Title victory perfect start to the year for Murray
Picking up the open doubles title at the Triton Hearing Association croquet tournament was the perfect start to 2017 for Palmerston North’s Andre Murray.
This year has added importance for the 21-year-old with him set to embark on his final year of his bachelor of sports and exercise science at UCOL.
His studies mean he will spend less time on the croquet lawns.
So the win early in the year was one to savour.
He linked up with fellow Rose Gardens player Josh Smith, 25, the youngest pairing in the open division, to take out the open doubles title over some much more fancied rivals.
‘‘We had a good weekend and did well with the conditions we had,’’ Murray said.
‘‘We were lucky enough to pull ahead just before time ran out.’’
But the wet and windy weather made the challenge even tougher.
‘‘It has made standard croquet 100 percent harder,’’ he said.
‘‘The winds just take the balls away and you can’t put it where you want to put it.’’
Murray and Smith are regular playing partners and for the past year they have also been working together as Rose Gardens’ coaches.
Success in croquet is not new to Murray.
His playing history includes an unprecedented three straight Gordon Smith Salver titles at the Rose Gardens’ Spring Golf Croquet Tournament.
But he has had success since he first started playing.
‘‘I started out in intermediate,’’ he said. ‘‘I was in a class with a teacher who played [at Rose Gardens] at one point.
‘‘He brought the class down one afternoon to have a casual game and I did well so I kept going.’’
Murray is taller than most on the croquet lawn.
He said that came with some minor advantages and disadvantages.
‘‘It makes it a little bit harder to find equipment,’’ he said.
‘‘I might have a little bit more power than some other players which could be helpful on slower lawns, but other than that it is pretty much even bases.’’
With his size, it is no surprise that basketball is also among his interests.
He hoped his degree would lead him into a career as a strength and conditioning coach, potentially in basketball.