been released which includes a major shake-up to the programming of championship and Pennants events.
Zone bowlers are advised to study the program with the centre-piece being a shift from a calendar year schedule to a financial year from July 2022.
Clubs will be given a detailed explanation of the 2022-23 Zone 16 program at the Zone AGM at Warilla Bowls next Monday from 5.30pm, with all clubs asked to attend.
Meanwhile, Richard Humble and Steve Simeon will skip their teams in the final of the Figtree Sports Triples on Saturday (1pm).
Humble and partners Simon Garrity and Alan Jones edged out Ray Smiles' rink 24-20 in one semi-final, with Simeon, Steve Gooding and Nathan Reynolds beating Peter Ellem's rink 28-18 in the other.
Thirty teams nominated with Team Simeon on a four-game winning run, while Humble and partners have won three matches after a round one bye.
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