Cochran Goes Undefeated at ITO in Tulsa
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GeORGE COCHRAN IN PLAY DURING THE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Tulsa Croquet Club Enjoys New Clubhouse Opening at LaFortune Park
The MCA Series Tour started a new chapter over Memorial Day Weekend with a return visit to LaFortune Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the 2025 Indian Territory Open (ITO). Held Friday through Monday, the 2025 ITO was the first American Six Wicket event to be part of the MCA’s flagship tournament series. The MCA last visited Tulsa in 2014 when the Oklahoma 9W Open was held at the same venue.
The event had 18 total players and also marked the opening of the new clubhouse for the Tulsa Croquet Club, which proved to be a popular feature for both players and organizers.
On the court, George Cochran from the Red Stick Croquet Club in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, dominated the Championship Flight (PRO) with a perfect 8-0 record and five pegouts. Scott Spradling from the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, took second place in the event and did have a small opening in the final when Cochran was unable to get his second break going. Spradling failed to get all the way around though, and ultimately, Cochran took a 22-8 win.
First Flight (GOLD) saw a little more drama as Steve Fisher of the Tulsa Croquet Club moved through the first round with a win over Jodi Adams (Kactus Creek Croquet Club) to play #1 seed Peter Sherer of the Derby City Croquet Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Sherer was 5-0 in block play, but Fisher pulled off the upset to advance to the title game. There, he found #2 seed Deborah Millican (Kactus Creek Croquet Club), who was 4-1 in block play with one pegout.
Steve FISHER ATTEMPTS A HOOP DURING BLOCK PLAY
Fisher, who was playing in his first American Six Wicket Singles game, kept the streak going and went on to claim the title with a 21-18 win in the final despite a late surge by Millican.
In doubles play, Dylan Goodwin (Kansas City Croquet Club) and Jon Spaulding (Tulsa Croquet Club) teamed up to get a 16-14 win over Cochran and Art Parsells (Tulsa Croquet Club) to claim the Championship Flight title. It was the first win in American Six Wicket play at the Championship level for both players.
The biggest challenge in the tournament was the steady rains that occurred on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, and also visited for periods during tournament play on each day. On Saturday, the courts dried out for the afternoon games, but by Sunday, the courts struggled to dry out again. That was a disappointment, because on Friday, they were playing at the fastest level ever experienced at the club — a great sign for future events in Tulsa.
Next Up
The 2025 MCA Series Tour continues July 10-12 with the U.S. Golf Croquet Classic in Denver, Colorado — marking both the Tour’s first-ever stop in Colorado and its debut Golf Croquet event. Hosted by the Denver Croquet Club, the tournament will introduce a new code to the Series Tour while offering players and clubs a fresh opportunity to earn critical points in all of the Series races.