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Local player takes second in croquet tourney

The recent eighth annual Boca Grande Invitational Croquet Tournament hosted a full complement of players divided into four flights, and was played on three Gasparilla Inn & Club courts and at Boca Bay, in spite of the fact that 5 inches of rain fell on the first day of play.

Second place in the Championship Flight went to Gasparilla Mallet Club’s Kelley Newton, who was edged by Jackie Jones of the Sarasota County Club for first place. Jones had six wins of seven games, while Newton took five wins, beating out Alan

Cottle of the Essex Lawn Club in England for second place.
Considered to be one of the best female croquet players in America, Jones holds a -1 handicap.
Cottle took third place.

In the Championship “B” Flight, the final seventh game on Sunday morning saw Don Mathieson of the Gasparilla Mallet Club facing off with Vic Lawrence of the Oaks Club in Osprey. Mathieson lost to Lawrence 15-10. Lawrence was last year’s winner as well.

Third place went to Ted Kemp of the Sarasota Club.

First Flight pitted Ann Nolte of the Piping Rock Club from Long Island against Avril Rangoni-Machievelli of the Essex Lawn Club in England. The players were tied with five wins each, until the trophy was finally awarded to Nolte based on net score points.

Second Flight saw Bruce Huber of the Rumson, New Jersey Club with six wins. He outpaced both Rocco Mango of the New York Croquet Club and Steve Howell of the Audubon Club of Naples who each had five wins.

In addition, prizes were awarded for overall highest wicket counts. Championship Flight player Alan Cottle led with 131 wickets, followed by Championship “B” Flight Vic Lawrence with 113 wickets. First Flight player Jack Montgomery was rewarded for his 94 wickets, and Second Flight player Rocco Mango took home a prize for 96 wickets.

According to Blaine Davis, the tournament’s manager, it was touch and go that first day.

“The courts were in splendid shape, fast and level,” he said. “However, the weather didn’t cooperate. Friday opened with a light drizzle after it rained throughout the night … but the storm was not yet over.”

Davis said at 10 a.m. that morning torrential rain started to fall, there was wicked lightning and within five minutes the courts were under water.

“Even so, just 10 minutes after the rain stopped the courts were playable,” he said. “The afternoon saw another front come through with more heavy rain, so games were shortened to 65 minutes. All but one sequence managed to finish the day. Saturday and Sunday were a welcome relief from that.”