Epsom-Remuera played host to 22 players all vying to be crowned the 2019-20 Golf Croquet Nationals Champion.
With two blocks of 11, each player had 10 best of 3 game matches to try and qualify for the quarter-finals.
In the Black Block, it was the North Island GC Champion, Hamish McIntosh (Auckland), who set the standard winning all 10 of his matches. Josh Freeth (Canterbury) and Logan McCorkindale (South Canterbury) both advanced with 8 match wins while Felix Webby (Taranaki) secured the final qualification spot with 7 match wins.
In the Yellow Block, it was 8-time champion, Duncan Dixon (Canterbury), who went undefeated with 10 match wins to qualify top. Josh Winter (Canterbury), coming off his doubles victory earlier in the week qualified second with 8 match wins. Edmund Fordyce and Chris Spittal, both of South Canterbury, both secured 7 wins each to also qualify.
Spittal was able to topple McIntosh in the quarter-final 7-4, 7-2 to set up a semi-final with McCorkindale who took three games to beat Winter 7-5, 6-7, 7-4.
The other quarter-finals saw the GCWTC team go up against each other. Fordyce, the defending champion, defeated Freeth 7-3, 2-7, 7-4 to set up a semi-final against Dixon who defeated Webby 7-4, 2-7, 7-6.
Both semi-finals were won in straight games, with McCorkindale winning 7-3, 7-4 and Fordyce winning 7-6, 7-5.
The final between McCorkindale and Fordyce was a best of five games match which required all five games to get a result. After Fordyce won the first 7-3, McCorkindale won the next two 7-4, 7-4 to be on the verge of his maiden GC Nationals crown. However, as he did when he won the World U21 crown early this year, Fordyce fought back in the fourth to win 7-6 and force a 5th and deciding game. McCorkindale prevailed 7-5, winning the match 3-2 and becoming the 9th player to win the GC Nationals Singles title since its inception in 1999.
In the plate final, it was an all Wellington affiar with Robbie Spooner beating Nathan Bullen in a single 19-point game 10-7.
Wellington also had success in the 3+ event with Ali’i Posimani defeating South Taranaki’s Joel Steele 6-7, 7-3, 7-6 in the final.
For full results, click on the links below:
CNZ GC Nationals
CNZ 3+ GC
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