Australian Open close of entry date extended
Registration cut-off for the $225,000 Australian Open has been extended till Friday, April 24, due to the significant quantity of entries submitted in the eleventh hour.
Entries were due to conclude this Monday, on April 13, but the decision to prolong the closing date for 11 days leaves the door ajar for anyone considering booking a spot in the nation’s premier national competition who hasn’t yet submitted the paperwork.
Despite the extension, time is quickly running out for bowlers to get their entries in to compete at the tournament billed ‘The World’s Biggest Bowls Festival’.
The event has undergone a radical transformation this year, which will see it change from an elite-focused, elimination competition with an arduous qualifying process to a truly open field featuring bowlers of all levels and abilities.
Thousands more bowlers from all walks of life now get the opportunity to participate in and experience the nation’s premier event, not to mention the chance to win a slice of the $225,000 prize purse, thanks to its relocation to the idyllic bowls heartland of the Gold Coast.
While international calibre athletes will be scattered throughout the draws, with many looking to hone their skills under the same conditions and on the same greens that will be used from the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and 2020 World Bowls Championships, there will be plenty of opportunity for bowlers of any capacity to mix it in the Australian Open.
The increase of guaranteed games for all disciplines will ensure that entrants get a fair chance to demonstrate their aptitude on the green.
Event draws will be made public in the weeks following the new close of entry date of April 24 and will be emailed to all registered participants in addition to being placed on australianopen.bowlsaustralia.com.au .
Event organisers advise that participant’s travel plans should be based around the schedule of play, which can be located here, as it is not expected to undergo dramatic changes to accommodate the final draw size.
Details of an Australian Open specific bus shuttle service from Broadbeach Bowls Club, the event’s a central hub and finals venue, will also be released prior to participants descending on the Gold Coast.
Bowlers that are looking to find a team to compete with, or even just an extra player to fill a hole in an already established team, should contact Bowls Australia’s Event Coordinator Jakub Syslo at jsyslo@bowlsaustralia.com.au to be placed in a match making service that facilitates the contact between parties searching for teams or players.
Click here to secure your spot in the $225,000 prize-money Australian Open, held on the Gold Coast from June 13 to 25.
