2004 Matchplay Qualifier


Report from organiser, Chris May

61 NSW players made it to Revesby for the inaugural Matchplay Qualifier event, some of them braving Sydney's railway service to get there. Ironically, the only late players were ones travelling by car. We made a slightly late start due to a couple of latecomers and no-shows, and an issue with the number of tables at the venue not having been checked beforehand. We also welcomed Akegapun Erbprasartsook from Thailand, who is studying in Sydney in 2004 and made his debut in NSW tournaments, achieving an impressive 4th place and initial rating of 1733.

I was too busy being inaugurated into organising tournaments to collect many stories, but I did hear a few here and there. The upset of the first round was probably Jean Balmer's victory over Joanne Craig. Paul Cleary won his first game by 303 but went down to Moana Nepia in the next round, before scoring two more 500+ games to be sitting on an 800 margin after only four games. He played the classy ORIGIN(AT)E. I was pleased to find vAQUERO and LIFTGATE in my first game.

At lunchtime (after round 4) it was still unclear what sort of result would be required in order to attain a top 16 finish. Four players were still undefeated - Esther Perrins, Edward Okulicz, Bob Jackman and myself - with many others sitting one game behind. (These four were the top four going into the final king of the hill round, as it turned out). Several not rated in the top 16 for the event were also doing very well - Ram Mohe and Rex Shakespeare both had stints at the top tables.

Edward beat Esther and Bob beat me in round 5, and Edward beat Bob in round 6 to be the only undefeated player, and continued to win until he played me in round 8. Meanwhile some of the top players were getting some big scares - I had to find a four move outplay to catch Moana Nepia with the Q and win by 8, and Hanne Marks knocked over both Rod Talbot and John Barker. Open tournaments are certainly the ones to play for big ratings increases - Hanne took away 51 points.

Going into the king of the hill it was clear that everyone on 5 wins (16 people) was playing for a place in the top 16. Meanwhile Bob, Edward and I all had 7/8 and were within 34 spread points of each other. I had a rematch with Bob and Edward with Esther (top of the 6 win group), and the results did not change from round 5 - Bob and Edward both won. Meanwhile Akegapun and Joan Rosenthal had both finished strongly to finish on 7 wins, but neither had a sufficient margin to tip me out of 3rd. Had Tony Hunt won his final game against Joan he would have been 3rd. Interestingly, many people on 6/9 had superior margins to the people who finished on 7.

The king of the hill was kind to some and cruel to others. In particular, commiserations to Rod Talbot (last year's Matchplay runner up), who was paired with Joanne Craig in round 9 and lost by a 200 point margin, finishing 20th. However, there were some very happy people at the end of the tournament when I read out the top 16 and the likely pairings for the first round of knockouts (they did not always seem to stay so happy when they found out who they'd be playing).

It was nice to get some favourable comments about the tournament, and hopefully the event can get bigger and better. Thanks as always to Wilma for directing, Alan Gauci for saving the day with the equipment, and to the committee in NSW for their terrific help to me in organising an event for the first time, especially to Jean Balmer and Bob Jackman.

