Terry and Sue's Panache

Terry and Sue Wien invited CarolinaPetanque members and associates to their home on High Rock Lake in Lexington (NC) for a panache tournament on Saturday.  They had their place looking great and all their hard work in preparing the courts and surrounding areas was much appreciated and admired by those attending.  There were approximately forty people who gathered, twenty-four of whom played in the tournament.

We had players from Lexington, Winston-Salem, Boone, Charlotte, Wadesboro, Crossnore, Lincolnton, and Hickory, North Carolina, and Columbia, South Carolina, in attendance.

After morning pastries, muffins, country-style ham, coffee, etc., there were two games for each player in the morning, followed by a lunch break for sandwiches, snacks, and desserts.  Players changed partners after each game, giving people a chance to play with others of different styles and experience.

Two more games for each player in the afternoon concluded the four qualifying rounds, after which the four players with the best won-lost records were paired into doubles teams for the tournament finals.  Khalid Mesbah, Sue Daniels, and Gary Jones had perfect 4 and 0 records in the qualifying games.  Rounding out the top four was Juan Hernandez who just edged Rick Sweeney for the fourth spot by posting a 3 and 1 record with a +30 point differential score over his opponents.  Rick was also 3 and 1, but his point differential of +20 fell just short.

Khalid and Juan played as a team against Gary and Sue in the finals.  The game was back and forth on each end, and the final score of 13 to 6 in favor of Gary/Sue doesn't reflect how difficult the win was.  Congratulations to the winners, runners-up, participants, and, most especially to our host and hostess, Terry and Sue Wien, for a wonderful venue and tournament.

The day concluded with a delicious meal of grilled chicken, baked beans, salads, fruits, mac&cheese, homemade breads, desserts, and other sides.  Fun play then continued on the beautifully-lighted courts into the evening, finally ending around ten o'clock!