The most notable performance came from Charlie Boswood, who finished runner-up in the under-18 boys’ singles event.
Boswood qualified for the knockout stages despite losing one of his three sectional matches.
Although he wobbled in the initial phase, the Shepparton Golf Club bowler proved he belonged in the knockouts by embarking on a strong run to the final.
Boswood negotiated his round of 16 and quarter-final ties with ease, first disposing of Broadbeach’s Ryan Callander 21-9 then eliminating Adelaide’s Kobe Jarman 21-12.
The Ky bowler was pushed by Callum Alberti from Western Australia in the semi-finals, but prevailed 21-18.
That set up a decider against Harry Coleman from Deer Park, a player very familiar to Boswood.
Coleman was Boswood’s partner when the duo won the boys pairs at the Bowls Victoria under-18 state championships in April.
The all-Victorian final was largely close, with Coleman leading 11-10 after 13 ends.
Three shots on the 14th put the Deer Park player in a strong position, which he boosted with another two shots on the 17th, which saw Coleman leading 17-11 and on the cusp of victory.
Boswood scored two shots on the 20th end to cut the deficit back to four, trailing 18-14, but that was as close as he got.
Needing three more shots to win, Coleman held his nerve and executed on the next two ends to take out a 21-14 victory.
Kyabram’s Jacob Cartwright also featured in the boys’ singles, but didn’t do enough to progress to the knockout stages, despite also finishing 2-1 from his three sectional matches.
Before his successful singles campaign, Boswood competed in the men’s fours alongside South Australia’s Corey Hicks, Victoria’s Koby Cromie and Travis Moran from NSW.
The quartet reached the first round of the knockout phase before falling.
Elsewhere at the tournament, Olivia Cartwright flew the flag for Kyabram’s female representatives, competing in the mixed pairs, women’s pairs, women’s fours and women’s singles.
The Victorian Open history-maker struggled in the singles, only winning one of her three sectional matches and failing to reach the knockouts.
Cartwright did qualify for the latter stages of the other three events, being knocked out in the first round of the mixed pairs and fours.
The Ky prodigy’s best performance came in the women’s pairs, where she reached the round of 32 alongside fellow Victorian Sophie Kurzman.
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