At the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Northern Ireland’s Adam McKeown and Gary Kelly clinched the men’s pairs gold after a dramatic extra‑end showdown.

They had already proven their clutch ability in the semi‑final against Malaysia, where a late tiebreak win set the tone for the final.

In the final, the Irish pair opened strong, taking four shots in the third end to seize a 6‑2 advantage. England’s Nick Brett and Jamie Walker fought back, leading 3‑0 in the second set and holding onto a 4‑2 edge to force a one‑end shootout.

Kelly’s final bowl missed the jack, but his earlier ‘bomb’ in the tiebreak sealed the victory. McKeown reflected: "We wish it wasn’t always an extra end but we played really well." "Gary had a chance to win the game with his last bowl and unfortunately just missed, but he played an absolute bomb on the tiebreak end to secure the win."