CROQUET NEWS:  Bay's US Open Winner

12 July 2005
Tukituki, New Zealand
by Anendra Singh in Hawke's Bay Today, Hastings, New Zealand
photo by Andrew Labett

Tukituki orchardist Tony Stephens won his US Open croquet title at Pinehurst, North Carolina, in 1994.

Who's the first New Zealander to win a US Open title in Pinehurst?

That's easy - Michael Campbell. Right?

Sorry, wrong.

It is in fact, Tony Stephens, a Tukituki orchardist.

Stephens, 62, defeated world No 3 and No. 1 United States player John Taves in croquet in October, 1994, to lift the US Open title - in the shape of a crystal globe of the world - at the hallowed greens of the Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in North Carolina.

Stephens gets great mileage from that ambiguous question around his circles at various croquet clubs and pubs these days.

"Pinehurst is very similar to Havelock North.

"The major difference there is that they have stunted pine trees," says the Te Mata Croquet Club associate member, who is affiliated to Rangatira Croquet Club in Dannevirke.

"Michael Campbell played (his final round) on a Sunday. When I played my final against John Taves on a Sunday a nearby church was playing When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again.

"It's a Southern Confederate Civil War song.

"While I was playing I thought, 'it's not going to happen if I can help it, John'," says Stephens.

He hopes to get in touch with the Kiwi golfer who shot to stardom on June 20 when he created history as the first Kiwi to clinch the title and only the second professional in this country to win a golf major.

"As a matter of interest I want to ask Michael when he next comes home if the church bells were ringing when he was coming down the final few holes at Pinehurst No.2," says Stephens of the venue where gigantic marquees mushroom on the adjacent croquet lawns to accommodate the army of media wallahs.

Stephens' singles final was completed on Sunday morning after he and Staves were tied 1-1 and poor light halted play.

To top it off that weekend, Stephens paired off with another American, Dave Ready, to defeat a pairing that included Bill Berne, who was then the president of the United States Croquet Association.

Stephens, the then world No.10 who played second fiddle to Aucklander Bob Jackson in New Zealand, came away with a princely some of $US1100 from a total pot of $US3000 in a tournament that saw professionals and amateurs pay to play in a sweepstake attached to the competition.

"Dave, a plus-1 golfer, made a bid for 900 American dollars and asked me to tell him what to do as his doubles partner.

"He took his bid out of the prize money and then we split the rest between us," Stephens says.

For 14 years, Stephens regularly visited a winery in north of San Francisco where a few coaching stints opened the door for him with all-expenses paid trips, enabling him to travel to top croquet venues like Mount Hood, in Oregon, and Chattoga Croquet Club in Smoky Mountains, North Carolina.

And for the record, the then 15 handicap golfer did not grab the opportunity to replace the divots at Pinehurst No.2 ("a supermarket for golfers") for a paltry $US150.