Big moment as Begg passes 50-title mark

Bowler Matt Begg has passed a significant milestone in his bowling career, notching up more than 50 titles at the Central Otago Indoor Bowls Association Championship Fours.
    Begg won his 50th title at the end of July before adding No 51 two weeks ago.
    Tournament controller Dave Moreton said that was a significant feat as many bowlers strived to win one star (five championship titles), but Begg now had 10.
    Begg’s indoor bowls career began in South Otago as a junior aged about 10, but he started playing with his dad before that, as there was a hall at the end of their drive down on the farm, he said.
    He represented South Otago in the junior ranks and qualified to go to the junior nationals.
    He then played in Dunedin for several years while studying at Dunedin.
    In the 1990s, he moved to Central Otago and joined the Manuherikia club in Alexandra.
    He won his first title in 1999 and averaged more than two a year to reach the half-century, matching his age this same year.
    His titles have been across all disciplines from singles to fours, Begg said.
    ‘‘It has been great fun playing with a range of people across the many bowls disciplines.’’
    He has also won more than 20 local Henselite singles titles and represented Central Otago at the national finals with awin atthe national Henselite singles in 2004.
    At last year’s AGM, Begg retired as president of the association after 16 years at the helm.
    He is unsure if he will reach a century of titles, saying there are a lot of good players he would have to beat.
    ‘‘If I keep winning one or two for the next few years, who knows,’’ he said.