The former New Zealand World Bowls representative still has the skill and ability to match the best bowlers in the country.
He finished fourth in the rankings last year and will again represent New Zealand in next month's PBA transtasman challenge in Tweed Heads.
The rankings will be used to determine the make-up of the 2013 New Zealand team to play Australia. The team comprises the four top-ranked players at the end of the previous year plus one host sponsor's pick. It is usually a previously good performer in the challenge.
Walker was ranked fourth last year.
Four Otago players fill the top 10 spots with Mark Watt third, Regan Larkin sixth and Peter Wilson ninth. Watt was ranked sixth last year and Wilson fifth.
The biggest mover was Larkin, who was ranked 22nd last year.
Chris Lourie (Waikato) drops from his top spot to No 2.
Two women appear in the top 20 for the first time, with Wellington's Dale Lang at 16th-equal and Dunedin's Carolyn Crawford at 20th-equal. Crawford was ranked 45th-equal last year and Lang 40th.
• Marilyn Holmes (Momona) was named in the South Island team after the New Zealand indoor (small bowls) championships in Invercargill last week.
Former Otago representative Grant l'Ami (Taranaki) won his seventh national title in the triples.
PBA
The top 10
Ken Walker (Dunedin) 274 points, 1; Chris Lourie (Waikato) 262, 2; Mark Watt (Dunedin) 246, 3; Murray Glassey (Hawkes Bay) 242, 4; Phil Bennett (Waikato) 186, 5; Regan Larkin (Dunedin) 178, 6; Wayne Stewart (Waikato) 170, 7; Rob Ashton (Wellington) 162, 8; Peter Wilson (Dunedin) 161, 9; Jamie Hill (Auckland) 152. 10.
