If you haven't dialed into the USCA Grand Prix race lately, you might be in for a bit of a surprise. Danny Huneycutt currently has 30,418 points to lead the race while Ben Rothman has second place with 27,280 points. That should change slightly as the Association Doubles National Championship results have not yet been submitted and Rothman took a win there with partner Doug Grimsley. However, it's unclear whether or not that would actually bump Rothman into first.
"I don't see that result as the great equalizer," said Rothman. "Also, the whole point is that I didn't think it should be close. Multipliers for how many players in the tournament and average handicap seemingly give large invitationals (NC Club Teams, NC Singles, Country Boys, Steuber) more value than national championships, and the Eights. Weird."
If Rothman is right and the standings hold as is, the USCA might be in the uncomfortable position of having a player with four national championships end up as runner-up in the overall race. And taking a closer look at the numbers, the strength and depth of a field can indeed boost the points for a club level event (Grand Prix Rules). In fact, based on how 2013 is playing out, the Beach Club Invitational and the Country Boys AC Tournament rate higher than both Selection Eights and Golf Croquet Nationals for points.
When asked about the potential Grand Prix title, Huneycutt said, "If I actually do win the player of the year, it will be on the strength of winning all the singles and doubles championships in the North Carolina district and the Southeast region, several other high level tournaments such as the Beach Club Invitational and the Country Boys AC tournament, and finishing runner-up in the National Championship doubles with Harper Peterson, two positions ahead of Ben and Brian Cumming."
Huneycutt also noted that the Grand Prix seems to currently favor American Six-Wicket. "I don't know the original motive for the Grand Prix system, but it appears that it was designed to encourage players to participate in more American Six-Wicket tournaments, and to an extent, it has done just that over the years. The numbers tell me that the Grand prix system indicates who the American Six-Wicket Player of the Year is. It does not seem to give the same weight to Golf Croquet and AC. Also, AC and Golf Croquet tournaments have not developed heirarchial structure that correlates well with the Grand Prix system. American Six-Wicket has a strong hold in most if not all the district and regional championships."
Huneycutt added this as a final thought, "It has been many year's since a non-AC player has come even close to winning a National Championship and they never will in the future."
Another interesting angle is that the Grand Prix points indicate that the southeast is becoming a powerhouse in the U.S. Huneycutt's Southeast Regional win was worth 2,248 points while Rothman's Western Regional Win was worth 1,680.
You wonder how this plays out if the system stays as is. Will top players become a little more selective in the events they choose? If so, looking at the above examples, that wouldn't necessarily bode well for GC Nationals or Western Regionals.
"In future years I would hope the USCA will make adjustments to the grand prix system to give more credit to Golf Croquet and AC," said Huneycutt. "I encourage players in their quest for changes, to not unfairly discredit the value of American Six-Wicket tournaments, but for Golf Croquet and AC to have equal footing in the USA."
---
How would you change the USCA Grand Prix:
http://croquet.ning.com/forum/topics/the-usca-grand-prix-would-you-change-it