It has been a long wait, but Geoff Wilson (Kaikorai) finally emerged from his father's shadow when he won an all-expenses paid trip to the United Kingdom last night.
Wilson (57) won the trip to the World Indoor Singles at the Potters Leisure Resort in Norfolk, England, in January when he came from behind to beat Mark Cowan (Fairfield) 6-7, 7-6, 2-1 in a dramatic final at the Westpac Bowls Stadium in Dunedin.
"I'm rapt," Wilson told the Otago Daily Times.
"It is the biggest thrill of my bowls career. I still can't believe it."
Wilson was still a junior bowler when his father, Ernie Wilson, won the New Zealand pairs title in 1974 and the singles at the old Kaituna green in 1976.
Ernie Wilson collapsed and died on the green a few weeks after winning the singles title and Geoff Wilson has been trying to match his deeds for the past 33 years.
He came close in the mid-1980s when he finished runner-up in the New Zealand championship pairs with world champion Ian Dickison.
"Dad had a big influence on my bowls," Wilson said.
"I wondered if I would ever get there myself."
Wilson will enter the international arena with the best professional bowlers in the world in January.
He did it in dramatic style after losing the first set to Cowan.
The pair were level at 6-6 and Cowan had the shot on the final end of the second set.
Wilson shifted the jack back with his last bowl and his own bowl fell in for the shot.
It was equally tense in the tie-breaker set with the scores locked at 1-1 before the decisive third set.
Cowan looked to have trip sewn up when he held three shots before Wilson played the last bowl of the match.
Wilson pushed into the head on the backhand and trailed the jack back for the shot, the match and a trip to the UK.
The Kaikorai player has been runner-up twice in direct-entry events in Dunedin, in 2004 and 2008, and also made the national pairs play-offs in 2004, without luck.
Cowan was the favourite going into the final, having won trips to the UK on three previous occasions.
In the semifinals, Wilson beat Alvin Gardiner (Canterbury) 7-10, 12-1, 2-0 and Cowan beat former international Terry Scott (North East Valley) 6-5, 9-9.
The best female performance at the weekend came from Carolyn Crawford (St Clair), who was beaten in the third round by Cowan 4-7, 8-7, 2-1.
Phil Bennett beat fellow Waikato bowler Raika Gregory 5-10, 11-2, 2-0 in Hamilton to claim the other New Zealand spot at the world indoor singles finals.
In a change of format from previous seasons, Bennett and Wilson will team up to represent the New Zealand PBA in the world indoor pairs at the same venue in January.