Results after game  9
MATCHPLAY QUALIFIER 04 -- OPEN
  
Rank Player            Wins     Mar
---------------------------------
  1 Bob Jackman          8     626
  2 Edward Okulicz       8     588
  3 Chris May            7     399
  4 Akegapun Erbprasarts 7     311
  5 Joan Rosenthal       7     250
  6 Paul Cleary          6    1006
  7 Joanne Craig         6     643
  8 Esther Perrins       6     588
  9 Tony Hunt            6     494
 10 John Holgate         6     380
 11 John Spaan           6     257
 12 Sam Greenberg        6      86
 13 Ram Mohe             6      17
 14 Hanne Marks          6       2
 15 Rex Shakespeare      6      -9
 16 Sharon Sorensen      6     -39
 17 Jean McGiffen        5     513
 18 Norma Tracey         5     232
 19 Moana Nepia          5     202
 20 Rod Talbot           5     187
 21 Louise Kobler        5     149
 22 Peter Shaw           5     129
 23 Jan Pincott          5     118
 24 Betty Foreman        5      72
 25 Edith Lowbeer        5      18
 26 Nanette Reynolds     5      13
 27 Greg Pinchbeck       5      -3
 28 Jean Balmer          5     -25
 29 Pat Schuberg         5     -50
 30 Liz Jackman          5    -134
 31 Teresa Traynor       5    -196
 32 John Barker          4     240
 33 Ian Close            4     196
 34 Donna MacDonald      4      59
 35 Jenny Templeton      4     -55
 36 David More           4     -61
 37 Jan Serisier         4     -86
 38 Judy Hay             4    -107
 39 Jean Noonan          4    -110
 40 Raya Wilkinson       4    -142
 41 Audrey Newman        4    -159
 42 Fay Van Oyen         4    -169
 43 Bev Purkis           4    -219
 44 Rocky Sharma         4    -220
 45 Pearl Gillott        4    -279
 46 Frank Hunt           4    -504
 47 Alan Gauci           3     -40
 48 Mark Smith           3    -104
 49 Jan Tomlin           3    -120
 50 Margaret Andrews     3    -179
 51 Margaret Berliner    3    -268
 52 Margaret Ackman      3    -309
 53 Basil Sands          3    -341
 54 Wendy Macquart       3    -370
 55 Joy Morris           3    -374
 56 Arie Holla           3    -412
 57 Yvonne Edwards       3    -544
 58 Sue Tuckett          2    -251
 59 Maree Heynen         2    -342
 60 Diana Field          2    -724
 61 Maria Kaye           2    -821
 62 A Bye                0      -9
HIGH GAME: Moana Nepia       601
HIGH WORD: Moana Nepia       158
            "DEPORTEE"
  
