The 2024 edition of the Missouri Open avoided the threat of heavy rain and 15 participants were able to get through the full schedule on time to crown champions in the Pro, Gold and Silver Divisions. The event ran a standalone Silver Division with four players and having the top two advance to the championship final. The Pro/Gold Division was combined and scheduled to have 12 players in four blocks of three.
Read MoreToday’s Missouri Open in Lee’s Summit is scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. start. There is rain in the area, with radar indicating heavy rain between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. We will push back the registration opening to 7:45 a.m. We do expect the rain to taper off and according to the forecast taper off around 8:30. Using your best judgment, we ask that players make their way to the venue when it is safe to drive. Please do not try to drive through severe weather.
Read MoreThe 2024 Missouri Open game schedules are set with 12 players ready to storm to the courts in the PRO/GOLD Division and four ready for battle in the SILVER Division. The first round of block play will start at 8:30 a.m. Registration will be open at 7:45 a.m. and players are recommended to be on site 25 minutes before the start time.
Read MoreThe 2024 Missouri Open to be held on May 4, 2024, in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, is accepting entries through Monday, April 22. The tournament already has a solid group of seven players entered. After the entry deadline, players registering will be put on the waitlist and assigned division placements if available. The event plans to release the schedule on the evening of Monday, April 29.
Read MoreFounded in 2015, the Missouri Open is set to once again open the 2024 MCA season in Lee's Summit, Missouri. The fifth edition of the event will be held Saturday, May 4, 2024 at the home of Greg and Joni Clouse with three courts available for play. The event hopes to have enough entries to run Pro, Gold and Silver Divisions. A minimum of four players is required for each division to operate as a standalone. If either division is short of players, it is possible that block play will be combined.
Read MoreThe Midwest Croquet Association held its 2023 AGM on February 11, 2023, in Leawood, Kansas, to outline plans for the 2023 season. The meeting featured a discussion on the mission of the Midwest Croquet Association and how the organization can support clubs and events in the area.
In addition, elections were held and Dylan Goodwin was re-elected as a board member and president, with Jodi Adams also being re-elected to the board to continue in her role as treasurer. Valerie Andruss was also re-elected to her position as a board member, while Greg Clouse and Justin Marciniak also join the board. Both have previously served on the MCA Board.
The Missouri Open returned to action after a five-year hiatus yesterday in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, with thirteen players competing for three titles. In the Pro Division, tourney host Greg Clouse defended the home turf as he went 5-0 on the day with a 17-13 win in our final. The Gold Division was actually a playoff for the third and fourth-place finishers in the Pro Division blocks. Jason Johnson made his return to MCA action to claim the Gold Playoff with a 17-16 win over Justin Marciniak. Johnson’s last 9WS tourney win was in 2014 when he won the Kansas City Open Gold title.
Read MoreThe 2023 Missouri Open game schedules are set with 8 players ready to swing the mallets in the Pro/Gold Division on Saturday morning with an 8:30 a.m. start time (registration open at 7:45 a.m.). We'll run two blocks of four and advance first and second place in each block to the Pro Playoff. Third and Fourth will advance to the Gold Playoff. Both playoffs are scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start with the finals scheduled for a 2:15 p.m. start.
Read MoreThe 2023 Missouri Open is set for Saturday, May 6, 2023 in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Current sign-ups are listed below and interested players are encouraged to join in on the fun. The entry deadline is Friday, April 28. See the updated entry list …
Read MoreAfter a five-year hiatus, the Missouri Open is set to return on Saturday, May 6, 2023. to Lee’s Summit, Missouri. The event will be held in Lee’s Summit, Missouri a traditional Nine Wicket Series event and serve as the 2023 season opener. The event will be hosted by Greg Clouse in partnership with the Kansas City Croquet Club. The Missouri Open ran from 2015 to 2017, so the 2023 event will be the fourth edition.
