WCF Golf Croquet WTC: Day Three

By Eric Sawyer | Today was not our day.  A confluence of misfortunes bit us on the butt. We lost to Egypt, as expected.  Except we got steam-rolled by The Force, 6-0.  The only close match was Ben's spirited loss to world champion Ahmed Nasr in three games, with two games going to hoop 13.
Read More

WCF Golf Croquet WTC: Day Two

By Eric Sawyer | I should have expected it.  Those plucky Irishman.  We ended up in a tie with them, 3-3.
Ben and Sherif were dominant in their doubles match.  But Danny and David lost their second straight doubles match.  We then split singles 2-2, with Ben and David winning their matches and Sherif and Danny losing their matches.  Danny's loss was a bit of a surprise to me; David's win was huge!
Read More

WCF GC World Team Championship: Day One

Good news, our lads beat Sweden on Sunday in the opening day of WCF Golf Croquet World Team Championship block play with a 4-2 score. Today we play the Irish, which will be a really big game as explained below.

USA v. Sweden

Our play today was solid, but not spectacular. Ben, Danny and David were solid in winning their singles matches. Our doubles teams split, with Ben/Sherif winning their match but Danny/David losing their match. The highlight in doubles was when Ben made hoop 9 from the boundary line with a two bounce jump shot that took us to 5-4 in game two of the doubles.

Read More

2016 WCF GC World Teams Preview

This event is about to begin!  Our lads have arrived in London, practiced, participated in team meetings and are ready for action.  Play will begin very early Sunday morning, our time.  Team USA will play Sweden first.
To see all of the teams and their members, read about the history and format of the event and to follow the action, go to the official site of the event, located at: http://www.gcwtc2016.org.uk/
Read More

AC Worlds: Mulliner 3, Maloof 2

Screenshot from the Livestream. Note that 66 viewers were still tuned in. (L to R) USCA President Johnny Mitchell, Stephen Mulliner and David Openshaw

THE COMEBACK KID

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA -- In a final that had everything, England's Stephen Mulliner repeated his Saturday performance and once again came back from an 0-2 deficit to American David Maloof to claim his first WCF World Association Croquet title. The scoreline went down as 22-26, 9-26, 26-21, 26-19, 26tp-0 for Mulliner in an 11.5 hour epic that stretched out from the morning start to an under the lights finish at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The entire final was broadcast via Livestream by Sherif Abdelwahab. Simon Jenkins brought audio commentary to the live feed in the afternoon and did what must have been six or seven hours of stellar solo commentary (minus a brief break provided by Reg Bamford). The live feed carried through to the awards and in what was unprecedented step forward for the sport. At it's peak, the Livestream broadcast had 144 viewers, while the text commentary also remained strong with 121 followers at peak. Add to that 200 spectators at the venue.

Other winners on day included Ian Lines for the Plate, James Death for the Bowl and Stephen Forster for the Shield.

FULL CROQUETSCORES.COM KNOCKOUT BRACKET: croquetscores.com/2016/ac/wcf-world-championship/main-ko

WCF EVENT REPORT: www.worldcroquet.org.uk/index.php/latest-news/195-stephen-mulliner-is-the-new-ac-world-champion

TEXT COMMENTARY: croquetscores.com/2016/ac/wcf-world-championship/commentaries/7649

AC Worlds-Maloof versus Mulliner

Photo by Jeff Soo -- " Stephen Mulliner, England’s colors on his jersey and flying in the background, pegs out to win his semi-final match against top seed and four-time champion Reg Bamford."

LIVESTREAM OF THE FINAL:

livestream.com/accounts/18489438/events/5205737 

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA -- It was a stunning day of action at the 2016 WCF World Croquet Championship yesterday at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. American David Maloof continued his drive to the final with a 3-1 win over David Maugham (ENG). Maugham got the first game with triple, but Maloof took over from there and once the momentum swung it seemed all go his way. He joins Ben Rothman as the only US player to reach the AC World Final.

