2021 GC Nationals

YOUNG GUNS DOMINATE GC NATIONALS

Twenty-two-year-old Matthew Essick, from Florida, outlasts 14-year-old Blake Fields, from California, to win Golf Croquet National Singles Championship

BY WAYNE MALONEY

Photo by Suzie Beer

The new, young faces of croquet faced off September 5 in the final of the 2021 Golf Croquet National Championship at the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club (CBCC) in Hartfield, Va. Taking a two-games-out-of-three final to log his first-ever national golf croquet championship was 22-year-old Matthew Essick of Daytona, Fla. He defeated 14-year-old Blake Fields, the top junior player in the US. Fields is from Rancho Mirage, Calif. The field of 58 competitors was the best the USCA has ever had in a GC national tournament. All the old-time big guns participated, including Sherif Abdelwahab, Danny Huneycutt, Jeff Soo, Rich Dell, Mohammad Kamal, Ahab Dincer ... and the list goes on. But when the dust settled, three new names were in the top four in singles: Essick, Fields and Kyle Maloof. Notably, Maloof was playing in his first GC tournament and only his second singles event. On Saturday, Fields defeated defending champion Abdelwahab from West Palm Beach, Fla., to earn a spot in the singles final. Essick’s victory capped a five-day tournament that attracted possibly the strongest field in event history as it included almost all of the top-ranked players in America. “It was a great, well-contested match,” Essick says. “Two young guys, just getting started. Today was a display of top-level croquet.” Essick says Fields came out “red hot” in the first game and went on to win that contest, while Essick took the final two. “Blake is unbelievable. He has the best clearing shot in the US and is a powerful opponent.” Tournament Director Macey White says the fact that two young competitors living thousands of miles apart wound up competing for the title shows the growing popularity of croquet as a sport. “We had competitors from across the country,” he says. White explains that the east coast always sends a strong contingent and that this year the tournament had strong players from Colorado, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Rhode Island, New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Florida and Canada. “In addition, we got the best players from California and the top US female athlete from Wisconsin. Americans from all walks of life are enjoying this exciting and growing sport, which has long enjoyed an international reputation.”

Mohammad Kamal and Blake Fields talk strategy. Photo by Jeff Soo.

CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES

01. Matthew Essick 02. Blake Fields 03. Sherif Abdelwahab 03. Kyle Maloof 05. Jeff Soo 05. Ahab Dincer 05. Amr Hamdy 05. Zack Watson 09. Danny Huneycutt 09. David Maloof 09. Mohammad Kamal 09. Macey White 09. Tom Balding 09. Jim Teel 09. Kent Lovvorn 09. Rich Dell 17. Jimmy Huff 18. Damon Bidencope 19. Ed Becker 19. Jay Hughes 21. Matthew Griffith 21. Shane Hettler 21. Stephen Jackson 24. Rick Darnell 24. Cheryl Bromley 24. Helen Covington 24. Billy Harper 24. Timothy Hasty 29. Rich Lamm 29. Michael Albert 29. Thomas Cooper 29. Justin Fields

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT (PLATE)

Winner – Jimmy Huff Runner Up – Damon Bidencope

Matthew Essick and Blake Fields. Photo by Suzie Beer. Fields gets through. Photo by Jeff Soo.

Essick surveys the court. Photo by Jeff Soo.

FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES

01. Sean Miller 02. Bo Prillaman 03. Ellie Griffith 03. Marcus Stearns 05. Steve Thurston 05. James Creasey 05. James Podraza 05. Cynthia Shepherd 09. Gil Flowers 09. Bill Simmons 09. Diane Walker 09. Tate Russack 09. Kory Teoman 09. Priscilla Flowers 09. John Walker 09. Cami Russack 17. Bryan Christiansen 18. Ryan Eberlein 19. Douglas Murphy 19. Karin Karel 21. Betty Teoman 21. Joseph Fleming 21. Tom Bown 21. Stephen Shultz 25. Pedro Rivera 25. Lisa Maloney

FIRST FLIGHT (PLATE)

Winner – Bryan Christiansen Runner Up – Ryan Eberlein

USCA President Damon Bidencope (L) and TD Macey White (R) present to First Flight finalists Sean Miller and Bo Prillaman. Photo by Suzie Beer.

First Flight Plate Winner Brian Christiansen (R) and Ryan Eberlein (L) runner-up. Photo by Suzie Beer.

CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES

01. Mohammad Kamal/Blake Fields 02. Danny Huneycutt/Tom Balding 03. Sherif Abdelwahab/Ahab Dincer 03. Matthew Essick/Jim Teel 05. Jeff Soo/Rich Lamm 05. David Maloof/Kyle Maloof 05. Macey White/Amr Hamdy 05. Zack Watson/Shane Hettler 09. Ed Becker/Rick Darnell 09. Damon Bidencope/Gil Flowers 09. Jimmy Huff/Kent Lovvorn 09. Jay Hughes/Thomas Cooper 09. Matthew Griffith/Justin Fields 09. Michael Albert/James Creasey 09. Billy Harper/Rich Dell 09. Cheryl Bromley/Stephen Thurston

Doubles Champions Mohammad Kamal and Blake Fields. Photo by Suzie Beer. Championship Doubles runner-up duo of Danny Huneycutt and Tom Balding. Photo by Suzie Beer.

FIRST FLIGHT DOUBLES

01. James Podraza/Bryan Christiansen 02. Stephen Jackson/Bo Prillaman 03. Ellie Griffith/Priscilla Flowers 03. Helen Covington/Bill Simmons 05. Thomas Bown/Marc Stearns 05. Kory Teoman/Betty Teoman 05. Tate Russack/Cami Russack 05. Timothy Hasty/Cindy Shepard 09. Pedro Rivera/Lisa Maloney 09. Sean Miller/Ryan Eberlein

First Flight Doubles Champions James Podraza and Brian Christiansen. Photo by Suzie Beer.