King (63), a fifth-year bowler, finished fifth on the 2017 national PBA ranking list with 309 points.
He was just 14 points short of Wellington’s Bradley Down (18), who was fourth-ranked on 323 points.
King, who was a talented athlete in his youth, competed for the Ariki club, and won the New Zealand masters duathlon title when he was 40, before starting bowls.
This was a significant improvement because King was ranked 12th on the 2016 list.
The only other Dunedin competitor in the top 10 is Oliver Mason, in eighth spot with 293 points.
Other members of the Dunedin PBA in the top 20 are Andrew Kelly (Canterbury) third, Sheldon Bagrie-Howley (Gore) 13th-equal, Ross Stevens 15th, Ken Walker 17th, Andy McLean 19th and Andrew McCallum 20th.
The New Zealand team for the 2017 Trans Tasman Challenge is Murray Glassey (Hawke’s Bay), Bart Robertson (North Shore), Craig Merrilees (Southland), Andrew Kelly (Canterbury) and Bradley Down (Wellington).
Dawe declines trip
Dunedin’s Russell Dawe (70) reached the semifinals of the Scottish singles in Wellington and was given the chance to contest the finals in the United Kingdom later this year when Colin Rogan (North Harbour) and Murray Glassey (Hawkes Bay) pulled out.
Dawe has health problems and had to decline the trip.
"I get clotting in my legs on a long flight," he said.
"Australia is my limit now."
Dawe, an international bowls umpire who officiated at last year’s World Bowls in Christchurch, was invited to be one of New Zealand’s four umpires at next year’s Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
"I have turned it down and will now only officiate at local events.
"Officiating at World Bowls last year was special for me and was the highlight of my career."
Dawe had a distinguished career as an umpire and officiated at two world champion of champions singles events, the Asia and Pacific championships and the Six Nations event.
Stan Seear
Stan Seear, one of the most influential administrators in Dunedin and New Zealand bowls in the past 50 years, will be honoured at the centennial celebrations of the Andersons Bay Club at Labour Weekend.
There is a large plaque on the clubroom walls that honours his achievements as an administrator and New Zealand bowls selector.
Seear, the godfather of the club, was elected the first patron of the Andersons Bay club in 2001 and held the position until he died in 2009 at the age of 89. He was a club member for 53 years and is the only member of the club to become a life member of Bowls Dunedin.
He also made his mark as an administrator with Bowls New Zealand and was a member of the national council in 1982-84.
His most significant contribution was as a men’s bowls selector from 1983 to 1992 when New Zealand had success on the international scene at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh and World Bowls in Auckland in 1988. He was manager of the men’s team at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
Seear was president of Bowls Dunedin in 1982-83 and became the first patron of Bowls Dunedin in 2001. His son, Gary, played 12 games for the All Blacks from 1976 to 1979.Dick Callon, another top administrator, was a national councillor in 1982-88.
North Otago indoor bowls
Gordon Robb, who is leading the race to reach 40 indoor bowls centre titles in the Otago region, added another title this month when he skipped the winning team in the North Otago champion of champions fours.
The Eveline team of Robb, his grandson, Stefan Robb, Jack McNamara and Diana McGregor beat Denise Lewis, Rosey Oliver, Barbara Allan and Bob Lewis (Meadowbank) 9-5.
It was Gordon Robb’s 37th North Otago title and he ends the season three titles ahead of Mathew Begg who tops the Central Otago list with 34 titles.
It was also a milestone win for other members of his team. McGregor won her 20th title and added a third bar to her gold star, Stefan Robb gained his fifth title and gold star and McNamara won his first title.
Mike Howard (Oamaru) won his 25th title and a fourth bar to his gold star when he beat Stefan Robb in the champion of champions singles.
Aylene Millar (Oamaru) won her second title when she beat Lynne Porter (St Pat’s) 10-9 in the women’s champion of champions singles. Howard was the top North Otago bowler of the season and won the Jackson Trophy with 44 points. He was followed by Gordon Robb with 36.
Oamaru won the Oamaru Licensing Trust Club Trophy with 143 points. Eveline was runner-up on 121 points.
South Otago
Milton won the interclub 13s, the final event of the season, for the first time in 16 years.
South Otago completes its season earlier than other centres in the Southern region because the large farming community starts its heavy spring workload in early September.
Otago (Dunedin)
Former New Zealand representative Ray Webster has returned to indoor bowls this winter and has brought a group of lawn bowlers from Forbury Park with him.They include his sister, Janice Webster, PBA big bowl international Dwayne White and 10-year-old Cooper Stumbles. White lost the novice singles final to Kavanagh College pupil Arie Bloemsaat (St Brigid’s) 12-6.
Stumbles was co-opted into the Green Island team to play with Nick Sinclair, Daniel French and Brent Sinclair that beat Kaikorai in the men’s Smaills Trophy final 8-7.
The Kew team of Alanna Preddy, Brigid Marr, Sylvia Warwood and Stephnie Derrett beat Burnside 6-5 in the final of the women’s Crawford Cup.
It was a good season for Green Island which won the Super Sevens and the Thursday fours, pairs and singles in interclub competitions. Momona won the women’s Wednesday competition and Hillhead the Thursday fours.
Trio prefer Dunedin
Three Southland bowlers prefer to play in PBA events at the Dunedin Lawn Bowls Stadium instead of Invercargill. Sheldon Bagrie-Howley (Gore) and Winton sheep and beef farmers Bronwyn and Roger Stevens represent Southland in representative bowls in the summer months.
"The facilities are much better in Dunedin and the tough competition helps us to lift our standards," Roger Stevens (55) said.