In the other semifinal, the script seemed to be going according to plan as Reg Bamford (ZAF) jumped out 2-0 and offered up a bit of shock and awe with a sextuple in game one. Stephen Mulliner then took game three with a 26tp-6 score. Ho-hum, right? Even the guys on ESPN probably know that Bamford isn't going to be denied with just one win to and three opportunities. But then, Mulliner followed with is own sextuple in game four and all of the sudden we're in game five and the murmors started to roll throughout the NCC.

Once the action in game five started and Mulliner was in, the historic comeback seemed inevitable. Sherif Abdelwahab kicked on the Livestream and personally, I was able to pop that view up onto my living room 37" HD TV in the living room and watch croquet history from Kansas City. Mulliner did finish 26tp-0 in that last game and advanced 3-2 on what turned out to be a thrilling day of croquet action.

SCORELINES:
Maloof defeats Maugham: 13-26tp, 26tp-1, 26tp-22, 26tp-1
Mulliner defeats Bamford: 0-26sxp, 13-26, 26tp-6, 26sxp-0, 26tp-0

TODAYS COMMENTARY:
croquetscores.com/2016/ac/wcf-world-championship/commentaries/7649 

Read More

AC Worlds-The Real Final Four

Photo from Jeff Soo -- "photo of David on his match-winning turn in the QFs, Mieke watching nervously in the background"

THE USUAL SUSPECTS PLUS AN AMERICAN

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA -- The 2016 WCF World Croquet Championship has now narrowed down from 80 players to the four best. Along the way, the event had some predictability as well as some new wrinkles. Primarily, David Maloof became just the fourth American to make the final four as was able to take down the 2013 AC World Runner-up Paddy Chapman 26-9, 7-26tp, 26-0, 26otp-12. Maloof joins Jerry Stark (1990), Jaques Fournier (2001) and Ben Rothman (2009) as the only Americans to make the final four in the 15 editions of the WCF World Championship.

Read More

AC Worlds-Eight Players Left Standing

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA -- As 16 players went into battle on Thursday in best of five action, only two players were able to pull off "upsets" in the 2016 WCF AC World Championship. It happened to be the two Americans, David Maloof and Danny Huneycutt that went against the rankings. All of the other matches went according to the proper math, although #10 Samir Patel (ENG) had to go the distance to hold off #42 Jose Riva (ESP) 26otp-13, 22-26, 9-26tp, 26tp-20, 26-5. David Maugham (#7) (ENG) also had to go to five to hold off #26 Chris Williams (WLS) as did #8 Stephen Mulliner (ENG) in his match against #25 Stephen Forster (AUS). 
Read More

AC Worlds-Sweet 16

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA -- It was a tough day for the American hopefuls as five of seven players were knocked out in the round of 32 at the 2016 WCF AC World Championship in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was particulary surprising to see four of five US players fall in the bottom (or right) half of the bracket. Included in that group was the top-ranked US player Ben Rothman (#13) as he fell 26-10, 21-26tp, 0-26tp to Jose Riva (#42) from Spain.
Read More

Round of 32 - Lunch Update

Taking a scan through the scores rolling in and James Hopgood (ENG), Stephen Forster (AUS) and Stephen Mulliner (ENG) are the first to move into the Sweet 16. By ranking, those went as expected with the Forster (#25) vs Soo (#27) being a bit of a toss up.

Interesting challenges out there include #116 Sam Murray of Scotland winning game one again #12 Gavin Carter (ENG) 26-1. Carter came back in game two 26-0 and the now move to the decider.

#52 Danny Huneycutt (USA) took game one against #9 James Death (ENG) 26tp-24. They are still working through game two.

#13 Ben Rothman (USA) and #42 Jose Riva (ESP) and tied and going to a game three. Rothman took the first game 26-10, then Riva came back 26tp-21.

#76 Stephen Morgan (USA) and #10 Samir Patel (ENG are also going to game three. Patel took game one 26-14 and Morgan came back in game two with a 26-0 win.