Croquet Week Golf Croquet Tournament
March 12-14, 2021
Croquet Week is always a busy time for the USCA and the NCC and this year was no exception. After last year’s cancellation due to COVID, players were eager to get back to competing as noticed in the 40-player field for this year’s event. I believe it was the largest field in this tournament’s history and is also a testament to the growing popularity of golf croquet.
Play was divided into two flights. Championship played in a block of 10 while a rather large First Flight has three 10 player blocks. Each block of 10 played 6 games in block advancing into an elimination ladder. In Championship Flight block play was dominated by Sandy Knuth, Rich Dell, and Billy Harper who all had 5 wins followed by Scott Spradling and Bill Simmons with 4 wins. Each block in First Flight also had their dominate players with Jim Podraza, Gary Gamble, and Richard Gannon each winning their respective blocks with an undefeated 6 wins followed closely by Tate Russack, Jim Jamison, Bruce Hindin, and Cindy Howell with 5 wins. Even more remarkable was that Podraza, Gannon, Jamison, and Hindin were all playing in their first tournament as unranked players but looked like seasoned veterans.
Every player in the Championship flight made the playoffs with the top 6 receiving byes while the top five in each First Flight block advanced along with the next best record to fill out the 16-player ladder. Scott Spradling came alive in Championship flight working his way through the ladder to meet Rich Dell in the final game which proved to be a seesaw battle ending in a 7-6 victory for Dell. First Flight was interesting with all previously unranked players making it to the semi-finals. In the end Jim Jamison prevailed over Jim Podraza with a 7-5 victory with solid play.
You could not have asked for more in a tournament. The weather was great with a nice turnout and good competition. A nice start to Croquet Week and it felt good to see competition back in swing with everyone looking forward for more to come.
Championship Flight
1. Rich Dell
2. Scott Spradling
3. Sandy Knuth
3. Billy Harper
5. Suzanna Spradling
5. Alex Galasso
5. Bill Simmons
5. David Paukovick
9. Mke Sexton
9. Thomas Howell
First Flight
1. Jim Jamison
2. Jim Podraza
3. Tom Lindley
3. Richard Corey
5. Cami Russack
5. Pamela Kennelly
5. Tate Russack
5. Bruce Day
9. Barbara Jamison
9. Lisa Davoli
9. Bruce Hindin
9. Cindy Howell
9. Robert Gannon
9. Edward Berge
9. Kathie Gamble
9. Gary Gamble
17. Edmund Giancola
17. Janet Cook
19. Mary Galasso
19. James Loftis
19. Hilary Michaels
19. Diana Robinson
19. Tom Bown
24. Mary Ellen Gumerson
24. Ford Austin
24. Tina Day
27. Mary Lynch
27. George Claffey
27. Mary Squire
27. William Cook