A local has finally won the AG Challenge Championship tournament at the Wanganui East Club in the third year of trying as Paul Briggs defeated inaugural 2015 champion Jack Lemon of Greytown in the final on Sunday.
The tournament is for 16 premier players, attending by invitation only, vying fora prize pool of over $4000.
Organiser Peter Bouzaid said Briggs was leading the qualifying after the Saturday morning session, beating some of the tournament favourites, while Lower Hutt's Craven Teua was in second as a steady crowd came through the club to sit and watch the two tables.
A better afternoon session saw Wellington's Mike Hannah, ranked 11th nationally, finish as top qualifier, with local Willie Matthews also performing well, while defending champion Steve Robertson from Hamilton had the highest break with 61.
Wellington's nationally ranked premier player Mark Hannah lines up his shot during Saturday's qualifiers.
On Sunday the plate competition playoffs were held at the St John's Club, with the finalists returning to Wanganui East to play alongside the championship finalists.
Robertson won the plate final by three frames from Auckland's Paul Bason.
That led into the final where Briggs had won his way through to face Lemon in a best of five frames format, with the other matches being best of three
