Skoglund set to play world’s top bowlers

Press, 28 May 1979, Page 32

Skoglund set to play world’s top bowlers

N’ZPA . London New Zealand’s most accomplished lawn bowler, Phil Skoglund, will confront the world’s best over the next fortnight in the annual World Masters tournament. The series will start at Hartlepool, in the northern English county of Cleveland, today and will continue on greens throughout England until the climax, the World singles, at Worthing, West Sussex, On June 8.

The first part of the fortnight of bowls is confined to virtual exhibition matches between pairs of the overseas invited bowlers and England players. “The singles is the main mission,” said Skoglund, aged 42, “the rest is just in the nature of preparation.” Skoglund, from Palmerston North, has been the New Zealand singles champion five times, and has won

other national titles. He is one of the favoured bowlers but still comes behind England’s David Bryant in prematch calculations-. Bryant, the “Mr Bowls” of England and a long-time Commonwealth champion, was the logical favourite, Skoglund said. “We don’t know yet what sort of form Bryant will be in,” he said. “In some ways we’d like to see 1 him at his best because he really is a master of the game.” Others in the tournament are Ellis Stanbury (Wales), David McGill (Scotland), Willie Murray (Ireland), Dick Folkins (United States), Barry Salter (Australia), and Bill Moseley (South Africa).

Skoglund has Murray, McGill, and Moseley to oppose in his group of the singles, with the top two going on to the semi-finals.

No publicity has been -generated in Britain by the

presence of the South African, and no suggestion has come from any quarter that either he or the tournament should be boycotted. “There’s■ been no problem about him that I know of,” Skoglund said. “He seems a nice sort of a guy and I’ve enjoyed his company immensely. I’ve certainly got no qualms about playing in the same tournament as him.”

Moseley won two gold medals at the last world championships and with McGill is expected to provide Skoglund with his toughest group competition. “I’m probably better prepared mentally for this tournament than I have been in previous competitions in England,” Skoglund said. “This is because I know what to expect. I don’t yet know what my form will be like; the answer will be determined by how quickly I can come to grips with the heavy gr.eens here "