Bruce defeated Canada’s Kelly McKerihen 21-18 at Club Helensvale on the Gold Coast in Australia.

In fast conditions, both players took time to settle into the game with scoring limited to single shots until McKerihen scored a double on end eight.

The magic number to secure victory was 21 shots, and McKerihen moved to the brink of a win after scoring a triple to lead 18-16.

Bruce, the current women's World Singles Champion of Champions, replied instantly with a triple of her own as she took a 19-18 advantage, and two solid opening bowls put her in a strong position as she looked for the two shots required to close out the win.

McKerihen attempted to remove the bowls from the head but missed the target with her weighted shots, as Bruce scored the two needed for the gold medal.

Bruce joins Elsie Wilkie in 1973 and 1977 and Val Smith in 2008 as New Zealanders to win the women’s singles world championship title.

Two bronze medals were awarded, one to Ellen Ryan of Australia and one to England’s Katherine Rednall.

The day’s other final was another thrilling contest as Australian duo Damien Delgado and James Reynolds won the Para men’s pairs title 10-9.

Delgado and Reynolds edged past South African duo Deon van de Vyver and Gareth Rees-Gibbs after another contest where scoring was predominantly limited to single shots.

Van de Vyver and Rees-Gibbs scored a double on the penultimate end to lead 9-8 before skip Reynolds delivered the goods at the crucial time, drawing his second shot to within inches of the jack and score the double that gave them a 10-9 win.

Bronze medals went to Mawjit Singh So Gurmet Singh and Khirmern Bin Mohamad of Singapore, and Hong Kong China’s Puk Chi Yeung and Wong Kin Hwong.

The Championships have a rest day tomorrow, before competition resumes on Tuesday (September 5).