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Canada's Leo McBride top purse winner of 2006
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by Garth Eliassen Posted January 28, 2007
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We can't resist, from time to time, reprinting the meticulous annual account of purse totals Garth Eliassen compiles for his first issue of each year. Though the croquet population of the American West is surprisingly small, West Coast events produced more than 70 percent of the purse money in 2006. But the grand total shared by 49 players amounts to barely a single annual poverty-level salary. Mainstream press reports occasionally speak of "croquet professionals," while Eliassen's accounting proves beyond doubt that croquet is still very much an amatuer sport. The money won is a mere token of the glory of victory, which we immortalize in this permanent online record, extending to the full list of 452 croquet players who have finished "in the money since 1987. Look for you name on the list. Bask in the glorious brilliance reflected from your computer monitor. Savor the memory.
The number of purse tourneys reported to the Calendar dropped from thirteen in 2005 to ten in 2006, but overall totals surged this year to $23,626, a gain of $12,754 from 2005's $10,871. The prize money parcelled out to players nearly reached the 2002 total of $25,197, but remains far from the bounty offered during the salad days of purse play in 1988 and 1989 when major opens attracted top players with sponsor-contributed funds.
The boost in purse totals was the result of the revived Sonoma-Cutrer tourney (now the North American Open), with $6,000 prize money, the Resort at the Mountain raising its totals from $6,000 to $7,000, and the new nine-wicket Croquet Safari in San Diego, paying out $4,000.
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| The Resort at the Mountain upped the ante in 2006 to a $7,000 purse for its prestigious annual invitational for top-ranked players from many countries. |
The top purse winner last year was Canada's Leo McBride, who won $3,670 scrambling to three purse tournaments. Second was world champion Reg Bamford, who picked up a more leisurely $3,500 at one tournament: the Resort at the Mountain Invitational. McBride's money moves him from fifth place in overall winnings to third, behind Robert Fulford of England (who didn't compete in purse play this year) and Reid Fleming (who hasn't competed in a major tourney in many years). Jerry Stark is now at fourth, and Neil Spooner, who retired from croquet long ago and is living somewhere in Australia, is at fifth.
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| Canada's Leo McBride, shown here at Sonoma-Cutrer, became the top money winner in 2006 by winning three events |
Other than the aforementioned three tournaments were the the Peachwood Classic in June paying $2,300; the Great Texas Shootout in May paying $1,100; the Delaware Association Rules Tournament in August with $1,000 purse; the Vancouver Open in August, $872; the West Coast Classic in April forking out $629 ; the Aboyne Open in June $425; and the Osborn Cup in late September which last year held a sidebar golf croquet competition awarding $300.
Forty-nine players won prize money this year, down from 71 in 2005, 52 in 2004, 56 in 2003, and 82 in 2002.
Following the purse amounts are the number of purse tournaments (if more than one) that were used to comprise the total. Asterisks indicate nine-wicket play. Amounts awarded in Canadian dollars were converted to U.S. dollars based on the exchange rate at press time of .85 American dollar to one Canadian.
Annual purse totals, 1987 through 2006
1987 $15,000.00 1988 $75,350.00 1989 $64,365.00 1990 $10,587.50 1991 $4,990.00 1992 $8,590.00 1993 $18,115.00 1994 $11,620.00 1995 $11,953.00 1996 $11,810.00 1997 $18,577.00 1998 $18,185.00 1999 $22,272.00 2000 $18,348.00 2001 $22,221.00 2002 $25,197.00 2003 $17,510.00 2004 $15,752.60 2005 $10,871.40 2006 $23,626.00
