7th Annual Northampton Croquet Club Tournament concludes with a new champion!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2008

Ed Womer wins the 2008 season of the NCC tournament sponsored by Pepperidge Farm. Ed carved up the field with his custom mallet stunning the crowd and his fellow finalists Jon Roylance, Dean Curtis, Kevin Saucon Foreign Motors, Wally Francis and Uncle Tony. Ed's victory in 2008, over a record number of 30 participants, left him holding the beloved Cock for the first time. The tournament was played in ideal conditions for fans and competitors under cloudy and dark skies.

The tournament was not without controversy and disappointment regarding custom mallets. The first incident requiring action from the Rules Committee was a partial failure to Jon Roylance's Mallet. The ceramic mallet head exploded on one side upon contact with the ball making it technically illegal. It was decided the mallet could be used to complete the round and then be retired to the mallet hall of fame.

The second Mallet ruling was an unfortunate first for the tournament. The mallet crafted by Stealthmeister Chico did not pass inspection prior to play. His outstanding PVC and hockey puck creation was clearly out of specification. Both sides of the mallet head must be the same which was not the case with Chico's mallet head dashing his hopes and dreams to hold the Cock. Chico did play with a house mallet but was not able to recover from the disappointment and shock of the ruling.

In some cases, custom mallets have become a competitive advantage for players and a source of controversy for others.

Three cheers to the winner and the 29 losers.