The 2025 WCF Association Croquet World Championship moved into the knockout phase today with 32 players battling in the main event at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. The event has offered challenging court conditions with fast lawns and Quadways providing peel rejections and the odd stuffed hoop to offer a lot of interactive play.
Add to the mix high temperatures and stifling humidity and this 19th edition of AC Worlds is certainly looking like a test worthy of a world championship.
There were no surprises in round one, but plenty of interactive play. I saw an entertaining finish in game one of the James Death (ENG) vs Kyle Maloof (USA) match. Death’s triple evaporated when he roqueted the peeled red ball after penult. He put red near the peg, then roqueted black and pushed it out toward 3-back. He then rushed blue and pegged both yellow and blue out.
James Death (England)
Maloof stayed alive with a 10-yarder on red that put red toward C2. With black for 4-back, he tried the roll-up and ended up with a relatively straight two-yard hoop attempt. But it bounced off and Death won 26-22. He closed out with a 26tp-5 win in game two to advance to the round two quarterfinals.
Kyle Maloof (USA)
Round two will move to a best of five match format and tomorrow’s games will be double banked. Players are expected to be on-site at 8:30 a.m., suggesting that matches will start by 9:00 a.m.
ROUND 2 MATCHUPS
Court 3
Robert Fletcher v. Greg Fletcher
Stephen Morgan v. James Death
Court 6 (LIVESTREAM COURT)
Matthew Essick v. Tom Balding
Andy Johnston v. Mark Avery
Court 7
Zack Watson v. Stephen Forster
Jose Riva v. Reg Bamford
Court 11
Logan McCorkindale v. Alain Giraud
Ben Rothman v. Robert Fulford