Jamie Hill started this year's professional bowls season unranked, but leaves Dunedin with the spoils of victory and a growing fan club.
Hill won the right to compete at the world indoor singles in England next year when he claimed the major prize at the PBA finals in Dunedin on Saturday.
It will be his fifth crack at the world title, which has a winner's purse of about $100,000.
A family man with 4-year-old twin boys and a 2-year-old daughter, Hill was the No 1 ranked player on the PBA circuit six times between 2001 and 2009.
He took time out of the national pro circuit last year to concentrate on his New Zealand selection for the Asia-Pacific competition, where he was a member of the Gary Lawson-skipped four and silver medal-winning pair.
"I wanted to give it 100%, as I'd been out of the team for three years," Hill said.
Prior to this, Hill competed for New Zealand in the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games in the pairs with Rowan Brassey.
But controversy struck last year's Asia-Pacific team in Malaysia when Lawson, Hill, Shannon McIlroy and Shayne Sincock were found guilty of throwing an end during their match against Thailand.
The match-fixing brouhaha led to Lawson being banned for six months and the other men escaping fines.
"I've moved on from all that," Hill said.
"I just want to put it all behind me. It was something that was unfortunate for everyone involved. I just want to enjoy my bowls now."
Hill's form will likely install him as one of the favourites for next month's North East Valley 10,000 tournament that attracts the cream of New Zealand bowlers.
"I'll just take it as it comes," Hill said of his chances when he returns to Dunedin for the Labour Weekend tournament that will be celebrating its 20th year.
Hill bounced back at the weekend after finishing runner-up to Dunedin's Peter Wilson in Friday's Welsh and Scottish competitions.
"I felt more comfortable today," he said. "I haven't played much lately. But I'm pretty relaxed about the whole thing really. Life's too short.
"Pete played some awesome bowls and you have to play well to win. That's what I like about these indoor rinks."