Read MoreThe Midwest Croquet Association held its 2023 AGM on February 11, 2023, in Leawood, Kansas, to outline plans for the 2023 season. The meeting featured a discussion on the mission of the Midwest Croquet Association and how the organization can support clubs and events in the area.
In addition, elections were held and Dylan Goodwin was re-elected as a board member and president, with Jodi Adams also being re-elected to the board to continue in her role as treasurer. Valerie Andruss was also re-elected to her position as a board member, while Greg Clouse and Justin Marciniak also join the board. Both have previously served on the MCA Board.
There were no cucumber sandwiches. No one was sipping champagne or toting around a glass of wine. Throw out all you think you know about croquet -- the Kansas City Open is for croquet warriors only.
The Eighth Annual Kansas City Open Nine Wicket Series tournament is set to return to the pre-pandemic format with two days of play at Kactus Creek Croquet Club on July 24-25, 2021. The KC Open has become an annual tradition where the best croquet players in Kansas City battle for bragging rights on the finest court in the metro. Don’t miss out on the best croquet event of the year!
KC Open Pro Finalists: Bryce Millican and Matt GriffithTOP SEEDS FALL EARLY
PARKVILLE, MO -- The shortened version of the Kansas City Open ran smooth this past Saturday at Kactus Creek Croquet Club and the event saw Matt Griffith and Ellie Griffith defend their home court.
The Pro and Gold Divisions started together in an open bracket with losers from round one moving into a Gold playoff. Winners in that round advanced in the Pro Playoff and faced off against the top four seeds -- all of whom had a bye in the first round. The quarterfinals produced a lot of excitment as two the top seeds were upset.
PHOTOS | PRO PLAYOFF | GOLD PLAYOFF | SCORESHEET
Ron Millican came out of round one with a 24-11 win over Colton Lennard and to face #3 seed Greg Clouse. Millican was previously 1-5 versus Clouse, but he came through with a 15-12 upset and now has taken two-in-a row vs Clouse. The bigger surprise though occurred in the top half of the bracket where #9 seed Bryce Millican advanced to face #1 Matt Smith. This tournament represented the first Pro action for Millican, while Smith came in with a 22-2 record. Millican shocked the veteran with a 21-13 upset to advance to the semifinals.
I played Millican in that round and we had a nice long outgame, where I theoretically had the upper hand. Millican kept his composure though and stayed clean, while I picked up enough deadness to stall out. He was clever enough to avoid the clearing wicket as the clock wound down and took a 16-13 win to advance to the final.
Matt Griffith was the only top seed to perform his duty as he advanced in round one 27-11 over Jodi Adams and then got into a bit of tussle with Ron Millican in the semifinals, but advanced 18-14.
He was in top form in the final though and utilized an early two-ball break and out of bounds croquet shot error by Bryce to roll to a 32-2 perfect score pegout win. It was Griffith's fourth KC Open title and record 11th Nine Wicket Series Pro tournament win.
GOLD BRACKET
The Gold Playoff semifinals squared off on the north court and Jim Ratzlaff and Colton Lennard got into a high-scoring battle with newcomer Lennard. Lennard prevailed with an impressive 26-24 victory. The other semi had a similar matchup with newcomer Valerie Andruss taking on veteran Ellie Griffith -- two-time Gold 9WS champion. Griffith was on form and took a 24-9 win to advance to the final.
She continued the form there and defeated Lennard 25-15 to claim repeat as the KC Open Gold Division champion and secure the sweep for the Griffiths.
NOTES
FEB 17
Annual Meeting-Online
05/04
Missouri Open (9W)
Lee's Summit, MO
05/24-05/27
Indian Territory (US/GC)
Tulsa, OK
06/13-06/16
ScissorTail Inv. (US)
Oklahoma City, OK
06/20-06/23
Midwest Regional (US)
Houston, TX
08/30-09/02
Tulsa Classic (US/GC)
Tulsa, OK
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