Ryan and Tulk set up repeat decider

Tomorrow’s Global Catering Queen of the Roads final is a repeat of last year’s epic battle between Carmel Ryan and Dutch champion Silke Tulk.

Both cruised through their semi-finals yesterday at Ballincurrig. Ryan beat German champion Anke Klöpper and Claire O’Sullivan. She led all the way. She had a nice lead after four to the muddy gap and increased her odds onto the short straight.

She followed with a brilliant bowl to the big corner to go a shot clear and had close to two at the top of the long straight. Another good bowl to O’Riordan’s increased her odds and O’Sullivan edged Klöpper for second place. Klöpper followed with a great bowl to move closer to Ryan, but O’Sullivan made a mistake, which put her out of contention. From there on Ryan was unchallenged.

Emma Fitzpatrick endorsed her growing reputation with a great start against Silke Tulk and Kelly Mallon. Tulk won her first lead with a good third to the sycamores where Fitzpatrick lost her lead. Tulk held the lead onto the short straight and Mallon moved into second place. Fitzpatrick fought back with a great bowl to the big corner.

Tulk increased her odds in the next few shots and her huge bowl to O’Riordan’s gave her almost a bowl on Mallon and close to two on Fitzpatrick. She increased her lead to Heaphy’s, but Mallon raised her challenge. Tulk got another big bowl towards the creamery and she was close to the line in two more.

PJ Cooney beat Seamus Sexton in the last shot in the Jim O’Driscoll Cup with John Shorten off the pace. He was almost a bowl down after four to the green. He got a great fifth towards the line and won his first lead with a brilliant bowl to O’Riordan’s. He followed with three great shots to the big corner, where Sexton was a bowl behind. Shorten was two adrift and never got back into it. Sexton, however, made the sycamores in two brilliant bowls, but Cooney kept just in front. They closed in three more with Cooney winning in the last shot.