More than 40 years ago, a small senior tennis tournament was started on Seabrook Island by a New Jersey tennis player whose son happened to be John McEnroe’s doubles partner.
That tournament, named for founder Alan Fleming, has become a magnet every October for “senior” (30 and over) players from around the country.
This year the entries grew to 372 men and women ages 30-86, including local players from Seabrook and Charleston along with several from California, Florida and Texas. The events include men’s and women’s singles and doubles along with mixed doubles national events starting.
The draw for out-of-state players is the chance for a “gold ball,” which literally is a tiny gold ball that comes in its own mahogany display case with dark green velvet lining. Seabrook also has become the host of the USTA’s National Mixed Clay Court Championship, one of four mixed national events held each year on different surfaces.
This year, Mary Neill McKie (formerly Hagood), a rookie at the Fleming tournament and a player who never lost a No. 1 singles conference match in four years at Furman, paired with local pro Matthew Hane to win the 40s mixed doubles gold ball.
Susan Love, whose son pitched for the College of Charleston and who splits time between Charleston and Charlotte, won the 60s mixed gold ball with her partner Jonathan Sawyer.
On the other end of the age spectrum, 82-year-old Betsy McColl, a perennial Seabrook star from Columbia, dropped down into the 75-and-over age group when there was only one other player in the 80s. Much to the chagrin of the 75-year-olds, she swept the round-robin field of four by only losing two games in three matches.
Arthur Bush, 86, of Columbia was one of nine competitors in the men’s 80 and over singles and was in the finals of the 80s doubles. When he saw the the tournament was providing a chair umpire for the match, he chided the tournament referee, Meg Farrelly, “Do you think we can’t remember the score??”
Because of an increase by 70 in the number of participants this year, tournament play spilled over onto the Kiawah Island courts the first few days. But most of the players found their way back to the Seabrook courts where the (free) beer truck and ice-cream sandwich cooler were parked.
NOTES
• The SCISA girl’s tennis final between Ashley Hall and Porter-Gaud will be played Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 2:00 p.m. at the St. Andrews courts in West Ashley. Ashley Hall beat Trinity Collegiate of Darlington, 6-3, and Porter-Gaud topped Heathwood Hall of Columbia, 5-2, to reach the finals.
• Charleston’s own Emma Navarro, 22, has broken into the top 50 in the world this year (she’s now No. 46 on the WTA Tour) and will continue with a South American tour schedule before the 2024 Australian Open.
• The 2023 Peiffer Cup Lowcountry Championship Tennis Tournament will be held Nov. 17-19 at the LTP Daniel Island Tennis Center. The two top teams from each LCTA Tennis flight will compete for the Lowcountry championship and trophy and will be recognized as the best team by their respective flight.
An LCTA player appreciation event, including lunch and a tennis exhibition, will also be held for all USTA registered members on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 11:30 a.m. at LTP DI during the Peiffer Cup.
• LCTA Mixed Doubles State Champions: Maybank Tennis Center 8.0 40-and-over team captained by Will Barrett and the LTP DI Tennis Center 7.0 65-and-over Team captained by Chris Jones.
• The 2023 annual captains and players meeting will be held Wednesday, Jan. 10 at 6:00 p.m. at the Daniel Island Club. USTA registered captains and players are invited.
• Adults and youth are needed to be part of the ball crew for multiple pro tournaments being held in the Charleston area, including the Credit One Charleston Open. Training and a kick-off event will take place on Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. with training sessions scheduled the following week. No prior experience necessary, but knowledge of tennis is needed.