CROQUET:  North American Open Won by Mik Mehas

The North American Open [aka Arizona International Open] was played on April 15-19 in Phoenix, AZ.
 
 
Knockout Ladder
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Quarterfinal Semifinal Final Champion
#1  Toby Garrison
NZ [17]		 Mik Mehas
26-1, 26-0
Erv Peterson
USA [188]		 Britt Ruby
26-15		 Jerry Stark
23-22		 Dan Mahoney
26-0		 Le Moignan
25-24		 Mik Mehas
26-1 tp		 Mik Mehas
26-9
Britt Ruby
USA [129]
#5  Jerry Stark
USA [35]
#8  Dan Mahoney
USA [235]		 Dan Mahoney
21-20
Paul Bennett
USA [156]		 Don Fournier
15-14
Don Fournier, Jr.
USA [133]
#4  Tony LeMoignan
Jersey [81]
#3  Mik Mehas
USA [21]		 Mik Mehas
26-2 tp
Rory Kelley
USA [141]		 Doug Grimsley
26-13		 Doug Grimsley
26-24 tp		 Doug Grimsley
26-10
Doug Grimsley
USA [158]
#7  Bob Cherry
USA [337]
#6  Bill Martin
USA [194]		 Bill Martin
12-10
Johnny Osborn
USA [113]		 Ren Kraft
26-18
Ren Kraft
USA [190]
#2  Jacques Fournier
USA [34]

Round Three:  Doug Grimsley over Bob Cherry (by Louis Nel)

  1. Bob Cherry merely had to make a short return roquet after rover and then complete an easy peg out for a 26 - 0 victory over Doug. The croquet gods, however, seemed in the mood for a much longer game. Bob missed that roquet.
  2. Doug, chasing the 0 - 24 deficit, managed to get his first break done and a missed lift shot allowed him to start his second break shortly before match time was called.  Bob, watching anxiously, could not suppress a jubilant smile when he saw Doug miss a short roquet after 5.  But the display of ivory vanished as he watched how Doug's ball kept rolling ... It ended up hitting partner in the jaws of 4-back.  It not merely roqueted that ball, it peeled it and in fact started a triple peel by Grimsley: 26tp - 24.

Round Four:  Tony LeMoignan over Dan Mahoney (by Louis Nel)

  1. Tony Le Moignan, pegged out his rover, with his remaining ball on penult, miles ahead against Dan Mahoney, about 30 minutes remaining.
  2. Dan rose heroically to the challenge. When match time was called, he had just pegged out his forward ball with the other (for rover) in corner III.
  3. Le Moignan, now facing a deficit of 23 - 24, had to shoot at it in last turn from near the middle of the west boundary. The Fat Lady could be heard clearing her throat, but it was not over yet: the croquet gods had something else in mind. Le Moignan hit, took-off toward penult, ran it to tie the game and set up at rover.
  4. Now it was Mahoney's turn to play a desparate shot and this time the Fat Lady did sing, as the Lemon Onion ran rover to prevail 25 - 24.

Quarter Final:  Mik Mehas over Tony LeMoignan (by Louis Nel)

  1. Le Moignan, not reaching scoring position at 1 from a distance, parked his ball in front of it.
  2. Mehas full-rolled there from the east boundary only to wire his striker ball and to leave Le Moignan a continuation ball. It looked like trouble for Mik, but the gods apparently willed otherwise.
  3. After running 1 and attempting a long roll of his own, the Lemon Onion crashed into hoop 1 and was hardly seen on the lawn again.
  4. The Bad Boy got going with smooth running precision, cruising to a 26 - 1 win.

Semifinal:  Mik Mehas over Jacques Fournier 26-9 (by Jacques Fournier)

  1. Mik won the toss and shot to 7 yards North of corner 4 on the East boundary.
  2. Jacques set a deep duffer tice.
  3. Mik shot at partner from A-baulk and missed.
  4. Jacques hit the tice from B-baulk, took off to the opponent's balls, rushed one to deep position behind hoop 1, and failed the hoop after playing a swap shot.
  5. Mik hit and played a very controlled break before stuffing 3-back.
  6. Jacques hit and took nine.
  7. Mik hit and played his second break to the peg without getting any peels.
  8. Jacques missed and Mik finished.

Final:  Mik Mehas over Toby Garrison 26-1, 26-0 (by Jacques Fournier)

  1. Toby won the toss and chose red and yellow.
  2. Mik lagged just short of the East boundary level with hoop 4.
  3. Toby shot just out of 2nd corner.
  4. Mik hit his partner from A-Baulk and took off to Toby's ball, roqueted it, and split it into the middle of the
  5. court while crashing into hoop 2.  Mik then lagged to partner leaving a rush to Toby's ball.
  6. Toby then missed a shot at Mik's balls from B-Baulk into corner 4.
  7. Mik then rushed out into the middle, and got a rush on Toby's ball while loading two.  He then made hoop 1 and looked to be off and running.  However, he then missed a seven-yard return roquet after 3.
  8. Toby then hits in from corner four at Mik's pioneer at hoop 4, loads 2 going to Mik's ball on the North boundary, but rolls past partner in trying to get a rush to 1.  He then played a roll to one and stuck in the hoop.
  9. Mik shoots to corner 4.
  10. Toby makes 1, but takes off out of bounds going to Mik's ball in corner 4 on a very fast lawn.
  11. Mik then rushed the ball to partner, got position for a rush to 1 and took nine, setting a diagonal spread with his balls deep in corner 4.
  12. Toby missed from A-Baulk.
  13. Mik then went to peg with that ball and set another diagonal spread.
  14. Toby missed, but
  15. Mik misapproached 4-back.
  16. Toby missed partner,
  17. Mik hit a five yarder, split to 4-back and made a very difficult angled hoop.  He then finished 26-1.
  1. Mik chose to play first again, shooting to the same spot just off the East boundary.
  2. Toby again shot just out of corner 2.
  3. Mik again hits 3rd turn, takes off to Toby's ball and splits it into the middle.
  4. Toby again misses from B-baulk.
  5. Mik then played a very controlled break, and set a diagonal spread.
  6. Toby again missed the short shot.
  7. Mik makes 1, but then clanks 2.
  8. Toby missed him from hoop 3.
  9. Mik put the break back together nicely and took his break to the peg, back-peeling 4-back.
  10. Toby missed and Mik finished.  [26-0]