The Asia and Pacific championships in Christchurch were Kernaghan's first international since 2004. He won a silver medal in the singles and bronze in the pairs with Shannon McIlroy.
There was a howling southerly gale blowing when Kernaghan (60) lost the singles final to Aron Sherriff (Australia) 21-12.
‘‘I nearly did it,'' Kernaghan said.
‘‘The gale made conditions difficult but Aron handled it better than me and deserved to win.''
Kernaghan's only other singles loss was in section play to pairs champion Ryan Bester (Canada) 21-15, also when a strong wind was blowing.
‘‘The bowls went everywhere. You play two bowls the same way and they finished 15 feet [4.6m] apart. How do you practise for that?
‘‘I have to learn not to get so frustrated in conditions like that and keep putting them down there and get one or two in the area.''
Kernaghan used the Asia and Pacific championships as his guideline for the future.
‘‘My performance showed that I can still be competitive at international level. But the final proved that there is still a gap between the really good players and myself.''
Kernaghan can book his place in the Black Jacks team for World Bowls, which starts in Christchurch in 12 months' time.
‘‘It was encouraging and that is kind of cool. To reach the final against a top-class field feels good and I'm happy about it.''
The Black Jacks will get feedback from the New Zealand selectors after they have analysed the event. Kernaghan expects it to be positive.
‘‘I lost my two singles games when it was blowing a gale. I probably need to use heavier bowls in the wind.''
The development of his mental skills under the direction of Otago University School of Physical Education sports psychologist Ken Hodge helped Kernaghan's successful return to international bowls.
‘‘I am able to cope and focus on the important things. My only focus was on the next bowl. That was my strength.''
Kernaghan knows he must still perform to his best in the domestic season to be selected for World Bowls.
He is playing in the prestige Burnside pairs in February with McIlroy and will defend his New Zealand singles title in Christchurch in January.
Kernaghan will partner Black Jacks squad member Tony Grantham in the pairs and is in a star-studded fours team with Grantham, McIlroy and Gary Lawson.
He has won the fours and singles titles in the past two years.
Girdler triumphant in return
Former Otago player Paul Girdler (51) returned to the Black Jacks after a decade in the wilderness and skipped the triples and fours to gold medals.
Girdler, the bowls co-ordinator at the Tweed Heads Club in New South Wales, has now played more than 200 tests for New Zealand.
The five bowlers in the men's team will be frontrunners to make the five-man World Bowls team.
The other contenders are former Black Jacks Ali Forsyth and Grantham.
Team gold and silver
The men won the teams event and the women the silver medal at the Asia and Pacific championships.
‘‘It was a really good environment in the team and very positive,'' Kernaghan said.
‘‘There were no dramas and we just got on with it.''
The men had failed to fire at World Bowls in 2012 and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
At World Bowls in 2012 Shannon McIlroy won the singles bronze medal and the triples team also won bronze.
At the Glasgow Games, the New Zealand men did not win any medals.
The women did better, with Jo Edwards winning the singles and the triples team bronze.
Kernaghan and Girdler, on their return to international bowls, brought a lot of experience and stability to the New Zealand team.
Clements closes on record
Bill Clements (Alexandra) won his 67th Central Otago title in the open fours and is closing on the national record.
At the end of last season, former Black Jack David File had won 69 Gisborne East Coast titles.
It was the 23rd title for Trevor Ludlow and the sixth for Trevor Drake.
The other member of the team was Steve Rabbette.
Margaret O'Connor won her 25th title when Queenstown won the women's four.
It was the 16th title for Christine Buchanan, the 11th for Debra Lloyd and the sixth for Jane Anderson.
Alexandra won the top division of the women's interclub sevens with 37 points (plus 96) from Queenstown 33 points (plus 76).
Division 2 was won by Clyde with 36 points (plus 84) from Alexandra 27 points (plus 45).
Central Otago senior men win
Central Otago won the senior men's section of the Pentangular representative teams event in Balclutha with 29 points (plus 73) from Southland 28 (plus 83), South Otago 26, South Canterbury 23 and North Otago 14.
South Canterbury won the development men's grade with 22 points from Central Otago 18 (plus 13), North Otago 18 (minus 5), Southland 12 and South Otago 10.
Canterbury dominated the Northern Quadrangular at Oamaru by winning three of the fours grades.
The senior men's grade was won with 25 points from Dunedin 19, South Canterbury and North Otago.
Canterbury won the development men's grade with 18 points from Dunedin 15 (plus 28), North Otago 15 (minus 29) and South Canterbury.
The senior women's grade was won by Canterbury with 27 points from North Otago 12 (minus 17), Dunedin 12 (minus 33) and South Canterbury.
Dunedin won the women's development grade with 21 points from South Canterbury 18, Canterbury 15 and North Otago.
Good score for Hope . . .
Brenda Hope (Phoenix) won her 20th North Otago title when she beat Annie McDonald (Awamoa) 21-15 in the open singles.
Val Lee has won 23 titles and Kerry Kelly 22.
Bruce Kelly, John Smith, Gordon Brown and Robbie Halcrow won the men's fours, Bob Wilson, Sonny Brown and Craig McDonald the triples, and Mark Duncan the men's development singles.
. . . and 10 for Birkbeck
Nigel Birkbeck (Wakari) won his 10th Bowls Dunedin title and a bar for his gold star in the open fours with Nathan Yates, Graeme Fleury and Bobby Johnson.
Andersons Bay dominated the Interclub Sevens and will represent Bowls Dunedin at the national finals in Auckland in March in the men's division 1 and women's division 2.
Taieri won the women's division 1 and Caversham the men's division 2.
Kaikorai will host the 60th Dunedin Festival Fours on January 2 and 3.
Entries close on December 28 and should be sent to Buck Buchanan at P.O. Box 5091, Dunedin.
