Josh and Jordon Win Bronze at the US Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, FL

Submitted by Josh Booth

Jordan and I played in the Men’s age 40-45 "open" doubles draw, which was made up of 12 teams from all over the country, in a double elimination format.  Players aged 40-45 could enter the draw, and all of the players were either 4.5 or 5.0 rated.  Three of the teams in our draw were also entered in the “Pro” division of this year’s event, one of which (DJ Howard and Scott Tingley) we beat to win the bronze medal.  Interestingly, DJ and Scott went on to win 2 matches in the "Pro" doubles draw, giving Jordan and ​me a little bit of a barometer on how we might have done in that event.  Our path to the bronze medal followed a loss in the second round of the main draw, and then 4 straight wins in the back draw. So, we were 5-1 overall.  For some reason, the format didn’t allow the winner of the back-draw to compete for the gold or silver, so we finished with the bronze medal and just one loss, which we were pleased with.  Overall, it was a great experience.  It was awesome seeing the top players up-close.  Anyone who loves pickleball should make the trip to play, or just hang out at this event.  There were over 1800 people entered in the tournament, and the facility was unbelievable.   The only downsides were the wind and the heat.  We'll be back again next year for sure. 

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