Golf croquet: Champs go back-to-back

BACK TO BACK: Tony Stephens (left) and John Christie retained their doubles title at the North Island golf croquet championships. PHOTO/DUNCAN BROWN

The question had to be put to Hawke's Bay croquet legend Tony Stephens as the curtain came down on the doubles segment of the North Island golf croquet championships yesterday.

"You've got the doubles title, can you win the singles title?"

"I'm on the other side of the slide. I only play for enjoyment these days but you never know. Anything can happen," Stephens, 73, replied.

The Haumoana orchardist and his Waikato partner John Christie retained their doubles title with an unbeaten run They secured seven wins yesterday and the same amount on Thursday in the eight-pair event played at Stephens' Heretaunga Croquet Club. They were also unbeaten when they won the inaugural title last year.

"This sort of success helps keep your prestige up in front of your clubmates," Stephens quipped.

He pointed out he and Christie had a couple of 7-6 wins and could have lost both of those games, one of which was against the host club pair of Don Reyland and Ian Brown who finished fourth. Second place on countback went to the Waikato husband-and-wife pair of Geoff and Phyllis Young with eight wins.

The Youngs' daughter, Dallas Cooke, and her partner, Moya Lewis, were third. The Youngs had a plus-20 hoop differential and Cooke and Lewis a plus-two.

Stephens is tipping defending champion Christie to do well in the singles but admitted Taranaki's Felix Webbey and Aucklander Josh Freeth had to start as favourites in the 24-player event which starts today and ends tomorrow. Freeth, Webbey and Whakatane's Mike Crashley will play in the world championships in Melbourne next year.

Stephens is no stranger to world championship play in both croquet and golf croquet. However, he won't be going to Melbourne because he is travelling to Italy next year to watch his grandson, Napier Boys' High School student Bayley Stephens-Ellison, at the world secondary schools orienteering championships.

In 2009 Stephens made national headlines when he won the New Zealand Men's Croquet Championship 50 years after his first. As a 16-year-old in 1960 he captured the New Zealand Open Championship, the New Zealand Handicap Singles, the Men's Open Championship and the New Zealand Championship doubles with Ashley Heenan.

In 1994 he won the open singles and championship doubles title at the United States Open after winning the Heenan Plate at the New Zealand national championships earlier in the year.