This two -day tournament was hosted jointly by Phyllis Court (21 June) and Blewbury (22 June). It attracted a full house of eight competitors, all with handicaps of 8 or more, including Andy Robertson and Brian Jamieson (competing in Caversham colours!).
Brian and Ragu Iyer of Phyllis Court, both with two wins., were leading the field on the first day. Under the Swiss system, they were due to play each other, but Ragu was called for an urgent hospital appointment. Consequently, they were out of sync at Blewbury the next day. They played part of their game early on and the second part after the others had finished around 6.pm, Brian winning by 9 points.
As it happened, this didn’t affect the result. Both Ragu and Julian Gibson (Middlesborough) already had four wins but, under the Swiss system, they hadn’t played each other. The outcome was decided on the somewhat esoteric ‘quality of wins’ criterion, with both inheriting the wins of those they had beaten: Ragu was ‘awarded’ nine wins, Julian only eight. So Ragu was declared the winner.
Andy finished with one win, but scored freely in all his defeats. Brian ended up with three wins out of five.
Not all the competitors were familiar with Advanced AC rules, but they soon learned the unfortunate consequences of leaving a ball near a baulk line after going through Hoops 1-back and 4-back!
Blewbury won hands down in the catering stakes. While the sandwiches at Phyllis Court were perfectly decent, they could not compare with a two course meal served under the gazebos at Blewbury. Little did competitors know of the complex logistics needed to prepare, deliver and serve the lunch! Thanks to Minty, Carol W and all others involved, with a special mention for Paul Wolff who oversaw arrangements from early morning until late afternoon.
This was a splendid tournament, played on excellent lawns in almost continuous sunshine. Such tournaments, catering for AC mid-handicappers (7 to 14), are not frequent. This one, though tiring for competitors and organisers alike, was played in a good spirit and enjoyed by all.