News

Rutger Beijderwellen today won the Sussex Open Golf Croquet Chapionship in a field of 16, beating Alan Cottle 6-7, 7-2, 7-3.

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Following report filed by Mark Hamilton:

SOUTHWICK

OPEN GOLF TOURNAMENT

REPORT

Rutger Beijderwellen wins at Southwick

With Wimbledon, Glastonbury and the Southwick Open Golf Tournament all on the same weekend and coupled with wind and rain on Friday, players woke up on Saturday morning to be greeted by dark clouds and howling winds and expecting the worst; but at 9 .30 on the dot, the clouds parted and the sun came out. There was a mixed field of sixteen players in this years event including the CA chairman Jonathan Isaacs playing in this very first golf croquet tournament. There were two blocks of eight all play all playing one 19 point game.

At the end of Saturday, Block A was very tight with four players all on 5 wins each, Carol Jackson beaten Rutger Beijderwellen in first game of the day. In Block B, Mark Hamilton and Alan Cottle were leading with five wins each. The final round of the block was postponed to Sunday as the chairman of the CA decided to light up the BBQ and treat the players and members to some wonderfully cooked lamb.

Sunday saw the last game in the blocks and the start of the knockout, Three of the quarter finals were over in quick time but Richard Thompson and Mark Hamilton had a battle on lawn two with Tournament Manager John Low setting a time limit of 30 minutes after one and quarter hours play; Mark ended up the winner 10-9 with five minutes to spare.

In the first semi final, Carol Jackson from South Africa took the first game in a best of three but Alan Cottle came back to win 2-1 to reach his second final in this event; in the other semi Mark took on Rutger going down 7-1 in the first only to come back and win the second 7-6 the third saw Rutger reach the final in a close run match winning 7-5.

The first game of the final was a very close run game with both players hitting well at 6 all.  Rutger had first run at hoop thirteen but left his shot short. Alan ran of the boundary; Rutger then played to just in front of the hoop leaving Alan with no choice but to play a long jump shot from the boundary  - 7-6 to Alan. Rutger  Beijderwellen asked to change lawns as he was unhappy with the condition of lawn one. This is the first time I have seen this at a tournament. Alan is also in charge of the lawns at Southwick, and he having no objection,  the manager moved play to lawn five -  a decision that Alan may have later regretted as Rutger upped his game and won the next two games 7-2 7-2 taking the Southwick Open Golf tournament for the first time.

MAIN KNOCKOUT QUARTER FINALS

C JACKSON BEAT D BECK

10-2

R BEIJDERWELLEN BEAT D OLD

10-2

M HAMILTON BEAT R THOMPSON

10-9

A COTTLE BEAT D HOPKINS

10-8

SEMI FINAL

A COTTLE BEAT C JACKSON

5-7 7-4 7-4

R BEIJDERWELLEN BEAT MARK HAMILTON

7-1 6-7 7-5

FINAL

R BEIJDERWELLEN BEAT A COTTLE

6-7 7-2 7-2