2006 purse winners
1. Leo McBride $3,670.00 (3)
2. Reg Bamford $3,500.00
3. Mark McInerney $2,250.00 (2)
4. Peter Landrebe $2,000.00
5. Rich Lamm $1,250.00
Art Parsells* $1,250.00
Craig McEwen* $1,250.00
8. Ron Lloyd $900.00
9. Mik Mehas $800.00 (3)
10. Rick Bollinger* $750.00
Jeff Evenson* $750.00
12. David Maugham $500.00
13. Johnny Mitchell $300.00
Lee Hamel $300.00
Doug Grimsley $300.00
Norris Settlemyre $300.00
17. Tom Krause $162.50
Ed O'Laughlin $162.50
19. Britt Ruby $150.00
Suzan Copeland $150.00
20. Russell Brown $127.50
Steve Scalpone $127.50
22. Tony Hall$106.25
23. Steve Dimond $100.00
Bill Hixon $100.00
Wendell Thompson $100.00
Mark Goodwin $100.00
Herb Kay $100.00
28. Dolores Gallagher $85.00
Jon Westwater $85.00
Wally Clark $85.00
31. Brian Cumming $63.75
32. Ron Schuster $59.50
Traudl Lafferty $59.50
Pierre Dunn $59.50
35. Tim Hill $51.00
36. John Oehrle $50.00
Tim Rapuano $50.00
Hope Harmon $50.00
39. Tom Hughes $37.50
Stuart Lawrence $37.50
41. Pat Little $34.00
42. Pablo Coffey $29.75
Pau Hall $29.75
44. Bob Morgan $25.00
John Hunter $25.00
46. Ben Taves $17.00
John D.Adams $17.00
Marian Smith $17.00
Ralph Lafferty $17.00
TWENTY-YEAR OVERALL PURSE STANDINGS
1. Robert Fulford $22,100.00(12)
2. Reid Fleming $18,387.50(15)
3. Leo McBride $17,148.55(41)
4. Jerry Stark $15,750.00(15)5.
Neil Spooner $13,725.00(8)
6. Reginald Bamford $13,600.00(7)
7. Archie Burchfield $13,407.00(16)
8. David Maugham $12,000.00(5)
9. John Osborn $11,952.50(15)
10. Chris Clarke $11,700.00(8)
11. Harold Brown $9,975.00(7)
12. Jacques Fournier $9,645.00(10)
13. Mik Mehas $9,397.00(15)
14. Damon Bidencope $9,070.00(9)
15. Ren Kraft $8,626.25(10)
16. Barry Chambers $7,375.00(4)
17. Michael Watkins $6,850.00(3)
18. Fred Rogerson $6,375.00(3)
19. Mark McInerney $6,250.00(6)
20. Stephen Mulliner $6,000.00(2)
21. Doug Grimsley $5,950.00(19)
22. Teddy Prentis $4,850.00(8)
23. Mark Avery $4,787.00(2)
24. Lenny Karbo $4,282.00(5)
25. Tremaine Arkley $3,815.00(8)
26. David Openshaw $3,783.00(5)
27. Ken Rosenberry $3,685.00(11)
28. Mack Penwell $3,405.00(6)
29. Jay Hughes $3,125.00(9)
30. Bob Kroeger $3,069.00(7)
31. Jim Bast $2,899.00(4)
32. Brian Cumming $2,852.75(15)
33. Matt Burrow $2,500.00(2)
Toby Garrison $2,500.00(3)
35. Phil Cordingley $2,450.00(3)
36. Rich Curtis $2,419.00(8)
37. Jeff Soo $2,350.00(10)
38. Ron Lloyd $2,341.00(4)
39. Curtis Drake $2,326.67(6)
40. John Taves $2,291.00(4)
41. Sal Esquivel $2,250.00(6)
42. Simon Williams $2,200.00(3)
43. Hans Peterson $2,125.00(4)
44. Kiley Jones $2,000.00(2)
Peter Landrebe $2,000.00
46. Wayne Rodoni $1,990.00(8)
47. Mike Weimerskirch $1,933.33(6)
48. Ricky Wilhoite $1,925.00(8)
49. Bob Cherry $1,885.00(5)
50. Dana Dribben $1,750.00
51. Roger Tribe $1,625.00
52. Harper Peterson $1,600.00(2)
53. Danny Huneycutt $1,550.00(5)
54. Patty Dole $1,548.00(4)
55. Debbie Cornelius $1,500.00
ShaneD avis $1,500.00
57. Bill Berne $1,475.00(3)
58. Merlin Karlock $1,450.00(2)
Richard Reedy $1,450.00(2)
60. Louis Nel $1,429.35(13)
61. Khaled Younis $1,400.00(2)
62. Pat Jiggins* $1,308.00(7)
63. Art Parsells $1,300.00(2)
