Danny Huneycutt (Lexington, NC) reached the singles final of the US Croquet Association’s National Championship (American rules) for the third time in four years. But he had to settle for second place, as Ben Rothman (Oakland, CA) won his second American-rules national singles title and ninth national title overall.

2012 thus becomes the first year since 1998 that no North Carolina croquet player has won one of the USCA’s national titles (singles or doubles) in either American rules or Association Croquet.

Clearly the top two players in North America right now, Huneycutt and Rothman’s rivalry continues to develop. Huneycutt won their previous meeting in a national singles final, at the 2010 Association Croquet nationals, held on Rothman’s home turf at the Mission Hills club in Palm Springs, CA, where he is the seasonal croquet pro.

The 2012 USCA Golf Croquet National Championships will be held later this year, at Mission Hills—the last chance for a North Carolina player to extend the national-title streak.