The tournament started Friday evening, July 15 at Pat Kelly’s Cattlemen’s Saloon in downtown Rogue River. Glasscott handled the traditional sponsor sale with Art Elliff handling the bracketing and tournament director duties. Play began immediately following the sponsor sale and concluded on Sunday evening, July 17, with Glasscott and Byers winning out in the championship match over the team of Ed Brayman from California and local player Darla Van Orman.

Van Orman and Brayman had lost a second round match, after receiving a first round bye, and then reeled off seven consecutive wins to reach the final match against the winners. Third place went to Israel Ochoa and newcomer Bron Johnson. Johnson’s play was impressive after only a few months of playing the game. Tolo Tavern owner Timi Kale and partner Al Hudson finished in fourth. Fifth place went to the two teams of Glenn Redding and Joe Cupp and local’s Butch Davis and Brandon Glasscott.

Last year’s defending champions Ted Curtice and Susan Teibel were eliminated from the tournament early. The 25 teams matched the highest number of participants in the tournament’s history.

The tournament was played on the bar’s three fast shuffleboards that were prepared each day by Elliff, Glasscott and company. The format was a double elimination, two out of three games in the winner’s bracket with a single game in the loser’s.

Several out-of-state visitors came early or stayed over following the tournament to enjoy the Rogue River community and to renew old friendships and enjoy the area’s fishing and camping. Cattleman’s owner and the event’s gracious host Pat Kelly provided free breakfasts and several drink specials at his restaurant and bar for the tournament’s players.

Tournament Director Elliff wants to thank all of the Cattleman’s bartenders, waitresses and kitchen help for the great job in making this year’s tournament another great success.

The next stop on the Oregon shuffleboard schedule is at the Tolo Tavern in Central Point for the A/B Doubles on August 5-7. Then it’s the Rural American Championships at John Fisher’s 99 Tavern and Willee’s Cafe in Winston over the Labor Day weekend. The Labor Day tournament has multiple events and will feature the induction of Oregon legend Doug Buhl into the National Table Shuffleboard Hall of Fame.