CROQUET NEWS:  United States Open Won by Ben Rothman

	Place	Player, State [Rank]
	1st	Ben Rothman, CA [#14]
	2nd	Doug Grimsley, VA [#33]
	3rd	Jerry Stark, CA [#52]
	4th	Tony Le Moignan, JER [#23]
	5th	Brian Cumming, ON [#46]
		Jim Bast, TX [#49]
	7th	Stephen Mulliner, ENG [#5]
		Danny Huneycutt, NC [#25]
		Paul Bennett, AZ [#51]
		Bob Van Tassell, CA [#296]
	11th	Jim Butts, CA [#200]
		Charlie Smith, CA [#288]
	13th	Steve Johnston, MO [#]
	14th	Johnny Mitchell, TX [#204]
		Jon Essick, NC [#406]
	16th	Leo Nikora , HI [#188]
		Ron Hendry, CA [#232]
		Martyn Selman, CA [#402]
		Rich Schiller, CA [#]
	20th	Rory Kelley, AZ [#300]
		Arthur Bagby, AL [#]

8-12 December 2009
Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage, CA, USA
by Leo Nikora

Ben Rothman wins the United States Open for the first time.

Ben Rothman of California beat Doug Grimsley of Virginia in the finals of the United States. This was Rothman's first United States Open win (see past winners).

Twenty one people from the United States, England, Jersey, and Canada played on ten double-banked courts at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. The players' world rankings (before the tournament) ranged from #5 to #406. The courts were in wonderful condition, and three new court had been added. The weather was cold most days, but no rain; and there was snow in the mountains.

Two blocks of ten played a full round-robin. The winners of each block entered medalist play, and the next four finishers of each block advanced to knockout play. The winner of medalist play advanced to the finals of knockout play, and the loser advanced to the semi finals of knockout play. Players eliminated from the blocks and knockout competed in plate play.

Advanced Association Rules were followed. Games were two hours long, with last turns and sudden death if necessary. Wilhoit balls were used. Rory Kelley directed the tournament.

A wonderful champagne brunch was held beside the court during the finals of the event.

Pictures are posted in the Maui Croquet Club Gallery.

Knockout

	Year	Winner, State
	2009	Ben Rothman, CA
	2008	Doug Grimsley, VA
	2007	Jerry Stark, CA
	2006	Paul Bennett, AZ
	2005	Jerry Stark, CA
	2004	Paul Bennett, AZ
	2003	Rich Lamm, CO
	2002	Rich Lamm, CO
	2001	David Maugham
	2000	Jeremy Dyer
	1999	Jacques Fournier, AZ
	1998	Jacques Fournier, AZ
	1997	Leo McBride, ON
	1996	Don Fournier, Jr, AZ
	1995	Mik Mehas, CA
	1994	Phil Arnold, CA
	1993	Wayne Rodoni, CA
	1992	Bob Rebuschatis, CA
	1991	John Taves, CA
	1990	Bob Rebuschatis, CA
	1989	Wayne Rodoni, CA
	1988	Neil Spooner

The second through fifth finishers of the two blocks (Blue Block and Black Block) were seeded into an eight-player single-elimination knockout, with matches being one two-hour game. The winner played the loser of the medalist in the one two-hour game semi-final match. The winner of the semi-final match played the winner of the medalist in the best-of-three two-hour games final match.

	(1st) Doug Grimsley, VA [#33]				Rothman 26-14tpo 1-26tp 26tp-0
(2nd) Paul Bennett, AZ [#51]	Bast 26-12tpo	Le Moignan 26tp-9	Rothman 26tp-9	Rothman 26tp-0
(5th) Jim Bast, TX [#49]
(4th) Tony Le Moignan, JER [#23]	Le Moignan 26tp-19
(3rd) Danny Huneycutt, NC [#25]
(3rd) Ben Rothman, CA [#14]	Rothman 26-25	Rothman 26tp-10
(4th) Stephen Mulliner, ENG [#5]
(5th) Bob Van Tassell, CA [#296]	Cumming 22-21
(2nd) Brian Cumming, ON [#46]
	(2nd) Jerry Stark, CA [#52]

Medalist

The winners of the two blocks (Blue Block and Red Block) played a best-of-three two-hour games medalist match. The winner advanced to the final match of knockout play, and the loser advanced to the semi-final match of knockout play.

