OPEN SEASON

Early-round upsets are business as usual at the NC Open. Many of the top seeds arrive out of practice—it’s early in the season—setting the stage for the in-form underdog to claim a big-name scalp.

Jim Bast—in a welcome return to the competition scene—lost his “warm-up” plate game against the dangerous Bill Bopp. Bast then suffered the same fate against an inspired Paul Emmett. Bopp, meanwhile, won his first-round match in the Main Event, knocking off a steadily-improving Martyn Selman.

Louis Nel beat local favorite (and newly retired) Mack Penwell in two games, playing on the new lawn at Longleaf. Mallet maker Ed Roberts (whose new graphite mallet heads are seemingly ubiquitous here) won game 2 against Brian Cumming after a Cumming TPO, then easily won the match in game 3.

Gene Young had the final play of the day, closing out a protracted game 3 against Johnny Mitchell.

Last modified on 7 April 2006