Three teams from Kyabram, Rich River and Rochester were forced into a play-off for the 2022 RE Dick Open Fours title at Tongala on Australia Day.
Twenty-nine teams contested the Tongala Bowling Club event on Wednesday, with the teams skipped by Joe Greco (Kyabram), Trevor Nagorka (Rich River) and Kelvin Wiffen (Rochester) unable to be separated at the end of four 10-end qualifying rounds.
Prior to the last round it looked like five teams might qualify for the three-end play-offs, but Kangaroo Flat’s Geoff Boyd and Hill Top’s Rod Madill both lost in the final qualifying match.
Nagorka, bowling with fellow Rich River division one bowlers Colin Hayes, Graeme Moffatt and Eugene Xodo, had 10-shot, 13-shot and six-shot wins in their opening three rounds.
It was Greco, however, a division one skip with Kyabram in the Goulburn Valley competition, who was the eventual winner.
Greco and Rob Ansett are both division one bowlers, but they were competing with division two bowls Danny O’Brien and Jack Portia.
Greco told The Riv that he usually entered a team and this year they had played exceptionally well.
Bowlers from Stanhope, Lockington, Hay, Echuca, Moama and Mathoura were also involved in the tournament.
The Kyabram team picked up a $1000 cheque for the win, while the Rich River runner-up team walked away with $600.