Levi Franks Crowned U21 Golf Croquet World Champion in Florida

New Zealand’s Levi Franks has been crowned the 2025 Under 21 Golf Croquet World Champion after an impressive run through the knockout stages culminated in a gripping final against Egypt’s Fawzy Helmy. Held at the Sarasota County Croquet Club in Venice, Florida, the tournament showcased the next generation of croquet talent, with players from around the world competing for the prestigious title.

The championship featured 28 players from 10 countries. The block results largely followed the seedings, with minimal surprises as the top four from each block advanced to the knockout. The first round saw only two matches go to the third game and all of the top seeds advanced. The quarterfinals also went according to seed, with all matches ending in two games.

But the trend changed in the semifinals as top-seeded Jack Good of England ran into Franks, who came into the match showing great form. Franks jumped out early and eventually took a 7-5, 7-2, 5-7, 7-6 victory in a match that extended in the latter half to finish in limited daylight. On the opposite side of the draw, second seed Fawzy Helmy of Egypt ended American Blake Fields’ attempt to win three straight world championships in six months. Fields took the open GC World Championship in October in Virginia and was a key player in Team USA’s first world team title victory at the Openshaw Shield in St. Lenard, Tasmania, in February. But Helmy got the early momentum in the match and went on to a 7-4, 7-4, 4-7, 7-4 win in four games that finished well ahead of the Good/Franks semifinal.

Based on the late-evening effort Franks put in against Good in the semifinal, conventional wisdom indicated Helmy might have the advantage in the final. However, Franks once again seized early momentum, taking the first game decisively 7-2. Game two was more even with scores of 2-2, 3-3 and then 5-4. Franks then got Hoop 10 with an angled jump to get to 6-4 to put the pressure on. Helmy responded by scoring Hoop 11 with yellow but was disappointed to just dribble through. The battle at 12 ended when Helmy’s clear from the sideline narrowly missed giving Franks a straight forward hoop shot with black for a 7-5 win and 2-0 lead.

The third game was a tightly contested battle, with both players locked at 6-6, forcing a golden hoop decider. Franks held his nerve and capitalized with a good set at 13, forcing Helmy to clear at long range with both balls. Both attempts missed and Franks claimed the U21 World Championship title in three games.

Among the standout performances was eleven-year-old American Simon Dentchev, who impressed by reaching the knockout stage. Unofficial comments during the livestream indicated he was the youngest player ever to reach the U21 knockout. Dentchev challenged top seed Jack Good in the first round of the knockout but fell 2-0 and then participated in the Bowl where he advanced to the semifinals before falling in a tight match to Egypt’s Jana Mohamed Saaid. Saaid went on to win the Bowl final against New Zealand’s Jessica Bullen 7-3, 7-6.

In other results, England’s Sam Cuthbert captured the Shield title, defeating Australia’s Ethan Gumbrell 7-3, 7-4. The win highlighted a remarkable comeback for Cuthbert, who is still recovering from injuries sustained during the previous U21 championship in New Zealand. Latvia’s Ivo Bozevnieks claimed the Plate title, besting American Luka Nettleton in the final 7-5, 3-7, 7-5.

This edition of the U21 Golf Croquet World Championship further cemented New Zealand’s dominance, with Kiwi players now having won five of the seven titles since the tournament’s inception. The next championship is scheduled for 2027 in Egypt.

The World Croquet Federation extended its gratitude to the volunteers, sponsors, the Sarasota County Croquet Club and the USCA for their support in hosting a successful event. See the Official WCF Event report.