CROQUET TOURNAMENT A GRUELING MATCH OF NERVES, SKILL - IN GENTEEL SORT OF WAY.Byline: Gloria Gonzales Daily News Staff Writer It could have been Gatsby's lawn, with plush squares of croquet croquet (krōkā`), lawn game in which the players hit wooden balls with wooden mallets through a series of 9 or 10 wire arches, or wickets. The first player to hit the posts placed at each end of the field wins. green, umbrella-shaded wrought-iron tables and men dressed in crisp whites. A dozen men - six Britons and six Americans - were garbed in navy blue team blazers over white shirts, shorts, socks and shoes for Monday's opening of the 1997 Solomon Cup, a five-day tournament in the championship lawn sport of croquet. ``This is the best American team we've ever played. But having said that, we're still the favorites,'' said Briton Robert Fulford Alternate use: see Robert Fulford (croquet player) for the English croquet player. Robert Fulford, O.C., (born February 13, 1932) is a Canadian journalist, sometime editor and essayist. He was born in Ottawa and lives in Toronto. , ranked No. 1 in the world. ``In the past, we'd come over and play in America and the matches were over before they started. It's not that way this year.'' At the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. , the teams are scheduled to play 21 matches on three 102-by-82-foot squares of perfect, plush green in the shadow of a brick clubhouse and a stone's thrown from the 20-meter pool, with the majestic Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a low transverse range in southern California in the United States. Geography They run for approximately 40 mi (64 km) east-west from the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles to Point Mugu in Ventura County. as a backdrop. In each well-mannered match, the winning team takes the best of five games. And while women are not excluded from the genteel sport, the only female player ranked highly enough to compete, Debbie Cornelius of Great Britain Great Britain, officially United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, constitutional monarchy (2005 est. pop. 60,441,000), 94,226 sq mi (244,044 sq km), on the British Isles, off W Europe. The country is often referred to simply as Britain. , was unavailable. During Monday morning's play, the only sound was the wind flapping the white table linens and canvas umbrellas. Spectators for the early matches were few - a smattering of croquet buffs whispered about shots with team members between sips of mineral water. Most players employed such a gentle touch that the mallet mallet, n a hammering instrument. mallet, hard, n a small hammer with a leather-, rubber-, fiber-, or metal-faced head; used to supply force or to supplement hand force for the compaction of foil or amalgam and to seat cast soundlessly struck the one-pound ball. ``It may seem leisurely, but there's a lot of tension and pressure in the game,'' confided Michael Mehas, an American player from Palm Springs, as he watched his doubles partner set up a shot. ``This could be the last shot of the game, so a lot rests on it. And in tournament play there's even more pressure, because your partner relies on you - and in this case, your whole country relies on you.'' Like the Ryder Cup Ryder Cup Biennial team golf event first held in 1927. It was originally played between teams of golfers from the U.S. and Britain; since 1979 players opposing the U.S. have been chosen from all of Europe. The trophy was donated by the British seed merchant Samuel Ryder. in golf or the America's Cup America's Cup: see sailing. America's Cup Most prestigious trophy in international yachting competition. First offered under another name in Britain in 1851, the cup was won easily by the America from New York and subsequently became known as the in yachting, the Solomon Trophy is played between the two counties, with the winner taking home the silver trophy. ``And the Brits have always won it,'' said Rhys Thomas Rhys Thomas may refer to:
The tournament began in 1979, and has since alternated between the two countries. Last year's tournament was played in Nottingham. Although the luxurious country club lawns and the decadence of Monday morning croquet make the sport seem a pastime of the idle rich, with the exception of one pro and one retiree, both teams are made up of working stiffs. ``I work as a manager for a company that sells rock for landscaping, mostly in the import/export area,'' said one Briton, Ian Burridge. ``But it's a small company so I do a little of everything.'' The American team includes John Taves, a software designer and the top-ranked U.S. player, along with a croquet pro and tournament coordinator, a builder, a film producer, a real estate appraiser A person selected or appointed by a competent authority or an interested party to evaluate the financial worth of property. Appraisers are frequently appointed in probate and condemnation proceedings and are also used by banks and real estate concerns to determine the market and one retiree. Only Fulford, who played 13 singles games in his previous tournament without error, puts croquet first. ``I've been a croquet bum, really, because there isn't enough prize money to make a living,'' Fulford said. Even winning the Solomon Trophy brings only honor, and no cash purse. ``My career earnings amount to about $15,000 and that includes things like winning a gold watch and selling it,'' he said. Fulford, 27, returned to university two years ago after several years of full-time croquet playing, and will complete his bachelor's degree in June. ``Then I'll be like the rest of them,'' Fulford said. ``Playing in my spare time and on weekends.'' CAPTION(S): 3 Photos Photo: (1--color--ran in CONEJO edition only) Thousand Oaks Mayor Judy Lazar opens the Solomon Cup, a five-day tournament in the lawn sport of croquet. (2--color) Ian Burridge of the British team keeps his eye on the ball after hitting it Monday at the Sherwood Country Club. (3--color--ran in SIMI SIMI Sea Ice Mechanics Initiative SIMI Search for Intelligent Monkeys on the Internet SIMI Students Islamic Movement in India SIMI Society of Irish Motor Industry SIMI Smallholder Irrigation Markets Initiative edition only) World champion Robert Fulford puts one through the wicket in tournament action in Thousand Oaks. Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News |
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