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BERNE, MEHAS, POWELL AND SHEELY RULE WINNERS BRACKET
AS LAST-CHANCE SURVIVERS BATTLE THROUGH LOSERS LADDER
by Nate Weimerskirch; photography by David Gladstein
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The Saturday climax of the USCA national championships always draws a crowd
in Florida, home to more croquet players than any other state. The event at
the Palm Beach Polo Club is elegantly catered and attended by a sizeable
crowd of spectators - both serious croquet fans and elments of Palm Beach
society drawn by one of many spectacles marking the beginning of "the
season". The mainstream press is always there, puzzled by the action on
the lawn, trying to figure out how to report a sport beyond their
comprehension. We'll explain it all in our next story - the one to follow
the report below on the penulimate day's action.
According to Assistant Tournament Director Bob Kroeger, "Fresh, tight hoops
leading to lots of turnovers" was the story of the day at PGA National, where
the top players battled it out for boss positions in the ladder. Still alive
in the Winners Bracket at the end of Friday play were minus handicappers Bill
Berne and Mik Mehas, who will be going up against Richard Powell (1 handicap)
and Rick Sheely (1.5 handicap), respectively.
"Mik Mehas is playing very steady, tournament-ready croquet," Kroeger
reported, "and Bill Berne is playing well, but Sheely would be standout
player of the day."
Players from all regions of the United States and Canada qualified for these
national championships, as evidenced by the top four: North Carolina (Bill
Berne), Alabama (Richard Powell), California (Mik Mehas) and Minnesota (Rick
Sheely).
SHEELY AND NAJARIAN SURPRISE STANDOUTS IN STRONG FIELD
Rick Sheely of Minneapolis started the day by toppling defending national
champion Wayne Rodoni, 17-13, then won 26-7 over Gar Beckstead, then 26-15
over Mark Najarian. Najarian has been impressive all week long, including
Friday in victories over John Phaneuf and Doug Grimsley.
Several games were decided in last turns, including
Mik Mehas' victories over John Osborn 19-17 and Pat Roach, 16-15.
The fourth undefeated player, Richard Powell, has the honor of being the only
player to beat Archie Burchfield in the tourney. Powell reached the Winners
Bracket semifinal with a near-perfect 26-6 win over Burchfield.
HUGHES AND GRIMSLEY DOUBLY ELIMINATE MABEE
Among the most notable players eliminated were Wayne Rodoni, whose hopes to
repeat his 1995 triumph were dashed by Osborn 26-3; and the '94 champ Carl
Mabee, defeated 26-11 by Jim
Hughes and scratch player Doug Grimsley. A subsequent 26-7 drubbing by Britt
Ruby sent Grimsley home early.
With one section of Losers Bracker running late into the Palm Beach sunset,
the outcomes were unavailable at posting time. In one late match, Archie
Burchfield was playing John Osborn, with the loser out of the competition.
In another, Najarian was fighting for life against Hughes. In the third
late elimination match, Ruby was leading Fornier.
WINNERS BRACKET RESULTS, CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
| Mabee | 26-16 | Hall |
| Fournier | 26-4 | Degnan |
| Curtis | 20-14 | Thomas |
| Cumming | 20-16 | J. Hughes |
| Najarian | 26-8 | Phaneuf |
| Sheely | 17-13 | Rodoni |
| Osborn | 26-10 | P. Fusz |
| Roach | 22-18 | Ruby |
| Berne | 26-14 | Mabee |
| Fournier | 26-2 | Brown |
| Burchfield | 19-16 | Curtis |
| Powell | 21-11 | Cumming |
| Najarian | 18-11 | Grimsley |
| Sheely | 26-7 | Beckstead |
| Mehas | 19-17 | Osborn |
| Shaffer | 16-10 | Roach |
| Berne | 26-4 | Fournier |
| Powell | 26-6 | Burchfield |
| Sheely | 26-15 | Najarian |
| Mehas | 16-15 | Roach |
LOSERS BRACKET RESULTS, CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
| Mabee | 26-6 | Thomas |
| Hughes | 22-19 | Brown |
| Curtis | 18-14 | Hall |
| Degnan | 24-14 | Cumming |
| Grimsley | 19-14 | Fusz |
| Ruby | 23-17 | Beckstead |
| Osborn | 19-17 | Phaneuf |
| Rodoni | 23-8 | Shaffer |
| Hughes | 26-11 | Mabee |
| Degnan | 19-16 | Curtis |
| Ruby | 26-7 | Grimsley |
| Osborn | 26-3 | Rodoni |
| Najarian | vs. | Hughes | LATE | (Hughes leading 23-20) |
| Roach | 26-6 | Degnan | | |
| Fournier | vs. | Ruby | LATE | (Ruby leading 12-8) |
| Burchfield | vs. | Osborn | LATE | (Osborn leading18-11) |
CROQUET WORLD ONLINE MAGAZINE will continue to cover the 1996 USCA National
Championships throughout the Friday and Saturday singles playoffs and the
singles finals late Saturday.
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