2007–08 World Bowls Tour

November 2025 The World Bowls Tour (WBT) is a limited company formed in September 1996 by the Professional Bowls Association, and the two major governing bodies for world flat green bowls, World Bowls and the World Indoor Bowls Council (WIBC). The primary object of WBT is to set up a series of premier bowls events at which the top players in the world can play. Players The top 16 players automatically entered into the four main tournaments. The rest of the players are made up of qualifiers. The top 16 for the 2007–08 season are: AUS David Gourlay ENG Greg Harlow SCO Paul Foster SCO Alex Marshall WAL Jason Greenslade WAL Robert Weale ENG Andy Thomson ENG Mervyn King AUS Kelvin Kerkow IRE Jonathan Ross ENG Ian Bond ENG Mark McMahon ENG Mark Royal ENG Billy Jackson ENG Les Gillett WAL John Price Calendar Co-operative Funeralcare World Matchplay 2007, Ponds Forge, Sheffield, 21–22 June 2007 Engage International Open 2007, Ponds Forge, Sheffield, 28 October to 4 November 2007 The Great British Mobility Group Scottish International Open 2007, Dewars, Perth, 24 November to 1 December 2007 Potters Holidays World Indoor Bowls Championships 2007, Potters Leisure Resort, Norfolk, 7–27 January 2008 Welsh International Open 2007, Selwyn Samuel Centre, Llanelli, Wales, 2–8 February 2008 Events The 2007–08 season saw the arrival of a new tournament, the 'Co-operative Funeralcare World Matchplay 2007'. As well as this new event, the four main tournaments open to all the top 16 players will be played in their traditional months. Co-operative Funeralcare World Matchplay 2007 Greg Harlow extended his run at Ponds Forge, Sheffield2007-10-11 Bowls star just loves Steel City https://www.elystandard.co.uk/sport/22746462.bowls-star-just-loves-steel-city/ 2025-11-10 Ely Standard en to 18 games when he beat Mervyn King in the Co-operative Funeralcare World Match Play Championship. Every game of the tournament was broadcast live on Sky Sports – the first time that the broadcaster had given the World Bowls Tour such lengthily coverage. Harlow, 38, has won the three previous International Open's at Ponds Forge – a record that no one has managed to do. “It's unbelievable, I don't know what it is - I just wish we could play all our WBT events here,” said an ecstatic Harlow after being asked by Sky Sports presenter Lee McKenzie to explain the secret of his success at the Sheffield venue. Results Semi-finals [8] Mervyn King (ENG) bt [4] Alex Marshall (SCO) 11–6, 9-7 [2] Greg Harlow (ENG) bt [6] Robert Weale (WAL) 6–5, 5-5 Final: [2] Greg Harlow (ENG) bt [8] Mervyn King (ENG) 10–8, 4–10, 2-0 Date Place Event Winner Second SF's QF'sJune 21 – June 22, 2007 ENG Sheffield, England World Matchplay 2007 ENG Greg Harlow ENG Mervyn King SCO Alex Marshall WAL Robert Weale AUS David Gourlay WAL Jason Greenslade SCO Paul Foster ENG Andy Thomson Engage International Open 2007 The Engage International Open took place between November 10 till November 11. The competition was covered by BBC Television, who aired live coverage. Scotland's Paul Foster captured his first ever International Open title in Sheffield after winning a match tie-breaker with Jason Greenslade. The three-time World Singles Champion from Troon notched up a maximum count of four shots on the first end before going on to take the first set 15–5. Welshman Greenslade hit back, edging a closely fought second set 6–5. But in the three-end tie-break, Foster won 2–1 to claim one of the few WBT ranking titles to elude him so far. "Obviously this was an important triumph for me as it plugged a significant gap in my CV and to win two successive WBT ranking events is no mean achievement," he said. Results Semi-finals: [5] Jason Greenslade (WAL) bt [4] Alex Marshall (SCO) 7-7, 8-6 [3] Paul Foster (SCO) bt [2] David Gourlay (AUS) 4–8, 11–3, 2-1 Final: [3] Paul Foster (SCO) bt [5] Jason Greenslade (WAL) 15–5, 5–6, 2-1 Date Place Event Winner Second SF's QF'sOctober 28 – November 4, 2007 ENG Sheffield, England Int'l Open 2007 SCO Paul Foster WAL Jason GreensladeSCO Alex Marshall AUS David Gourlay ENG Greg Harlow WAL Robert Weale ENG Andy Thomson ENG Mervyn King The Great British Mobility Group Scottish International Open 2007 Andy Thomson won the Great British Mobility Scottish International Open at Perth, beating Mark Royal 11-5 8–5 in the final at the Dewar's Centre. The St Andrews-born number eight seed, representing England, was always in control against Royal, seeded 13. Royal had earlier shocked top seed Kevin Kerkow as well as ending Paul Foster's hopes of holding three World Bowls Tour titles simultaneously. Thomson was responsible for defeating second seed David Gourlay. Results Semi-finals: (13) M Royal (Eng) bt Holder (1) K Kerkow (Aus) 7-10 9-8 2-1 (8) A Thomson (Eng) bt (6) J Greenslade (Wal) 10-9 2-10 2-1 Final: (8) Andy Thomson (Eng) bt (13) Mark Royal (Eng) 11-5 8–5, Date Place Event Winner Second SF's QF'sNovember 24 – December 1, 2007 SCO Perth, Scotland Scottish Int'l Open 2007 ENG Andy Thomson ENG Mark Royal AUS Kelvin Kerkow WAL Jason Greenslade WAL Robert Weale ENG Les Gillett ENG Nicky Brett AUS David Gourlay Potters Holidays World Indoor Bowls Championships 2008 2008 World Indoor Bowls Championship See also 2006-07 World Bowls Tour References Category:2007 in bowls Category:2008 in bowls