Women’s Open Singles delivers a weekend to remember
The 2026 Women’s Open Singles delivered two days of outstanding bowls, with a full field of 96 players battling through section play and elimination rounds before a new champion was crowned.
Defending champion Lisa White and Blackjack Selina Goddard advanced as expected. However, several other highly fancied contenders, including Jessie Macaw, Kimberley Hemingway and three-time champion Elaine McClintock, failed to progress from section play.
Hannah Dawson produced one of the standout qualifying performances, defeating McClintock in section play to secure her place in post-section before overcoming St Heliers’ Donna Division to advance to Sunday’s Round of 16.
White also made an early statement, eliminating serious title threat Wendy Jensen as she began her defence of the crown.
Championship
Sunday produced plenty of fiercely contested bowls, even if some of the final scorelines did not fully reflect the quality of the matches. Kristin Stampa’s campaign came to a swift end in the Round of 16, with Goddard producing a masterful performance to record a commanding 21-0 victory. Eventual champion Skye Renes of Pt Chevalier was equally impressive through the early knockout rounds, recording 21-7 and 21-9 victories to book a semifinal showdown with Goddard. The pair shared plenty of history from their time at Takapuna, with the vastly more experienced Goddard traditionally holding the upper hand. Renes, however, showed from the outset that this encounter would be different. She claimed the opening end and established an early advantage before Goddard worked her way back to level the match at 10-all.
From there, it became a genuine arm wrestle. Renes relied on multiple counts to keep the scoreboard moving, collecting a four and four separate counts of three on her way to 21. Remarkably, she scored on just nine of the 21 ends played.
The scores were locked at 10-all, 14-all, 17-all and eventually 20-all, setting up a dramatic end. Renes delivered an outstanding opening bowl and, despite everything Goddard could throw at the head, it held for shot. The 21-20 victory sparked an emotional celebration and secured Renes a place in the final.
On the other side of the draw, current Auckland Singles champion and Women’s Player of the Year Hannah Dawson faced defending champion Lisa White. The scores remained close through the early stages before White began to establish a narrow advantage as both players moved into the teens. Trailing 18-12, Dawson responded with a crucial four-count to close the gap to just two. White, however, remained composed and found the final shots she needed to close out the match 21-17 and earn the opportunity to defend her title.
Renes rises to the occasion
Any emotion from the semifinal was quickly put aside as Renes returned to the green for the championship decider. She again claimed the opening end and settled into the match immediately, gradually building an imposing 11-4 advantage over White. The defending champion was never going to disappear quietly. A pair of late three-counts brought White back into contention and applied some genuine pressure, but Renes continued to find answers.
Her consistency proved too great on the day, with Renes closing out a superb 21-13 victory to become the 2026 Women’s Open Singles champion. It was an outstanding conclusion to a tournament in which Renes demonstrated composure, consistency and the ability to deliver under enormous pressure.
Plate
There was still plenty to play for those eliminated in the Round of 16, with the Plate competition providing a second opportunity to finish the weekend with silverare.
Defending World Singles champion Millie Nathan eventually claimed the Plate title after entering the competition following her Championship loss to Kaitaia Church Road’s Georgina Lidgard. The headline story of the Plate, however, belonged to Stratford Avon’s Mihi Hona.
Hona comfortably won Section 1 before being pushed all the way by Mairangi Bay’s Julie Chhour in a match that came down to the clock, sending her into the Plate competition.
There, her day produced a memorable chapter. The Plate quarterfinal saw Hona face mentor, clubmate and Taranaki legend Kristin Stampa. Trailing late in the match, Hona fought her way back to claim a thrilling 21-20 victory. She backed that performance up in the semifinal, defeating current Auckland 1-5 representative Penny Yam 21-10 to earn a place in the Plate final against the reigning World Singles champion. Nathan ultimately proved a step too far, but Hona’s performances throughout the weekend marked her as another player to watch in the seasons ahead.
Bigger, better and what lies ahead
Beyond the results, the weekend highlighted the incredible depth currently present in the women’s game. Established champions continued to demonstrate their quality, while emerging and development players were given the opportunity to test themselves against some of the best bowlers in the country. The performances of players such as Renes and Hona were further evidence of the talent continuing to emerge, while the quality at the latter stages of the Championship reinforced just how difficult this title is becoming to win.
A massive thank you must go to Royal Oak and all of our host clubs for opening their doors across the weekend, along with the umpires, markers, volunteers and supporters who helped deliver such a significant event.
With 96 players, six Saturday venues and two days of high-quality singles bowls, the Women’s Open Singles once again provided a fantastic way to launch the major-event programme for the new season.
Congratulations to Skye Renes, our 2026 Women’s Open Singles champion, and to every player who contributed to another memorable edition of the event.
