PLENTY TO SMILE ABOUT: Ian Monaghan of Masterton has won 50 centre titles, a first for the Wairarapa region.
It was mission accomplished when Ian Monaghan combined with his Masterton clubmate Scott MacKenzie to win the Bowls Wairarapa champion of champions men's pairs title on his home greens last weekend.
His victory meant Monaghan, 54, had achieved a personal objective of winning five centre titles in the one season
but, much more than that, it also took his overall number to the magic 50, a first for the Wairarapa region and seldom managed anywhere else in the country.
Up against Monaghan and MacKenzie in the final were Greytown's Dave Murray and Dave McIntyre. Monaghan was up 7-1 early but Murray bounced back to lead 12-7. By his own admission a "lucky break or two" helped the Masterton pair to make up the lost ground and they went on to win 24-17.
"It was a good old battle," Monaghan said.
Monaghan's earlier centre titles in 2013-14 came in Bowls Wairarapa's open singles, pairs, triples and fours, and MacKenzie has been part of all of them except the open singles, where he just happened to be the runner-up.
