January 8, 2021

Mike Galloway has claimed his second New Zealand title at the 2021 Summerset Nationals, 20 years after his first.

Galloway (Royal Oak) has beaten host club favourite Rory Soden 21-9 in the final of the men’s singles at Carlton Cornwall in Auckland, two decades after he and David Clark won the men’s pairs.

“It’s just unbelievable,” Galloway said.

“I am a part-time bowler. I don’t play much at all these days.

“When I play I give it 110 per cent but with the family and job [it makes it hard] to do stuff.

“I haven’t played singles for three and a half years but with the change of format I could play in the singles so I gave it a go and just kept on winning and winning and just won.”

Galloway will now represent New Zealand at the world champion of champion singles later in the year.

“It’s always nice to win the big ones, knowing I can compete against the New Zealand champions; Andrew Kelly, Mike Kernaghan and all those guys.

“It’s nice to know I can still do it.”

He beat Kelly (Canterbury 2017), the defending champion, 21-13 in the semi-finals.

“That was probably my best game of the tournament. I just had the bowls on a bit of a string. You know I was pretty confident of drawing any shot.”

“You get games where you just feel like you’re going to play well and I did play well.”

Results:

Men’s singles – quarter-finals – Mike Galloway (Royal Oak) beat Timothy Hook (Takaro) 21-17, Andrew Kelly (Canterbury 2017) beat Sheldon Bagrie-Howley (Gore) 21-14 , Rory Soden (Carlton Cornwall) beat Raika Gregory (Carlton Cornwall) 21-17 and Finbar McGuigan (Stokes Valley) beat Keanu Darby (North East Valley) 21-17.

Semi-finals – Mike Galloway beat Andrew Kelly 21-13 and Rory Soden beat Finbar McGuigan 21-19.

Final – Mike Galloway beat Rory Soden 21-9.