October: End of Season round-up
Ian Norris is NATIONAL GC 'B-Level' Champion
Ian Norris is the first ever National Golf Croquet B-Level Champion having won the finals tournament last weekend at Hamptworth
He only had one reverse in all his games and qualified with ease for the semi-finals where he defeated John Smallbone of Watford for a place in the final against the host Club's David Cooper, who was the only one to beat him in the block games.
Norris made a steady start and traded hoops with the local who was clearing exceptionally well time and again from distance.
A perfect jump shot drew applause from Croquet Association Chairman and international player Jeff Dawson along with Frances Colman and Chris Roberts who were managing the event.
It looked however that Norris had blown it when he lost the 11th after a poor approach and a hoop later he was facing defeat going second to the last hoop.
But some jitters from both men ultimately proved more costly for Cooper who for once missed a clearance to give Norris a tap in for the Championship.
What a feather in not only his personal cap but also that of Phyllis Court and the Southern Croquet Federation!
Phyllis Court 'B' win GC Handicap League Final
Raymond Wood's Phyllis Court 'B' beat Hosts Hamptworth in this years final to reverse the result of 12 months ago.
Phyllis Court took a 2-1 lead into the lunch interval thanks to an Ian Norris singles win over Ann Beard (who did well to take Norris to a third game) and a topsy-turvy win in the doubles for Wood and Pam Mead.
Nick Beard kept the Hamptworth in with a shout by defeating Mike Fensome.
In the second round, Hamptworth's Richard Jenkins used his extra turns well to win the captain v captain singles rubber against Wood but the other three singles went to Phyllis Court who took the title by 5 games to 2.
Teams - Phyllis Court: Raymond Wood, Pam Mead, Ian Norris & Mike Fensome. Hamptworth: Richard Jenkins, Phylis Bamber, Nick Beard & Ann Beard.
Oxford University win AC Handicap League Final
Harry Fisher's Oxford University team was hastily re-assembled for this delayed final encounter but the rush proved no problem for the students who won the match and title 4-2 at Winchester.
SCF committee member Rita Nunn resented OU with the trophy which carries with it the right to represent the SCF in next season's Secretary's Shield national competition.
Richard Jenkins (Hamptworth) wins inaugural GC Club Champions' handicap Tournament
The experience gained from running over 50 handicap tournaments saw Hamptworth's Richard Jenkins in fine form as he won the first ever SCF tournament for club's GC Champions.
Jenkins delayed using his extra turns to frustrate Phyllis Court's Chris Roberts in the final and then, even having used the last managed to 'jaws' his ball in hoop 11 from the boundary to effectively end the contest right there.
10 Club champions took part in this inaugural event which looks certain to grow next season.
Roger Barnacle (Dogmersfield) wins inaugural AC Club Champions' handicap Tournament
There could hardly have been a tighter finish for the first staging of this SCF tournament for club's AC Champions because four players tied on three wins from four games at the close.
The swiss event, which was limited to four rounds by weather and light, saw Blewbury's Paul Wolff beaten for the first time in the final round by Richard Harris of Ryde, which meant that together with Chris Roberts (Phyllis Court) all three were tied with just Roger Barnacle who could join them with tyhe same record as he neared the end of his last game. The 'who beat whom' tie-break criteria could not be applied as all the tied chaps hadn't faced each other and so the maths of 'net hoops' put Roberts and Harris clear of Wolff by one hoop and with a problem of how to decide precedence between them. Fortunately for manager Roberts, Barnacle strode to the rescue with a large win and beat the pair by a clear 6 hoop margin to take the title back to Dogmersfield.
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