Kernaghan ruled himself out of the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team that was announced to go to the Gold Coast in April.
The 10-strong team includes all the bowlers who performed so well for New Zealand at the World Bowls event in Christchurch a couple of years ago.
All but Kernaghan (62), who said when contacted by the Otago Daily Times yesterday he felt he could not do himself justice if he was selected.
So he made the decision a couple of months ago to make himself unavailable for the team.
"It is about how much time I needed over there [Gold Coast] on the greens. I do not have that amount of time to get on those greens and do what I need to do," Kernaghan said.
"I had talked to the selectors. We have a sport psychologist at Bowls NZ and we had some good talks. They were all confident I would be OK. But at the end of the day I would not be comfortable with it.
"I love the Commonwealth Games. I’ve been to them before and they are great. But to me it is about being the best you can be and I don’t think I can get to that level. I don’t want to go over there and be a spare part."
He had full confidence in the team selected.
The grass at the greens on the Gold Coast played very differently from greens in New Zealand, which he needed time to adjust to.
"Over there the speed varies during the day ... early evening it can be quite slow. So I needed to get over there and play there. Back here they play the same speed all day."
Kernaghan felt he still had a future in international bowls and was targeting the next World Bowls event in 2020, which would also take place on the Gold Coast.
He would enjoy watching the team in action at the Games, he said, and would undoubtedly miss the competition but was satisfied in his decision.
The team does have some southern influence in Paul Girdler, who was selected as a member of the fours and triples teams.
Girdler came from Dunedin but has been the bowls manager at Tweed Heads, in New South Wales, for the past few years.
Shannon McIlroy will play the singles for the men’s team, while the experienced Jo Edwards will play for the women’s.
