North American Open
15-20 May 2006
Sonoma-Cutrer Winery, Windsor, California, USA
by Mike
Orgill in Croquet World Online
Just under one thousand patrons attended the Saturday charity event
benefiting Bay Area Make-A-Wish at Sonoma-Cutrer [Winery]. The rain
held off, and the day was mild and humid with some threatening clouds.
The event raised over $600,000 for Make-A-Wish. Thanks to Keith LaVine,
president of SC, Patricia Wilson, of MAW, Donna Bernheim and Beth
Ghashghai of Sonoma-Cutrer, and Ramon and all the wonderful
groundskeeping staff at the winery for making this tournament possible.
The purse money was sponsored by the Sonoma-Cutrer Croquet Club.
Leo McBride walked away with his second North American Open
championship and $3000. Rich Lamm was second and received $1250. Mark
McInerneny was third and won $1000 along with $250 for winning the one
big block. Leo McBride won the most triple peel award, and Erv Peterson
won the plate and $500.
This year's edition of the North American Open shapes up as quite a
shootout. The money at stake will only add to the tension. The format
too will contribute to the competitive atmosphere that always surrounds
this tournament. For the first time every game in the championship
ladder will be a best-of-three match, including the final game. Eight
players will make the cut out of a single sixteen player block in which
every player has twelve games. The eight unfortunates not making the
cut are not out of the money, however. They will compete in a single-
game ladder leading to a final in which a $500 prize for the plate
winner is at stake. In addition, the winner of the block will receive
$250. There will also be a prize for the player with the most peeling
finishes in the tournament, and a prize for the first player to finish
a sextuple peel.
Day One
Leo McBride warned everyone to take the shortest lift shots against him
because he "was on fire", and the Canadian told the truth. He reeled
off three +26 games and three triple peels. Second seed Mark McInerney
had a bit more trouble, but perhaps it was jet lag from the long air
flight from Ireland. McInereney still managed to come in second after
the day's play, with two wins and one loss. No triples, though. It was
a day of upsets, with fifteenth seed Martyn Selman knocking off both
second seed McInerney and fourth seed Tony Le Moignan. Sixteenth seed
David Dill handed a narrow loss to third seed Rich Lamm. The field has
proven to be evenly matched on the whole, and it will be a tough task
to make the top eight and eligibility for the top money prizes.
Day Two
Mark McInerney overcame his residual jet lag and sailed through with
three triples. Leo McBride encountered head winds, experiencing the
first game in the tournament in which an opponent scored against him
(against Butts, which McBride won on time 18-11, his first loss (a
two-ball game in overtime against Rothman 23-22), before regaining his
sea legs and administering a drubbing against Kelley +26TP. Mik Mehas
had a bad day, losing three times and dropping from third to eleventh.
Day Three
The top five players adjusted their positions slightly, with McBride
fading back to number two, and McInerney assuming first place.
McInerney continues to feast on the field, and McBride continues to
feed, although his prey is fighting back a bit more ferociously.
Although players say they find the courts a bit too lush and green,
they seem to have difficulty running hoops, and triples are not as
numerous as the tournament director expected.
Day Four
Rich Lamm's form continued to improve. He handed Mark McInerney his
second win with a brilliant +26TP drubbing. Lamm also handed McBride
his third loss with a +17TP proving that his third seeding was not a
tournament director's mistake. Lamm's shaky start was now a dim memory
and his place in the final eight is assured. Doug Grimsley battled his
way into the final eight with a brilliant win against Brian Cumming
+17TP. Jim Butts gets the TD's nod as the battler of the tournament. He
had a terrible start. On Monday he was winless and looked well out of
it. But on Tuesday he won three games and on Wednesday he won two games
to give himself a chance to make the cut.
Day Five
Cusp dwellers Kelley, Butts and Mehas failed to advance, with only Le
Moignan edging his way into the final eight by defeating Mehas +17.
McInerney defeated McBride and knocked the Canadian down to fifth in
the final eight.
Players
Seeding of the sixteen-player block was based on the current world
ranking list.
Favorites in the tournament include top seed Leo McBride, who won this
tournament in 2003. McBride is a three-time USCA International Rules
national champion.
Second seed Mark McInerney of Ireland is no stranger to croquet success
on the west coast, being a two-time winner of the Resort Invitational
and a past European and Irish Champion.
Rich Lamm of Colorado, the third seed, has been tearing up the national
croquet scene for quite some time. He won the NAO in 2004 and owns two
U.S. Open championships.
Fourth seed Tony LeMoignan from the island of Jersey is a past winner
of the highly competitive Jersey Championship. After a hiatus from the
game he is on the express come-back trail.
Fifth seed Canadian Brian Cumming was the 2004 USCA American Rules
national champion and has to be a favorite in the NAO as the week
begins.
Rounding out the top favorites, Paul Bennett of Arizona is a past NAO
champion and has to be counted as one of the top contenders. Joining
him on the favorites list is Doug Grimsley, a past USCA American Rules
national champ and perennial selection for national teams. Another
likely contender is Mik Mehas, winner of two USCA International Rules
championships, along with a USCA American Rules national and a NAO
championship.
And don't rule out the dark horses. Tony Hall of Australia, past
president of the World Croquet Federation and NAO tournament referee,
has won tournaments all over the world. Rory Kelley of Arizona and a
founder of the NAO is a past winner of the Meadowood Croquet Classic
along with multiple wins at regional tournaments. Johnny Mitchell, the
head of the USCA Selection Committee, will have a lot to study as the
week progresses, but he too has a good shot at victory, having won and
contended in tournaments all over the country. Jim Butts of California
- the runner-up at the NAO last year - is hungry to make a statement.
Erv Peterson has been playing at Sonoma-Cutrer for more than a decade.
A member of past Shield teams and Arizona Open winner, he cannot be
counted out. Martyn Selman of California, an Australian making his home
in San Francisco, is a Sonoma-Cutrer club member who has been more and
more active and in contention at tournaments all over the United
States. And don't discount the last seed, David Dill, also of
California. Dill stunned the croquet world last November when he
compiled the most handicap points every earned in the USCA national
championship where he beat many highly-ranked players over a week of
most impressive play.
History
The North American Open, staged since 1998, is now a major purse
tournament with total prize money of $6000. Jacques Fournier and Rory
Kelley created the tournament as a test for American and overseas
International Rules players, and the NAO has attracted highly-ranked
talent since its first event, which was won by Steve Comish of England.
Fournier retired temporarily from croquet after graduating from the
University of Virginia and turned over hosting duties for the Open to
the Sonoma Cutrer Croquet Club. SCCC management is staging the NAO to
reinvigorate croquet activity at the Sonoma Cutrer Winery. The
tournament is being run during the same time period occupied in the
past by the World Croquet Championship. It is produced in conjunction
with the annual "Make-A-Wish Croquet Invitational", a one-day charity
event that replaced the late, lamented world croquet championship. The
SCCC is the sole sponsor of this year's event. This year the North
American Open features many of the top players in the United States,
along with stars from Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.
last updated 27 Sep 2004
