WOLVES STAR SAM MASTERS REFUSED TO SETTLE FOR SILVER SERVICE AFTER GRABBING AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD AT KURRI KURRI ON SATURDAY.
Wolves star Sam Masters refused to settle for silver service after grabbing Australian Championship gold at Kurri Kurri on Saturday.
Masters, second in the last two seasons, went into the deciding round at his local track with a three-point deficit on pre-meeting series leader Justin Sedgmen. But he topped the heat scoring on 14 points to cruise into the A Final, while Sedgmen just crept into the B Final on nine.
The former Swindon man needed victory to reach the last four and keep his title hopes alive, but Nick Morris fended him off to dash his hopes and crown Masters champion before a wheel had been turned in the A Final.
While Masters was celebrating his title triumph, 2016 champion Brady Kurtz signed off a tough series with a victory ahead of Morris and Batchelor, whose third place saw him leapfrog Max Fricke for fourth in the final standings.
With SGP qualifying berths on offer to the top four, this could offer 2014 Danish SGP runner-up Batchelor a route back into the World Championship.
Sedgmen still did enough for second overall – a career-best result which will still boost his hopes of finding a UK club.
Gillman winner Dave Watt claimed third overall on 50 points after scoring 11 on the night, as the 39-year-old continues to get back to his best after a tough 2016 in Europe.
AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1 Sam Masters 58, 2 Justin Sedgmen 55, 3 Dave Watt 50, 4 Troy Batchelor 49, 5 Max Fricke 47, 6 Nick Morris 43, 7 Brady Kurtz 42, 8 Rohan Tungate 30, 9 Jack Holder 26, 10 Ty Proctor 22, 11 Mason Campton 20, 12 Jaimon Lidsey 19, 13= Todd Kurtz 17, Josh Pickering 17, 15 Jordan Stewart 15, 16 Cooper Riordan 9.
KURRI KURRI HEAT SCORES: 1 Sam Masters 14, 2 Brady Kurtz 13, 3 Troy Batchelor 12, 4 Rohan Tungate 11, 5 Dave Watt 11, 6 Nick Morris 9, 7 Justin Sedgmen 9, 8 Max Fricke 8, 9 Mason Campton 8, 10 Todd Kurtz 6, 11 Ty Proctor 6, 12 Jaimon Lidsey 4, 13 Jack Holder 3, 14 Jordan Stewart 2, 15 Josh Pickering 2, 16 Cooper Riordan 2.
B Final: Morris, Sedgmen, Tungate, Watt.
A Final: Kurtz, Morris, Batchelor, Masters.