Tauranga’s Sue Hodges was in commanding form to capture one of the most important titles of her 29-year playing career – the national champion of champions singles.

The experienced Bay of Plenty representative went through the prestigious event unbeaten and beat Auckland’s Lisa Prideaux 21-16 in the final in Hopes Stadium, Dunedin.

Hodges celebrated back in the city where she started her bowls in 1995 at the Logan Park Business Women’s club before moving to the rural club of Outram.

“It was great,” Hodges said simply. “It’s such a strong field and I was stoked just to qualify. Then I had to play my best mate Beth Brown, and I took it game by game.”

Hodges got in some handy practice by playing an evening league of three games beforehand. “That helped me get used to the surface and speed, and then it was just mental focus.

“I was telling myself off a few times. If you get into a final, you can’t play loose shots. If I played short, I’d say ‘why are you doing this’,” said Hodges, who collected her fourth national title.

She won the national champion of champions fours with Margaret Reid, Robyn Davis and Jenny Welch while a member of Tauranga South; the national inter-centre championship with Bay of Plenty in 2017; and the national inter-club with Tauranga two seasons ago.

She was runner-up to Canterbury’s Sandra Keith in the national champion of champions singles event in 2015.

“All the previous national titles have been in teams play which I enjoy and I’m thrilled to have also done it by myself – that’s the icing on the cake,” said Hodges, who is now spurred to win her fifth championship, whatever discipline.

She breezed through the qualifying matches in Dunedin, beating North Harbour’s Lisa Dickson 21-11, Madeline McGee (West Coast) 21-3, Jenny Anderson (Marlborough) 21-15, and Debbie Jackson (Central Otago) 21-9.

Her consistency and focus never relented. She overpowered Brown 21-12 in the quarter-finals and Cheryn Menhennett (Hawke’s Bay) in the semi-finals.

Hodges quickly fell behind 7-1 in the final against Prideaux. “A slow start never worries me because I’m tenacious,” she said. Hodges clawed her way back to 4-8 and then picked up a four to level at 8-all.

She was then three down and killed the end with her last bowl. Hodges was finally ahead 15-14, 18-16 after picking up a three and 19-16.

Hodges played another tight end, and with her last bowl Prideaux played with weight, only to see her dangerous-looking bowl wick off a shorter one and Hodges was left with two winning shots.

“It was a good final from both of us; Lisa played some telling shots. But I was happier with my play against Beth than in the final,” said Hodges.

She moved north to the Bay of Plenty in 2015 after winning 18 centre titles in Dunedin. During the past decade Hodges has added a further 16 – a total of 34 centre titles in 29 years of playing.

Hodges reckons she’s just been through a quiet season – “I haven’t done much at all except win the singles at the centre level and the national” – but then she mentions the Taranaki Open Fours win with her dual Omokoroa members Ruth Lynch, Karen Pickering and Michelle Morrison.

She said she no longer has national representative aspirations, after being selected for the development squad in 2009. “We had a camp in Christchurch – and even then, I was the oldest by 10 to 20 years.”

In welcome news, Hodges – who lives in Katikati - is staying in the Bay after planning to move to Christchurch to be near her husband’s family. They have taken their house off the market and Hodges looks forward to further bowling challenges – even if it’s leading.

“I’d love to lead even though I never get asked and I’m not good at it,” she says modestly. “Lead is crucial and if you have a good lead, this sets up the head for the rest of the team. It’s a very underrated position.”

Hodges stayed on in Dunedin for a week after her singles triumph – she had another thing on her mind, giving support to her mother was recovering from a heart attack.

Her mother was at Hopes Stadium to witness Hodges’ victory. “It was me who nearly had a heart attack,” she said.

- Graham Skellern