64. Mike Gibbons $1,262.00(3)
65. Rich Lamm $1,250.00
Craig McEwen* $1,250.00
67. Colin Pickering $1,250.00(2)
68. Jim Erwin $1,200.00(2)
69. Jim Woodall $1,107.00(2)
70. Jim Houser $975.00(6)
71. Wayne Stretch* $935.00(7)
72. Greg Dowell* $905.00(6)
73. George Parker $900.25(4)
74. Jim Hughes $900.00(4)
75. Don Fournier,Jr. $865.00(3)
76. Tom Coles $857.00(1)
77. C. B. Smith $850.00(4)
78. Joe Koenig $837.00(3)
79. Peyton Ballenger $825.00(3)
80. Frank Estrada $750.00
Carl Von Schmieder $750.00
Harley Watts $750.00
Rick Bollinger* $750.00
Jeff Evenson* $750.00
Rhys Thomas $750.00(3)
86. Mark Cundy* $733.00(4)
87. Tom Krause $712.00(6)
88. Merritt Jacob $700.00(1)
89. Stuart Lawrence $687.00(4)
90. Gord Lunn $687.00(5)
91. Nelga Young $675.00
92. Mark Goodwin $675.00(4)
Brian Vecqueray* $675.00(3)
Norman Graves $675.00(4)
Andy Short $675.00(5)
96. Leonard Ludwikowski* $660.00(4)
97. Ellery McClatchy $650.00(2)
Paul Scott $650.00(3)
Wayne Synan $650.00(6)
100. EdB reuer $640.00(3)
101. Chris Percival-Smith $638.00(3)
102. Roy Gee $625.00(6)
103. Dave Lewis $618.25(7)
104. Tony Hall $609.25(3)
105. Chuck Passmore* $605.00(5)
106. Martin Clarke $600.00
Carlton Mabee $600.00
Salah Hassan $600.00
Bruce Fleming $600.00
Harold Hayes* $600.00(2)
Neil Houghton $600.00(5)
Britt Ruby$600.00(5)
113. Kermit Rosen $585.00(4)
114. Johnny Mitchell$575.00(4)
115. Eileen Kupstas Soo $550.00(2)
George Cochran $550.00(2)
Bob Whitmore $550.00(3)
118. Carl Uhlman $545.00(4)
119. Rick Wilhoite $525.00(2)
Mike Jenner $525.00(3)
Wally Clark $518.00(4)
122. Tony Stephens $500.00
Jim Rule $500.00
Chuck Reif$500.00
Ray Bell $500.00
Bubbie Grimsley $500.00
Dan Mahoney $500.00
Larry Icalla $500.00
Jon Essick $500.00(2)
Frank Hentic $500.00(3)
Joseph LaFauci* $500.00(4)
132. John McBride* $496.00(5)
133. Mike Zuro $487.00(2)
134. Rebo Rebuschatis $480.00(4)
135. Tom Hughes $462.00(4)
136. Jack Osborn $450.00(3)
Tommy Harrington $450.00(3)
Norris Settlemyre $450.00(3)
139. Peter Just $425.00
140. Kim Jiggins* $418.00(5)
141. Erv Peterson $414.00(6)
142. Mark Suter $400.00
Archie Peck $400.00
Liz Fleming $400.00
Carolyn Danz $400.00(2)
Greg Shaffer $400.00(2)
Rick Sheely $400.00(2)
Lee Hamel $400.00(2)
149. David Theiste $388.00(2)
150. Bob Newburn $375.00(2)
151. Fred Falk* $360.00(2)
152. Howard Kellogg $350.00
Bill Roche $350.00
Tony Waterer $350.00(2)
Rory Kelley $350.00(2)
Bill Escher $350.00(2)
Daley Craig $350.00(3)
Michael O'Brien $350.00(5)
159. Richard Pollay* $346.00(4)
Ginger James* $346.00(4)
161. Pat Roach $325.00
John Oehrle $325.00(4)
Dean Nagata* $325.00(2)
Phil Peters $325.00(2)
165. Paul Hall $316.25(3)
166. Steve Johnston $315.00
167. Don Taves $308.00(2)
168. Bill Martin $306.00(3)
169. Jim Butts $300.00
Susan Vecqueray* $300.00
John(Dorky)Dawson* $300.00
Walt Janitz $300.00
Lorne Stretch* $300.00
RosemarieT aylor $300.00
Andy Kozusko $300.00
Aaron Westerby $300.00
Brian Dawson $300.00
Nick Gaza $300.00
Steve Summer $300.00
David Walters $300.00
Ron Hendry $300.00
Terry Cunningham $300.00(2)
Dick Loew $300.00(2)
Jack Stevens $300.00(2)
185. Harold Allison $295.00(5)
186. Floyd Bolton $292.00(2)