Stats for Tournament : MATCHPLAY QUALIFIER 04
  
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| state     Name           | National  | State   |   Wins    | Rating Points |
|                          | Old  New  | Old New | Exp  Act  | Old Change New|
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
+Section: *OPEN                        +         +           +               +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Edward Okulicz:act   |    1    1 |   1   1 |  7.1  8.0 | 1908 +15 1923 |
| NSW Bob Jackman          |   10    6 |   6   4 |  5.7  8.0 | 1762 +47 1809 |
| NSW Chris May            |    5    4 |   3   2 |  6.4  7.0 | 1835 +10 1845 |
| NSW Joan Rosenthal       |   17   13 |   8   8 |  5.9  7.0 | 1715 +23 1738 |
|*NSW Akegapun Erbprasarts |    0   14 |   0   9 |  7.0  7.0 | 1733     1733 |
| NSW Paul Cleary          |    4    5 |   2   3 |  7.6  6.0 | 1850 -26 1824 |
| NSW Tony Hunt            |   45   40 |  14  15 |  4.6  6.0 | 1586 +28 1614 |
| NSW Esther Perrins       |   12   12 |   7   7 |  5.6  6.0 | 1742  +9 1751 |
| NSW Joanne Craig         |   31   33 |  10  11 |  6.4  6.0 | 1644  -7 1637 |
| NSW John Holgate         |    7    9 |   5   6 |  6.9  6.0 | 1791 -18 1773 |
| NSW John Spaan :act      |   34   37 |  11  12 |  6.6  6.0 | 1631 -11 1620 |
| NSW Hanne Marks          |  163  123 |  46  34 |  3.6  6.0 | 1395 +51 1446 |
| NSW Ram Mohe             |  229  195 |  59  53 |  3.8  6.0 | 1312 +45 1357 |
| NSW Sam Greenberg        |  134  114 |  38  29 |  4.3  6.0 | 1426 +34 1460 |
| NSW Sharon Sorensen      |  353  293 |  87  72 |  2.4  6.0 | 1127 +88 1215 |
| NSW Rex Shakespeare      |  257  243 |  63  61 |  4.8  6.0 | 1270 +23 1293 |
| NSW Moana Nepia          |   95   70 |  26  20 |  3.2  5.0 | 1488 +36 1524 |
| NSW Jean McGiffen        |   37   38 |  12  13 |  5.1  5.0 | 1619  -1 1618 |
| NSW Norma Tracey         |   91  101 |  24  28 |  5.8  5.0 | 1493 -14 1479 |
| NSW Rod Talbot           |    6    7 |   4   5 |  7.0  5.0 | 1829 -31 1798 |
| NSW Jan Pincott          |  244  235 |  60  60 |  4.1  5.0 | 1284 +19 1303 |
| NSW Peter Shaw           |   63   71 |  20  21 |  6.0  5.0 | 1537 -19 1518 |
| NSW Betty Foreman        |   82   94 |  21  26 |  5.6  5.0 | 1502 -13 1489 |
| NSW Jean Balmer          |  400  378 |  95  90 |  4.1  5.0 | 1072 +19 1091 |
| NSW Greg Pinchbeck       |  344  323 |  86  83 |  3.5  5.0 | 1137 +29 1166 |
| NSW Louise Kobler        |  157  155 |  44  44 |  4.9  5.0 | 1400  +2 1402 |
| NSW Nanette Reynolds     |  482  460 | 115 110 |  3.9  5.0 |  988 +25 1013 |
| NSW Liz Jackman          |  335  325 |  83  84 |  4.1  5.0 | 1144 +18 1162 |
| NSW Pat Schuberg         |  131  136 |  37  38 |  5.2  5.0 | 1427  -4 1423 |
| NSW Edith Lowbeer        |  530  489 | 125 117 |  2.8  5.0 |  938 +44  982 |
| NSW Teresa Traynor       |  679  622 | 170 157 |  3.3  5.0 |  823 +36  859 |
| NSW John Barker          |   46   67 |  15  19 |  6.9  4.0 | 1583 -56 1527 |
| NSW Jean Noonan          |  121  150 |  32  41 |  6.3  4.0 | 1449 -45 1404 |
| NSW Fay Van Oyen         |  446  417 | 106  99 |  2.7  4.0 | 1020 +25 1045 |
| NSW Donna MacDonald      |  249  252 |  61  64 |  4.2  4.0 | 1274  -1 1273 |
| NSW David More           |  448  459 | 107 109 |  4.3  4.0 | 1020  -6 1014 |
| NSW Audrey Newman        |  127  182 |  34  52 |  6.5  4.0 | 1428 -50 1378 |
| NSW Ian Close            |  266  277 |  66  69 |  5.2  4.0 | 1262 -24 1238 |
| NSW Bev Purkis           |  300  311 |  73  78 |  4.6  4.0 | 1201 -12 1189 |
| NSW Rocky Sharma         |  923  759 | 240 195 |  1.1  4.0 |  643 +113  756 |
| NSW Raya Wilkinson       |  218  234 |  55  59 |  5.1  4.0 | 1325 -22 1303 |
| NSW Jan Serisier         |   54   81 |  16  22 |  7.1  4.0 | 1566 -62 1504 |
| NSW Jenny Templeton      |  265  271 |  65  66 |  4.5  4.0 | 1262 -10 1252 |
| NSW Judy Hay             |  228  247 |  58  62 |  5.8  4.0 | 1314 -34 1280 |
| NSW Pearl Gillott        |  693  680 | 174 171 |  3.3  4.0 |  809 +14  823 |
| NSW Frank Hunt           |  557  559 | 135 136 |  4.1  4.0 |  912  -1  911 |
| NSW Jan Tomlin           |  465  463 | 110 112 |  2.7  3.0 | 1003  +8 1011 |
| NSW Margaret Andrews     |  331  353 |  82  87 |  4.2  3.0 | 1147 -22 1125 |
| NSW Margaret Berliner    |  311  333 |  77  85 |  4.7  3.0 | 1185 -34 1151 |
| NSW Alan Gauci           |  439  443 | 104 106 |  3.1  3.0 | 1027  -3 1024 |
| NSW Mark Smith           |  480  492 | 114 119 |  3.4  3.0 |  990  -9  981 |
| NSW Wendy Macquart       |  894  862 | 230 223 |  2.3  3.0 |  661 +23  684 |
| NSW Margaret Ackman      |  934  936 | 244 246 |  3.0  3.0 |  632  -1  631 |
| NSW Basil Sands          |  621  649 | 156 162 |  3.9  3.0 |  859 -18  841 |
| NSW Yvonne Edwards       |  739  712 | 189 184 |  1.9  3.0 |  778 +21  799 |
| NSW Joy Morris           |  909  916 | 234 238 |  3.2  3.0 |  652  -5  647 |
| NSW Arie Holla           |  799  815 | 203 208 |  3.4  3.0 |  726  -8  718 |
| NSW Sue Tuckett          |  340  386 |  85  91 |  5.1  2.0 | 1140 -59 1081 |
| NSW Maree Heynen         |  675  709 | 168 182 |  3.3  2.0 |  824 -25  799 |
| NSW Maria Kaye           | 1014 1035 | 274 280 |  2.9  2.0 |  573 -18  555 |
| NSW Diana Field          | 1042 1059 | 281 288 |  2.8  2.0 |  551 -16  535 |