# World Bowls Tour

The World Bowls Tour is an organisation that promotes indoor bowls and organises competitions (primarily in the United Kingdom), including the World Indoor Bowls Championships.

## History

In 1990, the sport was experiencing period of fragmentation following the loss of the television coverage of the World Indoor Bowls Championships. John Hall, the President of the English Bowls Association, unsuccessfully called for closer co-operation between the indoor and outdoor games. In 1992, a player-led organisation formed the Professional Bowls Association, during the 1992 World Indoor Bowls Championship, which was held in the Preston Guildhall to promote indoor bowls worldwide and on television.
On 1 January 1997, under the then-chairman Richard Corsie, the PBA created the World Bowls Tour and after the 1997 championship replaced the World Indoor Bowls Council as the leading indoor organisation. The purpose of the World Bowls Tour was to create championships and competitions to further the aims of the PBA.

## Structure

| Position | Name |
| Chairperson | David Bolt |
| Tournament Director | Tom Weir |
| Assistant Tournament Director & Finance Director | Martin Gale |
| Corporate Director | Jason Parkinson |

## Awards

* World Bowls Tour Awards

## Events

Current and former indoor bowls competitions organised by the World Bowls Tour.

### The International Open (defunct)

| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Score |
| 1983 | David Bryant (1/2) | Bob Sutherland | 7–4 7–3 7–1 |
| 1984 | Terry Sullivan | Tony Allcock | 5–4 (sets) |
| 1985 | Jim Baker | John Watson | 5–7 4–7 7–0 7–3 7–3 7–6 7–4 |
| 1986 | Stephen Rees | David Bryant | 7–3 7–2 7–0 7–1 2–7 3–7 4–7 4–7 7–0 |
| 1987 | Tony Allcock | David Corkill | 7–6 1–7 2–7 7–3 7–0 4–7 7–4 5–7 7–5 |
| 1988 | Gary Smith | Richard Corsie | 6–7 7–5 7–5 7–6 7–6 3–7 6–7 7–0 |
| 1989 | David Bryant (2/2) | David Corkill | 1–5 5–7 7–6 7–5 7–3 |
| 1991 | Andy Thomson (1/3) | Tony Allcock | 6–7 4–7 7–5 7–2 7–1 |
| 1992 | Andy Thomson (2/3) | John Price | 7–3 3–7 7–5 7–5 |
| 1994 | Mark McMahon | Andy Thomson | 4–7 7–5 7–3 7–0 |
| 1995 | Hugh Duff | Ian Schuback | 2–7 7–3 7–4 7–1 |
| 1997 | Les Gillett | David Gourlay | 7–5 7–0 6–7 7–4 |
| 1998 | David Gourlay (1/5) | John Price | 7–0 0–7 7–6 3–7 7–2 |
| 1999 | Ian Schuback | David Gourlay | 5–7 6–7 7–5 7–3 7–2 |
| 2000 | David Gourlay (2/5) | John Price | 7–2 7–2 0–7 5–7 7–3 |
| 2001 | Ian Bond | Greg Harlow | 7–4 6–8 2–1 |
| 2002 | David Gourlay (3/5) | Jason Greenslade | 9–7 6–7 2–1 |
| 2003 | Andy Thomson (3/3) | Les Gillett | 9–10 13–4 2–1 |
| 2004 | Greg Harlow (1/3) | David Gourlay | 10–4 4–8 2–0 |
| 2005 | Greg Harlow (2/3) | Robert Weale | 8–12 10–5 2–0 |
| 2006 | Greg Harlow (3/3) | David Gourlay | 12–7 10–8 |
| 2007 | Paul Foster (1/2) | Jason Greenslade | 15–5 5–6 2–1 |
| 2008 | Darren Burnett | Brett Wilkie | 13–4 10–9 |
| 2009–2012 not held |||||
| 2013 | Alex Marshall | Robert Paxton | 10–2 10–1 |
| 2014 | Paul Foster (2/2) | Alex Marshall | 9–8 15–3 |
| 2015 | Nick Brett | Alex Marshall | 12–4 9–8 |
| 2016 | David Gourlay (4/5) | Jamie Chestney | 11–9 10–6 |
| 2017 | Jamie Chestney | Stewart Anderson | 9–4 8–6 |
| 2018 | David Gourlay (5/5) | Greg Harlow | 11–9 5–9 2–1 |
| not held since 2018 |||||
Sponsors and previous names
* CIS UK Championship (1983-1993)
* Saga/BUPA Care Homes International Open (1994-2004)
* engage International Open (2005-2008)
* Co-op International Open (2013-2018)

### Welsh International Open (defunct)

| Year | Winner | Runner-Up |
| 2002 | Les Gillett | Robert Weale |
| 2003 | Tony Allcock | David Gourlay |
| 2004 | Kelvin Kerkow (1/2) | Andy Thomson |
| 2005 | Kelvin Kerkow (2/2) | Robert Weale |
| 2006 | Jason Greenslade | David Gourlay |
| 2007 | Paul Foster | Robert Weale |
| 2008 | Mark Royal (1/2) | Greg Harlow |
| 2009 | Robert Chisholm | Simon Skelton |
| 2010 | Darren Burnett | Simon Skelton |
| 2011 | Mark Royal (2/2) | David Gourlay |
| 2012 | David Gourlay | Greg Harlow |
| not held since 2013 |||
Sponsors and previous names
* Former Names - Welsh Masters / Welsh Grand Prix

### World Matchplay (defunct)

| Year | Winner | Runner-Up |
| 2007 | Greg Harlow | Mervyn King |
| 2008 | Andy Thomson | Alex Marshall |
| 2009 | Mervyn King | David Gourlay |
| 2010 | Ian Bond | Jason Greenslade |
| not held since 2010 |||

## Statistics
### Most successful bowlers (singles only)

| Bowler | World Indoor Bowls Championships | The International Open | Scottish International Open | Welsh International Open | World Match Play | Total wins |
| Paul Foster | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | 11 |
| David Gourlay | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | - | 9 |
| Greg Harlow | 1 | 3 | 3 | - | 1 | 8 |
| Andy Thomson | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | 1 | 8 |
| Alex Marshall | 6 | 1 | - | - | - | 7 |
| David Bryant | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 6 |
| Tony Allcock | 3 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 5 |
| John Price | 1 | 4 | - | - | - | 5 |
| Stewart Anderson | 2 | - | 3 | - | - | 5 |
| Richard Corsie | 3 | - | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Nick Brett | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 4 |

### Youngest player

The youngest player is Desmond Lai from Hong Kong, China, who at the age of 15 (January 2024) took part in the 2024 World Bowls Indoor Championships.