187. Paul Emmett $277.00(8)
188. Debbie Prentis $275.00(2)
Bobby Willhoite $275.00(3)
Stewart Jackson $275.00(3)
Doug Sawyer* $275.00(4)
192. Joe Yoder $270.00(3)
193. George Latham $262.00
194. Steve Dimond $257.00(3)
195. Rufus Bayard $250.00
Matt Burris $250.00
Eric Corry $250.00
Elston Pearce$250.00
Thomas Guthrie,Jr. $250.00
Don Jardine* $250.00
Darcy Witham* $250.00
Mark Najarian $250.00
John Walters $250.00
204. Billie Jean Berne $225.00
Jimmy Huff $225.00
Nancy Japhet $225.00
Fred Jones $225.00(2)
208. Phil Arnold $215.00(3)
209. Dan Mol,Sr. $211.00(2)
210. Jerry Ball $200.00
Steve Wain $200.00
Jeff Simonton $200.00
Cynthia Gibbons $200.00
Mohammad Kamal $200.00
Claiborne Minor $200.00
John Henry $200.00
Leon Parker $200.00(2)
Dan Shepherd $200.00(2)
Joe Morris $200.00(2)
Martha Clymer $200.00(2)
Bill Copeland $200.00(3)
222. Antony Whiley $195.00
Mary Cahill $195.00
224. Don Heerens $187.00
225. Ron Schuster $182.00(3)
226. Terry Moore $175.00
Marty Ormsby $175.00
228. John Taylor $172.00(2)
229. Suzan Copeland $170.00(2)
230. John Destry $165.00
Dick Knox* $165.00
Mike Cardinal* $165.00
233. David Druiett $164.40(2)
234. Ed O'Laughlin $162.00
Traudl Lafferty $162.00(3)
236. Harold Menzel $162.00(4)
237. John Dill $155.00(4)
Rob Currier $155.00(6)
239. John Batchelor* $150.00
Bill Watkins $150.00
Jackie Watkins $150.00
Dave Collins $150.00
Jeff Wallach $150.00
Ty Cobb $150.00
Rhoda Cobb $150.00
Andrew Aiken $150.00
David Barr $150.00
Art Park $150.00
Waled Salah $150.00
Tom Cooper $150.00
Alan Sutton $150.00
Marty Embry $150.00
Betty Essick $150.00
David Hannay* $150.00(2)
JimHall $150.00(2)
Stuart Brodsky $150.00(2)
257. Dean Chamberlin $146.00(3)
258. Paul Chan $145.00
John Hunter $145.00(2)
260. Matt Baird $135.00(2)
261. Hilton Lysons $133.00
266. Richard Blassnitz $132.00
Sis Silvermann $132.00
268. Jeff Caldwell $130.00(2)
John Springer $130.00(3)
270. Paul Bennett $128.00(2)
271. Russell Brown $127.00
Steve Scalpone $127.00
273. Aaron Kurtzman $125.00
Jerry Tysinger $125.00
Joyce Ellis $125.00
Richard Powell $125.00(2)
277. Alison Streight $124.60(3)
278. Bill Hixon $120.00(2)
279. James Hawkins $115.00
280. Jim Nicklasson $115.00(2)
Ken Shipley $115.00(6)
282. Doug Richardson $112.60(2)
283. Bart Richardson $112.00
284. Gordon Broom $112.00(2)
285. Chuck Passmore* $110.00
John Curington $110.00(2)
Bob Chilton $110.00(2)
288. Michael Charrier $100.00
Michael Gibbons,Jr. $100.00
Liz Thyssen $100.00
John Gibbons $100.00
Peter Atkinson* $100.00
Chris Jiggins* $100.00
May Abagi $100.00
Randy Synan $100.00
Ken Scroggins $100.00
Jeff Brinkley $100.00
Marilda Seimers $100.00
Frank Smith $100.00
Otto Wahlrab $100.00
Wendell Thompson $100.00
Herb Kay $100.00
Russ Hannay* $100.00(2)
John Watson $100.00(2)
Blaine Davis $100.00(2)
Ray Stoy $100.00(3)
Louise Logan $100.00(3)
Hedy Stoy $100.00(3)
309. Brian Coverly $98.00(3)
310. Roger Tallentire $97.00
311. Carl Hanson $96.00(2)
312. Chris Loat $94.00
313. Georg Dej $88.00
Keith Bertram $88.00
315. Al Heath $87.00
Valerie Heath $87.00
317. Dolores Gallagher $85.00
Jon Westwater $85.00
