Golf croquet: Teenager captures North Island title

YOUNGSTER RULES: Taranaki's Felix Webby on his way to victory in the North Island golf croquet singles championship yesterday. PHOTO/WARREN BUCKLAND

HANDS up if you thought golf croquet was a sport for the over 60s.

Well you're not totally wrong but youngsters are starting to make an impact at the elite level. Taranaki 16-year-old Felix Webby proved this when he took out the North Island singles championship which ended at Havelock North's Heretaunga Croquet Club yesterday.

"I'm into adventure racing and I still play basketball but golf croquet is my No 1 sport these days," Webby explained.

"I went along to the West End Croquet Club in New Plymouth three years ago and I really enjoyed it. When I found out there was a New Zealand under-21 squad where players played against each other for the right to play at the world championships I was hooked."

A Francis Douglas College year 12 student, Webby won 14 of his 15 matches in the 24-player field at the weekend. His only loss was a 7-6 defeat when he took on Whakatane's Bryan Bullen.

"I had three 7-6 wins today," Webby said referring to a streak which proved he deserved the title.

He beat defending champion John Christie of Waikato, eventual fourth placegetter Dallas Cooke of Tauranga and world under-21 champion Josh Freeth of Auckland, who like Webby, will be playing in the open and under-21 divisions at the February world championships in Melbourne.

The youngest player in action at the weekend, Webby finished one point ahead of Bullen in the final standings. Freeth was a further point back in third place which he secured on a countback from Cooke in the second annual championships.

"I'm just starting to get back into golf croquet because of my school commitments. Once my NCEA Level 2 exams have finished I will be training every day," Webby said.

His next major tournament before the Melbourne trip will be the Nelson-hosted nationals in January.

The only one of 14 Hawke's Bay starters to make the top eight, Kiwi croquet legend Tony Stephens, 73, finished sixth. On Friday the Haumoana orchardist and Christie won the eight pair doubles title with an unbeaten run which included seven wins on the Thursday and the same amount the following day.