Jessie Matheson teamed up with Dave Morris, of the St Kilda Club, to win the Bowls Dunedin mixed pairs title.
It was a special win for Matheson, honouring the memory of her Jessie Matheson’s uncle with whom she had a close relationship.
Port Chalmers bowler Fairlie Matheson died the same day as Matheson and Morris qualified for the final of the Bowls Dunedin mixed pairs.
Morris started his bowls at the Port Chalmers club and was close friends with Fairlie Matheson.
They both wanted to honour his memory.
"We were playing the final for my uncle," Matheson said.
"He was watching from up there and helping us all the way. We had a lot of help from above, I reckon."
The pair beat Jim Scott and Shona Mann (North East Valley) 25-10 in the final.
Matheson (42) has been playing bowls for the past six years and first had the dream of winning a Bowls Dunedin title during her second year.
"But I really got that bug in my third year. It was amazing to win my first title. It was one my aims. Just watch this space. There are more to come."
She is the bar manager at Heffs Hotel and the news of her win quickly spread to the regular patrons.
"We were the real underdogs. If it had been a betting game the punters would have won big."
It was the first Bowls Dunedin title for Matheson and Morris.Matheson was the first female bowler from the Caversham club to win a Bowls Dunedin title since Vera Hayward and Ruth Murray won the open pairs 29 years ago.
There are four generations of bowlers in Matheson’s family. It began with her great grandfather Jimmy Hotton.
"When I was growing up at Port Chalmers I used to go down to the green to watch my granddad play bowls."
Matheson has four children ranging in age from 12 to 24. Cameron (14), a pupil at Kings High School, plays bowls at the Caversham club.
