The 2024 WCF Golf Croquet World Championship Round of 32 and 16 is one of the most entertaining days in croquet and yes, I will say it — all of sport. Eighty players battle for five days in block play to whittle down to 32. That first playoff day is a whirlwind of action as the day brings unpredictable best of three action and generally ends with only eight players left standing. It’s a nail-biter for top seeds and anyone following the event.
Read MoreClark: Old Holes vs New Holes #06
The knockout started with 10 matches at Kelburn and six at Wellington. Regrettably, only three of the five lawns at Kelburn had new hoop holes and this made the matches played vary considerably. On the two lawns with old hoop holes, there were several one-sided games and six triples. On the three lawns with new hoop holes, there were several close games, no triples and some long matches. It is a shame that such failures occur in World Championships.
Read MoreSoo: Block H Entertains at Kelburn #05
Two pegged-down games from Block H provided the morning's entertainment for a small group of idle tournament players and other spectators at Kelburn. Samir Patel (ENG) had won the block on 8/9. Jim Nicholls (AUS), with six wins, resumed with Sam Murray (SCO), on five wins. Stuart Lawrence (USA) and Andy Myers (ENG), each on five wins, were the other pegged-down game. With Greg Fletcher (AUS) at 6/9, a Murray win would create a four-way tie for second place and hence a two-round playoff. Lawrence won his game +25, taking advantage of a wrong hoop run by Myers. Now he and Fletcher became Nicholls's biggest fans.
Read MoreSoo: Moberly Surprises in G Block #04
Waikanae is an especially attractive venue on the Kapiti Coast, about an hour NNE of Wellington. There are five lawns, one of which is newer and faster than the rest, and about which Simon Hockey was in raptures after a fifth-turn (I think) +26tp he played there. Hockey (AUS), the top seed in block G and therefore the #7 seed in the event (pre-tournament world ranking #15), finished with 7/9 for a share of first place in the block. He lost to Aiken Hakes (NZ) after a Hakes TPO and a two-ball finish. Earlier in the game Hakes had broken down at 1b, and on the peeling turn he also peeled partner to 2b, and then pegged off both rovers. In the two-ball ending, each player scored five hoops.
Read MoreClark: ACWC18 Not Off to Great Start #03
I spent today at Paraparumu – a 4 lawn club with the top two lawns running around 10 seconds and the bottom two around 11 seconds. Regrettably, players partners and other spectators were banned from using the clubhouse. This is not the sort of hospitality that Croquet New Zealand expects from host clubs.
Read MoreSoo: Plimmerton is Tops For Challenging Conditions #02
The tournament opened with fine weather: mostly sunny and moderately breezy all day. With ground still damp from the recent rain, the notorious Atkins hoops are quite easy to run, up to a moderate angle. Conditions are most challenging at Plimmerton, with extreme variation in pace and significant slopes. Unsurprisingly, this is where games have been longest, and three games are pegged down.
Read MoreBromley #10: Bamford and Nasr - Round 3
It was a spectacular day of croquet at the highest level with two fiercely competitive semifinals. In the first match, Felix Webby, the 17-year old phenom from New Zealand took Egypt's Ahmed Nasr to the limit in a thrilling five-game match with both player's superb shot-making on display. Nasr was able to hold on and propel himself into tomorrow's showdown with 5-7, 7-2, 7-4, 6-7, 7-4 win where he will face South Africa's Reg Bamford for the third time in a World Championship final.
Read MoreBromley #09: GCWC Final Four Set
New Zealand Wunderkind Felix Webby continues to be unflappable as he secured his spot in the Semi-final of the main event. He will face Egypt's Ahmed Nasr in a best of 5 game match. Reg Bamford took out Jenny Clarke to earn his spot and Hamy Erian defeated his countryman, Mohamad Karem 7-6, 7-6, 7-6 to secure his place in the top 4.
Bromley #08: GC Worlds Final Eight
The Final Eight have been decided! After two rounds of Knock Out play, the following players have reached the quarterfinals - John Christie (NZ), Ahmed Nasr (EG), Peter Landrebe (AUS), Felix Webby (NZ), Hamy Erian (EG), Mohamad Karem (EG), Reg Bamford (SAF), and Jenny Clarke (NZ).
Bromley #07: Five Players Undefeated
This evening as I am writing this, there is still much that is going on behind the scenes to set up the Knock Out Draw, Plate matches, and venue allocations and start times. There were several playoff matches going on into the late afternoon that had a bearing on all of these things being finalized.
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