(1st) Doug Grimsley, VA [#33]	Grimsley 26tp-0, 26tp-6
(1st) Jerry Stark, CA [#52]

Plate

The sixth through tenth and eleventh finishers of the two blocks (Blue Block and Black Block) were seeded into an ten-player single-elimination plate, and the losers of the first two rounds of the knockout were also added to the plate.

		Jim Bast, TX [#49]	Smith 26tp-0	Huneycutt 26tp-0	Huneycutt 26-6
	(6th) Rory Kelley, AZ [#300] (withdrew) Matthew Essick, NC [#] (substitute)	Smith 26tp-3
(7th) Charlie Smith, CA [#288]	Smith 17-14
(9th) Ron Hendry, CA [#232]
(10th) Martyn Selman, CA [#402]	Mitchell 26tp-1	Huneycutt 26tp-0	Huneycutt 26tp-0
(7th) Johnny Mitchell, TX [#204]
	Danny Huneycutt, NC [#25]
		Paul Bennett, AZ [#51]
		Brian Cumming, ON [#46]	Cumming 26-20	Cumming 26-2
	Stephen Mulliner, ENG [#5] (withdrew)	Johnston (default)
(8th) Steve Johnston, MO [#]	Johnston 15-10
(10th) Rich Schiller, CA [#]
(9th) Jon Essick, NC [#406]	Essick 26-1	Butts 26-1	Butts 26-12
(8th) Leo Nikora , HI [#188]
	(6th) Arthur Bagby, AL [#] (withdrew) (11th) Jim Butts, CA [#200] (substitute)
		Bob Van Tassell, CA [#296]

Blocks

There were two ten-player blocks: Blue Block and Red Block. Each block played a full round-robin, with matches being one two-hour game. The top five players advanced to knockout play.

Blue Block	Rothman	Le Moignan	Grimsley	Bennett	Butts	Smith	Van Tassell	Selman	Essick	Johnston	Bagby
Ben Rothman, CA [#14]	3rd 7, +98	26tp-9			26tp-0		26tp-1	26-4	26tp-9	26-8	26tp-1
Tony Le Moignan, JER [#23]		4th 6 wins				26-0	26tp-17	26-0	26tp-0	26tp-0	26tp-1
Doug Grimsley, VA [#33]	26tp-0	26tp-0	1st 8 wins	25-24		24-22	15-14	23-16	26-0	26-9
Paul Bennett, AZ [#51]	26tp-0	26tp-10		2nd 7, +109	26dp-13	26tp-0		26tp-5	26-9	26-9
Jim Butts, CA [#200]			26-22		11th 2, –35					16-9
Charlie Smith, CA [#288]					26-1	7th 3, –35		18-10			26tp-0
Bob Van Tassell, CA [#296]				26tp-0	22-13	25-10	5th 5 wins	20-9	26tp-0
Martyn Selman, CA [#402]					26-1			10th 2, –60			26-14
Jon Essick, NC [#406]					20-6	26-11			9th 3, –76	18-10
Steve Johnston, MO [#]						19-9		18-16		8th 3, –59	26-4
Arthur Bagby, AL [#]					10-8		14-6		17-16		6th 4 wins

Red Block	Mulliner	Huneycutt	Cumming	Bast	Stark	Nikora	Mitchell	Hendry	Kelley	Schiller
Stephen Mulliner, ENG [#5]	4th 6 wins			26sxp-1		26-0	26-0	26-10	26-2	26-1
Danny Huneycutt, NC [#25]	26tp-10	3rd 7, +84	26tp-9			26-0	26tp-5	26tp-8	26tp-8	26tp-7
Brian Cumming, ON [#46]	26tp-0		2nd 7, +121	26tp-0		26-1	26-15	26-2	26-0	26-0
Jim Bast, TX [#49]		26-1		5th 5 wins		26tp-0		26-16	26-9	26-0
Jerry Stark, CA [#52]	26-9	26tp-0	26tp-0	23-17	1st 9 wins	26-16	26-3	26-5	26-8	26-0
Leo Nikora , HI [#188]						8th 3, –117	26-15	26-18		13-11
Johnny Mitchell, TX [#204]				26-0			7th 3, –42	26-20		26-6
Ron Hendry, CA [#232]								9th 1 wins		26-4
Rory Kelley, AZ [#300]						26-1	25-23	26-4	6th 4 wins	26-0
Rich Schiller, CA [#]										10th 0 wins