2015 Missouri Open Draws Top Talent

BELTON, MO -- As the MCA Nine Wicket Series prepares to take a historic step by partnering with a golf course for an event, it appears as though top players are paying attention. The 2015 Missouri Open at Eagles' Landing Golf Course in Belton, MO., on Saturday, June 6, 2015 now boasts the best Pro field that the Series has fielded. For starters, 2014 USCA Nine Wicket National champion Paul Miller is on the roster as well as runner-up Matt Griffith.Paul Miller

In addition, former two-time USCA Nine Wicket National champion Matt Smith (2009, 2011) has also joined the fray. Smith took some time off from nine wicket croquet and is now ranked #29 on the US list for Association players. And also from the Association world, Billy Bob Breeden will be on hand for the Missouri Open and he is currently #47 in the US Association rankings.

And of course, MCA 9WS mainstays Dylan Goodwin and Greg Clouse will also be looking to breakthrough the talented field as they join Miller and Griffith as the only other players to have won a Pro Series event.

"It's been a long term to goal to partner with a golf course here in the Kansas City area," said Dylan Goodwin, MCA President. "So, it's been great to see the top players here support the event."

With Monday as the entry deadline, 21 players have already committed and there are only two slots left for Pro/Gold. The tentative plan is to start Pro/Gold at 8:30 a.m. with the championship game slated for roughly 4:00 p.m. The Bronze and Silver Divisions will start at noon and should finish by 6:00 p.m.

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Griffith Defends the Home Turf

PARKVILLE, MO -- Matt Griffith had to work hard in the final, but he defended his home court in a back and forth 22-21 thriller over last year's MCA Champion Paul Miller on Sunday at the Kactus Creek Croquet Club in Parkville, Missouri. It was Griffith's first MCA Nine Wicket Series appearance and Miller's first appearance since his MCA Championship win last September.

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Kansas City Open: Pro-Gold Sunday Schedule

PARKVILLE, MO -- With the limited courts and the worst number for a division (seven), we had to once again mix the Pro and Gold Division block play. The good news we've obliterated the MCA 9WS entry record with 21 players!

We'll work with four blocks of three with games starting at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. The top two from each block will advance to the eight player Pro Division playoff. The third place player in each block will play in a four-player Gold Playoff. Full schedule is listed below.

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2014 KC Open Player List

PARKVILLE, MO -- The deadline for the Kansas City Open on August 2-3 is this coming next Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. Central time (July 29). You can sign up by RSVP on the Croquet Network event section (Kansas City Open) or email Dylan Goodwin at kccroquetclub@gmail.com. Click here for more event details

Player list to date:

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MCA Members at Selections Eights

WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- Two MCA members participated in the 2013 US Selection Eights event held October 24-27 at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, FL. 

Billy Bob Breeden competed in the fourth eight and took third place with a 9-5 record. You can see the standings and full game results for his group on croquetscores.com.

Dylan Goodwin played in the fifth eight and tied for third place with an 8-6 record. You can see standings and full game results for his group on croquetscores.com

Selection Eights is an Association Croquet event utilized to both develop and evaluate US association players for international events and team play. Players are grouped by "eights" according to their international grade. So, the top eight ranked players available will play in the first eight. Players ranked nine through 16 play in the second eight and so on.

A player will play each player in their group twice, so it ends up being 14 games played over four days. And that pretty much means starting at 8:00 a.m. each day and playing until dark.

"Since I figured out the landscape of croquet," said Goodwin. "This is the national event I've always dreamed of playing in. And it definitely didn't disappoint. I would have liked to have finished stronger, but I learned a lot in just a few days."

MCA Members Travel For AC In Minnesota

MCA members Billy Bob Breeden and Dylan Goodwin recently travelled to Edina, MN to participate in the Minnesota/Mosquito Open. The Association event was held June 19-2 and featured nine players. Breeden tied two other players for the Sunday wildcard game at 6-2, but the tie-breaker knocked him out of the chase for the overall title. He finished with a 7-2 record. Goodwin had a 5-4 record. 

FINAL ORDER

1. Jim Hanks

2. Mike Weimerskirch

3. Rick Sheely

3. Billy Bob Breeden

5. Dylan Goodwin

6. Mickey Huttenhoff

7. George Funk

7. Jeff Lee

7. Mary Rodeberg

Smith and Breeden at AC Nationals

MCA members Matt Smith and Billy Bob Breeden are playing at this week's USCA Association National Championship. Smith tied for second in the yellow block with a 6-3 record, while Breeden went 1-7 in the blue block (which looks like an incredibly tough block). You can follow the event here:

http://www.croquetscores.com/2013/ac/usca-nationals

Breeden Second in Fourth Eight

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA -- The MCA's Billy Bob Breeden of Cameron, Missouri tied for second in the fourth eight at the USCA's Selection Eights association event. Breeden had an 8-6 record in his group. Thirteen-year-old Matthew Essick won the group with a 10-4 record. Harper Peterson also posted an 8-6 records. Full event results are available here and you can see Breeden's full 2012 AC record here:

http://butedock.demon.co.uk/cgs/player.php?year=2012&pfn=Billy%20Bob&psn=Breeden

Breeden Appears On Croquet Network Live

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Breeden is Kansas City's AC Champion

Parkville, MO -- Billy Bob Breeden came into the final day of the Kansas City Association Championship with a perfect 6-0 record and a three game lead. He finished the event with a 2-2 record on the final day and claimed the first annual KC AC title with an 8-2 record. Matt Smith and Dylan Goodwin finished with 6-4 records and Smith took second place by virtue of a 2-1 head-to-head advantage. Special thanks to Debbie Breeden who provided lunches to the four players for the second and third rounds. Also, thanks to Matt Griffith and the Kactus Creek Croquet Club for providing the venue and court. All indications are that the event will return for 2012.

FINAL STANDINGS
1. Billy Bob Breeden
2. Matt Smith
3. Dylan Goodwin
4. Matt Griffith

RESULTS

August 13

Matt Smith                  beat     Matt Griffith               +24
Billy Bob Breeden      beat     Dylan Goodwin          +9
Dylan  Goodwin         beat     Matt Griffith               +11
Billy Bob Breeden      beat     Matt Smith                  +17
Billy Bob Breeden      beat     Matt Griffith               +7
Dylan Goodwin          beat     Matt Smith                  +7

October 23

 Matt Smith                 beat     Matt Griffith               +5
 Billy Bob Breeden     beat     Dylan Goodwin          +6
 Billy Bob Breeden     beat     Matt Smith                  +3
 Dylan Goodwin         beat     Matt Griffith               +1
 Matt Smith                 beat     Dylan Goodwin          +7
 Billy Bob Breeden     beat     Matt Griffith               +3

November 4

 Billy Bob Breeden     beat     Matt Smith                  +4
 Dylan Goodwin         beat     Matt Griffith               +9
 Dylan Goodwin         beat     Billy Bob Breeden      +12
 Matt Smith                 beat     Matt Griffith               +2
 Billy Bob Breeden     beat     Matt Griffith               +6
 Matt Smith                 beat     Dylan Goodwin          +15
 Dylan Goodwin         beat     Matt Griffith               +1
 Matt Smith                 beat     Billy Bob Breeden      +25