FINAL entries for the 37th York Open Bowls Tournament are down this year.

But the week-long competition, which gets underway on Monday, still attracts bowlers from various parts of the country, including Sunderland, Scarborough, Grimsby, Hull and Hornsea.

Matt and Irene Stevenson from Bangor, Ireland, will also be hoping to make an impression on local bowlers.

The tournament starts with the mixed pairs, where defending champions Shirley Stacey (Railway Institute) and Tex Stevens (Holgate) will be hoping to make a good start against last year's quarter-finalists Lynne Tattersall (Clarence Ladies) and Eddie Howcroft (Haxby Road).

Last year's men's pairs champions, Gary Bunce (Haxby Road) and Tex Stevens (Holgate), have been drawn against the South Shields duo of John Burgher and John Kelso in the first round.

Another pair who should be challenging for this year's honours are Hull's Jim Moulds and Sam Winter, who start with a game against Terry Wheatley and John Cooper (Poppleton Road).

The star of last year's York Open, Joan Parker (Minster Ladies), the shock winner of the ladies singles in 2003, begins the defence of her crown against Sandra Grantham (Shipton).

Betty Richardson (Bert Keech), the winner in 2002, will be hoping to regain the title. She takes on Dottie Kay (Burnholme) in the first round.

Entries for this years men's singles are down on last year, which is disappointing from the organisers' point of view as it is the blue ribbon event of the tournament.

There will be a new champion this year as last year's winner, Eric Wilkinson (Railway Amateurs), has not entered. That could leave the door open for last year's runner-up Arthur Dunbar (Railway Amateurs) to go one better.

Ladies pairs champions Gill Clark and Margaret Moss (Tockwith) face tough opposition in defence of their crown. Their first round tie against Brenda Love (Railway Institute) and Melanie Brooke (Bert Keech) is a real mouth-watering prospect.

Last year's beaten finalists, Audrey Swann and Maureen Cook (South Shields), will not be contesting this year's title as a pair. However, Swann will have a new partner, Rosemary Crosby (South Shields), and they should be fully tested in their opening match against Sandra Grantham and Judy Abel (Shipton), the 1997 winners.

The junior singles will have a new champion and runner-up as last year's finalists Paul Humphrey (Pickering) and Stephen Long (Haxby Rd) are now over the age limit.

Among this year's entries are Scott Burrell (Hornsea) and a number of entries from York, Selby and North Duffield. Breaking the ice for the girls will be Zoe Eagles (Railway Institute).

It is hoped that the Sheriff of York, Coun Bob Scrase, will officially open the tournament.

Semi-finals are scheduled for Friday, July 30, with the finals taking place on Saturday, July 31, at Clarence Gardens, starting at 1.30pm. The presentation of trophies will be about 4.45pm.

Updated: 10:56 Thursday, July 22, 2004