The huge impact on attendance after yesterday's arrival at the Scottish National Bowls Championship of world champions Paul Foster and Alex Marshall only served as a demonstration of the event's biggest flaw.

Compared with recent years it had seemed relatively quiet at Ayr's Northfield ahead of the start of the singles tournaments yesterday, but the involvement of these two big beasts of the global game was always going to ensure packed grandstands.

That is partly down to rarity value since, far from this being a yearly opportunity to see the reigning world indoor and outdoor pairs champions, it is almost a fluke that they are both involved.

Foster is in fine form in singles play, yet had to choose between this and the triples – bizarrely players may not take part in more than one of the main disciplines – and said beforehand that he only did so because the Commonwealth Games countdown is underway.

It is only the second time he has taken part since winning in 2004, while Marshall, who made his first appearance here for many years in the pairs last year, had not contested the event at the nationals since 1991.

Scotland produces an abundance of great players, but sadly there is a shortage of opportunities to see them playing against one another in any sort of meaningful singles competition.

This has led to calls for the introduction of an invitation event, featuring household names such as Foster and Marshall, Willie Wood and David Gourlay, the national coach, which could run alongside the championships.

Officials have repeatedly fended off such proposals, claiming there was insufficient room in the schedule to accommodate an extra event – an argument debunked when they introduced no fewer than four additional competitions to finals week this year.

Two are long-standing events which used to be played at different times and venues – the women's two bowl triples and the mixed pairs – while there are two brand new tournaments, the men's and women's seniors (over-55s) singles.

This highlights another curiosity in the way bowls seeks to market itself: as a sport for life on the one hand, yet coming up with what seem like random age categories on the other.

Just how meaningful these new seniors events are compared with the main disciplines was perhaps best demonstrated when Willie Wood, who is eligible to play in them with two decades to spare, declined to play, instead earning his right to be here as a competitor in the main triples competition.

At the other end of the scale, at the age of 24, just two years younger than Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, the 2010 Scottish singles champion Mark Kelsey did not qualify to try to win back his title but is through to the Scottish Junior Championship.

Meanwhile, for all the drawing power the top players so obviously possess, the attitudes that contribute to the resistance to meaningful change came through when one spectator was heard to comment yesterday: "I'm not happy at Paul Foster being involved in this because he's a professional."

Among certain sections of both the wider bowling community and its officialdom the impression is that the leading players are resented at least as much as their achievements are celebrated.

Not that there was the least sign of Foster being negatively affected by that as he performed in characteristic fashion by eliminating Milngavie's Jimmy Young 21-13, controlling the match by relentlessly drawing his lead bowls within a couple of inches of the jack. It was almost the perfect work-out since Young, the current national seniors indoors champion, proved a dogged opponent.

Indeed the magnificent conversion shot he played to claim a full house of four shots when lying shots down as he trailed 12-6 might have been a momentum shifter against a lesser opponent. Instead Foster allowed him only three more singles as he strode on relentlessly.

By contrast Marshall was always expected to have a tough match against international team-mate Iain McLean and it could hardly have been more dramatic. It was nip and tuck early on until Marshall made what looked a telling break by picking up a three to move 14-10 ahead. His opponent then upped his game and Marshall next won a shot when he was forced to produce an outstanding match saver with the final bowl of the 21st end, the Lanarkshire man having surged clear by picking up nine shots in four ends.

They exchanged shots at the next two ends before Marshall found himself on the horns of dilemma, having the right to deliver the last bowl at the 24th end, but unsure who was lying shot.

He agonised for some time, making as if to leave the head several times, finally making for the mat, but then changing his mind and opting not to deliver, before calling the umpire on to measure.

If it had gone his way Marshall would have been in position to win the match at a single end thereafter. It did not and while there will be no dream final, McLean will now fancy his chances of earning a crack at beating two world champions in three days.