Entering the final day of play with six singles matches on the schedule, Team USA needed just one match win over Great Britain to claim the 2023 Solomon Trophy. The test was held over four days at the Sarasota County Croquet Club in Venice, Florida, and U.S. fans didn’t have to wait long on Sunday as Zack Watson ended the suspense early with a test-clinching 26tp-0, 26tp-0 win over Gabrielle Higgins.
Rounding out the final day for Team USA, Tom Balding took a 2-0 win over Alain Giraud, Ben Rothman went 2-0 versus Debbie Lines, and Stephen Morgan defeated Mark van Loon 2-1 to push the U.S. win total to 14. For Great Britain, Aston Wade defeated Kyle Maloof 2-0, and Stephen Mulliner took a 2-1 win over Matthew Essick. The overall test score was 14-7, and the U.S. had a 34-17 advantage in games.
The 2023 Solomon Trophy was the 26th edition of the series, dating back to 1985. The Team USA win was their third and the first since 2011. Overall, Great Britain leads Solomon play 23-3.
PEELING RESULTS
TRIPLES: Balding (5), Rothman (5), Essick (4), Morgan (3), Wade (3), Watson (3), Maloof (2), Mulliner (2), Giraud (1).
TPO: Mulliner (1)
OTP: Lines (1)