Snooker: Hawke's Bay couple pot possible world first

Bayden Jackson (left) and wife Tara have won national snooker titles within a fortnight of each other. Photo/Paul Taylor

Don't be surprised if you read about Hawke's Bay's husband-and-wife snooker combo Bayden and Tara Jackson in the Guinness World Records book in the not-so-distant future.

"I'm almost certain we've set a world first by winning national snooker championships in the same year but I will make some detailed inquiries just to be safe," Bayden (Jacko) Jackson said last night.

He had just returned from Christchurch where he won his second national championship title with a 7-4 win against Waikato's Matthew Scarborough in Sunday's final of the four-day, 57-player tournament at the Woolston Club.

Earlier this month Tara won the national women's title in Tokoroa.

"Tara's success helped me get my mojo back for snooker. I put in some serious training before heading off to Christchurch, whereas in the past I've hardly trained before major events," Havelock North Club's Jackson explained.

"While I had good concentration and focus the Woolston Club is a happy hunting ground for me too," he said referring to the fact he won the $10,000 first prize in the third annual national world two-shot rule, eight-ball tournament there last year.

"I walked through the venue and relived some of my memorable moments from last year. It kept me positive . . . I thought about my kids and family too," the father-of-two recalled.

The second seed for the nationals, Jackson, 42, only just qualified for post-section play after finishing fourth in his section.

"The top three from each of the 10 sections plus the next two best players qualified. I was lucky to be one of the next two and was the 26th seed for the top 32," Jackson said.

He made a break of 67 on the way to beating Wellingtonian Cody Turner 3-0 in his last 32 match. Jackson beat Waikato's Healey White 4-1 in his last 16 clash and with some superb safety play he eliminated Oamaru's Jason Todd 5-2 in his quarter-final.

His semifinal opponent, Otago's Gary Hale, was making a comeback after a 15-year retirement. Jackson beat him 6-0 with 108 and 57 breaks and a 41 clearance in the process.

In his final Jackson, who last won the title in 2011 - the same year he won the New Zealand Open to register another national first, was always in control.

"It's my second title in this championship and I played my third final. In 2014 I was beaten by Aucklander Henry Killian in the final. It appears I can only make the final every three years so I might as well not enter this tournament again until 2020," Jackson quipped.

The only Hawke's Bay player to win the title twice and only the second Bay player to have his name engraved on the prestigious trophy, after Wyn Belmont in 1994, Jackson was playing his first snooker tournament since he was beaten 3-2 in the semifinals of the North Island championship by Taranaki's Chris Maltby in Petone at Queen's Birthday Weekend.

The next snooker tournament for the Bay's cue sport king will be the Hawke's Bay Open at his club on September 2 and 3 and the defending champion will be chasing his third crown in this event.

On Saturday Jackson, who won the Clubs New Zealand national eight ball championship in 2013, will play in a Palmerston North-hosted qualifying tournament for the national world two-shot rule, eight-ball tournament.

"Although I'm the defending champion I still have to qualify but I don't mind as it will help me get back into the small-table stuff after all this snooker," Jackson said.

The Ladz & Dads Barber Shop barber in Havelock North has been Hawke's Bay-based since 2009 after moving from England where he represented his country in eight-ball for six years.

"I've got to thank all my customers for their continued support over the years as they've often had their regular appointments changed when I've had to change flight times when tournament dates have been changed at the last minute," he added.