Army went back to back in the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Lawn Bowls interservice championships, beating Navy on the last end in the final to earn the Ian Johnson Trophy.
The October tournament at Windsor in Sydney began with Navy facing off against Air Force, with Navy securing a commanding 75-38 victory.
Air Force sought redemption in their game with Army but Army proved too strong, winning 71-45.
The final was a rematch of last year. On paper, Army and Navy looked evenly matched, but Army had a larger pool of available players.
From the start, Navy tried to assert dominance, but Army had other plans.
Navy briefly gained a five-shot lead midway, but Army mounted a comeback, setting the stage for a close finish.
Heading into the final end, Army held a one-shot lead, as skippers took to the mat for the last bowl.
A weighted shot from Navy Skip, Chief Petty Officer Phil Black, resulting in the jack unexpectedly bouncing forward, securing Army the victory 59-57.
“It doesn’t happen very often, but unfortunately for Navy, this time it did. That’s bowls,” Chief Petty Officer Black said.
Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2) Scott Welham said he only took up lawn bowls in 2019.
“And this is my first year as the team manager,” WO2 Welham said.
“We knew that final game would be close and the fact it came down to the last bowl was testament to that.”
He said it was great to see such a strong turnout from Army with many new players joining the side.
During the tournament, an ADF squad was selected to compete in national civilian events.
Next year, the ADF Lawn Bowl ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Championship will be held in Adelaide for the first time, from October 19-24.
