Skoglund Trophy
Named in Honour of Phil Skoglund
Phil Skoglund
Skoglund Trophy
Named in Honour of Phil Skoglund
Philip Charles Skoglund OBE
One of New Zealand’s greatest lawn bowlers, Phil Skoglund was renowned for his unique, silky delivery and exceptional tactical awareness on the green.
Born in Palmerston North in 1937, Phil attended Palmerston North Boys’ High School, where he was a member of the First XI cricket team. At the age of 16, he joined Northern Bowling Club and went on to become one of the finest bowlers New Zealand has produced.
A true legend of the game, Phil won eight national titles. He claimed his first national singles title in 1958 at just 20 years of age, becoming the youngest player to win the title at that time. He remains the only bowler to have won three consecutive national singles titles, achieving this remarkable feat in 1970, 1971 and 1972.
On the international stage, Phil won gold in the triples at the 1988 World Bowls Championships in Auckland. Across his international career, he also earned two silver and three bronze medals at World Bowls Championships, together with one silver and two bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games.
Throughout his remarkable career, Phil won more than 30 club titles and 20 Manawatū Centre titles. He remained actively involved in bowls almost until his passing in 2015 and, remarkably, won the Northern Bowling Club singles title during his final season.
Phil was respected not only for his achievements but also for his willingness to speak his mind in support of the game. A life member of Northern Bowling Club, he served twice as its president. He also served twice as president of the Manawatū Bowling Centre and held almost every administrative role within the Centre. At the national level, he was an NZBA councillor and national selector.
Phil was part of a proud bowling dynasty. His father, Philip Oscar Skoglund, was also a fine bowler and served as New Zealand’s Minister of Education.
In 1988, Phil was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services to bowls. He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 and was also inducted into the Bowls New Zealand Hall of Fame. His achievements were further recognised through his selection as a Manawatū Legend of Sport and by being named Manawatū Sportsperson of the Year four times.
Respected bowls biographer Denis Duffy placed Phil among the very elite of the game, alongside Peter Belliss, describing them as being “in a stratosphere of their own.”
He also acknowledged other outstanding players of the era, including Rowan Brassey, Gary Lawson, Nick Unkovich and Bob McDonald.
National Open Titles
National Singles:
1958, 1966, 1970, 1971 and 1972
National Pairs:
1972 and 1976
National Fours:
1976
International Highlight
1988 World Bowls Championships, Auckland:
Gold Medal – Triples
1976 National Fours champions. Clockwise from top left: Wally Hobbs, Phil Skoglund, Mario Basile and George Mackenzie.
George MacKenzie Cup
George MacKenzie—whose surname was also sometimes recorded as McKenzie—was a prominent New Zealand lawn bowler who enjoyed considerable national success, particularly during the 1970s.
A member of Northern Bowling Club in Palmerston North, George became a New Zealand Bowls Gold Star holder, an honour awarded to bowlers who have won five national titles.
One of his notable achievements came at the 1976 New Zealand National Bowls Championships, where he won the Dominion Fours title as lead in an outstanding Northern team:
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Skip: Phil Skoglund
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Three: Wally Hobbs
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Two: Mario Basile
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Lead: George MacKenzie
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George and his wife, Ngaire MacKenzie, were also successful competitors in mixed bowls. Together, they formed a formidable partnership in the popular Husbands and Wives tournaments and entered the 1971 event as defending champions.
George’s contribution to bowls continues to be recognised through the George MacKenzie Cup, which is contested as part of Bowls Manawatū’s midweek interclub competition.
Through his national achievements and his association with Northern Bowling Club, George MacKenzie earned an enduring place in the history of bowls in Manawatū and throughout New Zealand.
Jack Griggs Cup
Jack Griggs was a respected figure associated with Palmerston North Bowling Club and the wider Manawatū bowls community.
His contribution to the sport is commemorated through the Jack Griggs Cup, a long-standing trophy contested as part of Bowls Manawatū’s men’s midweek interclub competition. Results for the competition continue to be recorded in the Bowls Manawatū Centre records.
The Griggs name has a strong historical connection with Palmerston North Bowling Club. Other notable members included G. T. “Geoff” Griggs, who served as club president in 1953 and later became patron, and Colin Griggs, who was part of the team that won the Taranaki Open Fours in 1972.
Through the continuing presentation of the Jack Griggs Cup, his name retains an enduring place in the history and traditions of bowls in Manawatū.