Close games decided by one-hoop in Hi/Lo Golf Croquet Doubles tourney

Barry Memorial Croquet Club’s Hi/Lo Golf Croquet Doubles tournament ended with two pairs on four wins each . . . (from left) Barb Humphreys and Murray Woods, and Rob Hayes and Donald McFadyen. Hayes and McFadyen won the tournament because their differential was one hoop better than that of runners-up Humphreys and Woods. Picture supplied

A one-hoop advantage in differential determined the winners of Barry Memorial Croquet Club’s Hi/Lo Golf Croquet Doubles tournament.

In Hi/Lo competitions, high-handicap players are partnered with low-handicap players, the idea being that the less experienced will benefit from the coaching and advice of their more experienced croquet partners.

Fourteen players entered, and tournament manager Per Elzen divided them into seven pairs who played a round robin of six games each.

Games were close, and all pairs had at least two losses.

Donald McFadyen, until recently more likely to be seen on a golf course than a croquet court, has shown a lot of promise in his new sport. He teamed up with the experienced Rob Hayes and they had four wins.

So, too, had Murray Woods and Barb Humphreys, but Hayes and McFadyen won the tournament because their differential was one hoop better. The tournament was sponsored by Jenny Virtue at The Agency. Two teams contested the Barry Memorial Croquet Club’s golf croquet doubles club champs.

While the number of entries was disappointing, the standard of play was not.

Defending champions Rob Hayes and John Wilson retained their title but had to play all five games in the best-of-five format.

They and Charles Ostler and Per Elzen played 19-point games, and the whole match lasted over 10 hours in hot conditions.

Hayes and Wilson won the first game 10-9, but Ostler and Elzen won the second 10-8 and the third 10-7.

The Game 4 lead went back and forth until Hayes and Wilson won it 10-8. They then played excellent golf croquet to win the last game 10-5.