More than 100 pool players took to the tables at the Ashburton Club and MSA over the weekend for the inaugural Robin Johnstone Open Singles pool tournament.
Club pool section president Sue Wakefield said it was an absolutely fantastic tournament.
Forty five of the 108 players were from Ashburton with the rest coming from Auckland to Invercargill.
Such was the success of the tournament that Canterbury 8 Ball, who organised the tournament, has already added it to their calendar for 2027.
The two day tournament saw some of New Zealand’s best players line up; the winner Adam Lilley of Christchurch is one of New Zealand top 10 players. The runner up with Lilley’s fiancée Jojo Coleman.
‘‘The tournament went so well. We had great sponsors and support from the community and business,” Wakefield said.
Some of New Zealand and Canterbury top players attended the tournament.
‘‘While for some players the prize money was the attraction for many others it was because they knew Robin that they wanted to play in a tournament that he had been keen to have played at his second home, the Ashburton MSA,” Wakefield said.
“We had beautiful days for the tournament with the sun shinning. That was Robin shinning on us,” Wakefield said.
She believed Robin would have been chuffed with the volume and calibre of players registered.
Robin’s family, wife Sue and daughters Erika and Caitlin, were in attendance for both days and presented winners, runner up and section winners with their trophies.
Sue Johnstone said the tournament was so well organised and there was a great vibe throughout the tournament.
‘‘Robin would have been humbled with the number of people who turned up,” she said.
‘‘He would have been so thrilled to see a large tournament at the club as its something he had been wanting for some time.”
The family were very appreciative of all the work that went into organising the tournament and the support given by everyone to make the event a success, she said.
