Glasgow Open 2012
A typical Glasgow Open weekend, very cold, dry, bright, saw about a dozen people including the manager ascend to Alexandra Park’s croquet lawns in Dennistoun. At least five rounds were pencilled in (I only use pen, but “penned in” does not work – I could just have said “planned”) with the option of a Final. Tony Brightman and John Surgenor were playing competitively for the first time for a few years, the others more often found on the Scottish circuit (that sounds grand ...).
The first round was settled by picking cards, with Richard Sparrow taking the spot to be filled by the vacationing Bill Spalding later in the day, to ensure nobody (except the manager) sat around to admire the view – or to try to get hot water.
Three close time-limited games set the tone – inter-activity (i.e. mistakes), rivalry, and a bit of friendly tension towards the end. After that, Swiss tournament rules were applied to set opponents for the following rounds, which showed Jane had settled in best (9-12-5 to beat John), and Campbell and Martin remembered how to swing the mallet productively.
Before the end of Day One, Campbell beat Jane having had to abandon a triple (we won’t say how the abandon-leave came about), Bill had a second +1t win, Martin finished for a second time, and Alan could not quite get to the finishing post before the pips went.
So Day Two dawned like Day One, cold and bright and dry (three hailstones on Saturday and two on Sunday does not really count), and it looked like we were heading for semi-finals if the right people (or anybody really) won. Bill beat Campbell to keep his record perfect, and break Campbell’s – although this was a sound +26 rather than another +1t. Jane beat Martin to eliminate him, and Alan beat John to clinch a semi-final place. Tony’s swing was taking the longest to return soundly, and the manager toddled around for the first time in nearly three years to give Joe a game.
So we had two semi-finals, Bill v Jane, and Alan v Campbell – others had two or more losses. Bill continued his steady consistency, winning +10, while Alan was not as comfortable a winner as +9t implies. The other Swiss fifth round games went as form expected, with John, Fergus and Martin winning.
So Round Six had a Final, Bill (4/4 plus a bye) against Alan (4/5), and democracy found that four more games could be found without duplicating opponents for the remaining eight players. These four games finished more quickly, Martin winning the normal non-existent peeling prize with a steady tp against Robert, Campbell and Jane continuing steady form, and Joe clinging on to a +2t win over Fergus. This left the Final to finish in splendid isolation (literally – the others all left) as Bill surged ahead, gave Alan a chance or several, but completed the game in the turn after time +10 (again) to win the Cup for the first time and keep his 100% record over the event.
Thanks to Joe (he hadn’t left) for doing the lawn setting both days, and clearing up both days, and to other Glasgow Club members for their help and support too. If only mid-April temperatures had been like mid-March, then everything would have been perfect.
Bruce Rannie
Results
Round One:
John Surgenor beat Martin Stephenson +1t (17-16)
Jane Morrison beat Joe Lennon +19
Campbell Morrison beat Robert Lay +1t (14-13)
Fergus McInnes beat Richard Sparrow (stand-in) +23
Alan Wilson beat Tony Brightman +2t (18-16)
Round Two:
Jane Morrison beat John Surgenor +26
Campbell Morrison beat Fergus McInnes +12
Bill Spalding beat Alan Wilson +1t (15-14)
Martin Stephenson beat Joe Lennon +12
Robert Lay beat Tony Brightman +4t (16-12)
Round Three:
Campbell Morrison beat Jane Morrison +22
Bill Spalding beat John Surgenor +1t (22-21)
Martin Stephenson beat Fergus McInnes +21
Alan Wilson beat Robert Lay +18t (23-5)
Joe Lennon beat Tony Brightman +1t (21-20)
Round Four:
Bill Spalding beat Campbell Morrison +26
Jane Morrison beat Martin Stephenson +20
Alan Wilson beat John Surgenor+6t (21-15)
Fergus McInnes beat Tony Brightman +9t (21-12)
Semi-finals:
Bill Spalding beat Jane Morrison +10
Alan Wilson beat Campbell Morrison +9t (23-14)
Remainder of Round Five:
John Surgenor beat Joe Lennon +18
Martin Stephenson beat Tony Brightman +22
Fergus McInnes beat Robert Lay +16
Final:
Bill Spalding beat Alan Wilson +10
Remainder of Round Six:
Campbell Morrison beat John Surgenor +22
Jane Morrison beat Tony Brightman +16
Martin Stephenson beat Robert Lay +23tp
Joe Lennon beat Fergus McInnes +2t (18-16)