319. June Gregory $82.00
320. Wynand Louw $80.00
321. George Kouba $76.90(3)
322. Dave Dondero 75.00
Brant Classen* $75.00
Robert Rusinek* $75.00
Jim Spoonhour $75.00(2)
326. Dick Sullivan $74.00(2)
327. Hope Harmon $70.00
Bob Brotzman $70.00(2)
Ron Pollard $70.00(2)
330. Pierre Dunn $69.00(2)
331. Malcolm O'Connell $66.00
Dave Mol $66.00
333. David Blassnitz $65.60
334. Jack Scott $65.00(2)
335. David Druitt $63.00
336. Aaron Cawley $60.00
Emily Vosnos $60.00(2)
Sheila Davis $60.00(2)
339. Marco Maggio $58.00(2)
340. Jackie Jones $55.00(2)
341. Karen Collingwood $52.00
342. Tim Hill $51.00
343. Charlie Mayo $50.00
Fred Keith $50.00
Cameron Guernsey $50.00
Ted Roth $50.00
Glen Atkinson* $50.00
Doug Sanders $50.00
Ed Roberts $50.00
Hugh Barger $50.00
Bob Imhoff* $50.00
Dave Welden $50.00
Duane Hull $50.00
Casper Essick $50.00
Sally Patterson $50.00
Mike Scher $50.00
Bob Hicks $50.00
Jim McGill $50.00
John Howland $50.00
Loren Berry $50.00
Jennie Connelly $50.00
Gordon Charlton $50.00
Chuck Walts $50.00
Ray Cope $50.00
Pinckney Purcell $50.00
Gary Taylor $50.00
Beverly Albertson $50.00
Tim Rapuano $50.00
Norma Christie $50.00(2)
Norma Shaughnessy $50.00(2)
Fran Howland $50.00(2)
372. Gary Bell $45.00
Jim Taylor $45.00
374. Mike Holt $44.00
Bill Hume $44.00
Olive Schurman $44.00
377. Lyle Sorbie* $41.00
Mark Salmon* $41.00
Jim Carey* $41.00
Houda Rahme $41.00
Bill Hilborn $41.00
Christine Davenport $41.00
383. Lisa Parsons$40.00(2)
Chuck Perry $40.00(2)
385. Mike McNamara $38.00(2)
386. Chalmers Yeilding $35.00
387. Pat Little $34.00
388. Nick Mitchell $33.00
389. Brian Coverley $32.00
390. Peter Baker $32.00
391. Chuck Anders$30.00
John Harralson $30.00
Gary Dunbar* $30.00
Ted Knopf $30.00
Harold Stark $30.00
Ross Selvaggi $30.00
Margot Leonard $30.00
Emery Branscombe $30.00
Bob Lyle $30.00
Dick Tutwiler $30.00
Josie Jackson $30.00
Arthur Dring $30.00
Diane Strachota $30.00
Dale Poszgai $30.00
Austin Connelly $30.00(2)
Darry Semple $30.00(2)
407. Pablo Coffey $29.75
408. Murray Allen* $28.00
Keith Butler* $28.00
Peter Atkinson* $28.00
411. Mischa Moscovitch $26.40
412. Bill Helyer* $25.00
Lee Fitzpatrick $25.00
Janet White $25.00
Jim Herzog $25.00
Rick Alderson $25.00
Bob Morgan $25.00
418. Elizabeth Cowan $24.60
Rosa Neira $24.60
420. Brian Garlough $23.10
421. Trevor Herin $22.00
Madeleine Ducharme $22.00
Larry Durr $22.00
424. Ilse Goesmann $20.00
Kelley Newton $20.00
Judy Newton $20.00
Georgianne Zoros $20.00
Chris Christensen $20.00
Joe Frice $20.00
Luci Gorski $20.00
Don Burrell $20.00
Mike Springer $20.00
Bob Philips $20.00
Geoge Enochs $20.00
Mike Preetorious $20.00
Tom Taylor $20.00
Walter Fordham $20.00
Dori Hicks $20.00
439. Mark Janezic $18.00
440. Ben Taves $17.00
John D. Adams $17.00
Marian Smith $17.00
Ralph Lafferty $17.00
444. Bill Hillborn $13.00
George Kouba $13.00
Lily Schneiderman $13.00
447. George Fegan* $10.00
Joe MacDonald $10.00
Jim Patterson $10.00
450. Shayna Keces $8.00
451. Margaret Mulvihill $8.00
452. Derrick Robinson $6.60
This article is reprinted by permission from the January/February 2007 edition of the National Croquet Calendar.