The former New Zealand No 1 teamed up with Ian Muir to win the South Island pairs title in Invercargill last weekend.
They beat Invercargill’s top pairing of Tony McMullien and Bruce Edhouse by three frames to two in a tight final.
"The decider we ended up winning quite comfortably but it was a battle leading up to it.
"The whole match was a battle, just because of where the balls ended up," Hale said.
"Sometimes you play those matches where the colours end up on the cushions and you can’t make a break to win the frame. You have to play for safety and just take what you can."
Remarkably, it is the 13th time Hale has won the event.
Last year he combined with Mark Canovan. The pair were utterly dominant, dropping just one frame during the title run.
Hale (46) had previously teamed up with Alan Gill. That partnership claimed 11 titles.Last weekend’s victory was Muir’s first win in his second attempt, but Hale has become part of the furniture at the event.
He basically retired from the sport more than 20 years ago but always sets aside a weekend to compete in the South Island Snooker Pairs Championships.
He does virtually no practice, which makes his achievement even more remarkable.
Hale grew up playing pool and worked at a snooker hall when he left school, aged 17.
He played in the under-21 world championships in 1990 and the world amateur championships in 1996.
The plan was to turn professional but his life went in a different direction. These days, he is a weekend warrior once or twice a year.
