Davis pleased with Commonwealth Games performance

Representing your country in a Commonwealth Games is a career highlight for many athletes, and that’s certainly the case for PGA Member Ross Davis.

The 24-year-old works as a PGA Assistant at the Longueville Driving Range at St. Clements Golf & Sports Centre on the island of Jersey.

But away from golf, Davis has developed a talent for lawn bowling. It took him all the way to the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia for the 21^st staging of the Commonwealth Games where Davis helped guide Jersey to a quarter-final finish in the men’s triples event.

“It’s great to represent Jersey at a high level,” said Davis. “But especially at Commonwealth Games as it is a huge multi-sport event and even as a bowler you are seen in the same light as some of the best athletes in the world.”

Jersey progressed to the knockout stages as Group B winners and reached the last eight of the competition before losing out to Canada.

“Getting to the quarter-final was very pleasing however losing at that stage was disappointing," he continued.

“It was great for us to qualify on top of our group as that is something no one ever expected us to do. The highlight was definitely the first match of the games and beating Australia, who were big favourites heading into the triples, live on Australian TV.”

Juggling two sports and preparing for competition on the international stage proved quite a challenge for Davis, who was also part of Jersey’s four-man team who won the British Fours Lawn Bowls Championship.

“Preparing for the Commonwealth Games has taken a lot of time and has been something I’ve been working towards for the last three years,” Davis added.

“It’s been hard sometimes to fit in all the training sessions and get all my matches played during the season around work. I have had to juggle quite a few shifts and I’m grateful to my work for allowing me to do so.” 

“I hope to continue with both. Being able to compete at the highest level in the world for your sport is a rare opportunity and at the moment bowls is giving me the opportunity to do that.”