Arbroath’s Darren Burnett has completed a remarkable double when he skipped young Suffolk star Katherine Rednall to the Just Retirement World Indoor mixed pairs title at Potters Resort in Norfolk.
Less than 24 hours previously, with his friend and fellow Scot Stewart Anderson, he had lifted the open pairs title.
Yesterday, with the 20-year-old Rednall, he beat the hotly-tipped Scottish duo of Julie Forrest and Alex Marshall in straight sets 11-5 14-9.
“It’s a tremendous feeling to have won these two world pairs titles,” Burnett, who also won the singles in 2013, said.
“It’s the first time I’ve won either of them, and, if you had told me before I came down that I would do the double, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
His success raised the prospect of an unprecedented third success: if Burnett can win the singles this week, he will become the first player to win all three world titles singles, pairs and mixed pairs in the same season.
But, when pressed on the matter, he declined to speculate: “It’s far too early to talk about that,” he said.
“So far, I’ve only got through one round, so, potentially, there’s another four hurdles to clear, and my next opponent is none other than Greg Harlow.”
But he did admit that things were going well for him at the moment.
“I feel more comfortable and relaxed on the green these days,” he revealed.
“Perhaps it’s because bowls is only part of my life, and I realise there are other things, like family, that are much more important.”
Burnett believes it all started when he won the world indoor singles title in 2013 at a time when the Scottish team for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was being selected. Then, of course, came the men’s singles gold medal in Glasgow.
“All that proved to be a boost to my confidence, but, at the same time, I have been able to keep bowls in perspective,” he added.
“Like they say, it’s only a game.”
In what was expected to be a close encounter, Burnett was outstanding, his pin-point drawing and accurate driving being the difference between the two pairs.
Rednall and Burnett faced a crisis in the second set, when Forrest and Marshall scored a full house of four shots on the very first end, then built up a good position on the second end.
Burnett’s conversion shot was worth two shots, so the score, which could so easily have been 6-0, was only 4-2.
The eventual winners took control mid-set, a 3-1-3-1 sequence putting them 11-8 in front, and they powered to a famous victory.
“Darren was awesome,” said his young partner.
“Not only did we get on very well, but he played some fantastic bowls. I think we had confidence in each other.”