It was a busy weekend for Landings Club picklers. Chris Kader, Alex Fox, Bradley Morse and new pickleball professional, Patrick May treated a crowd of dedicated pickle enthusiasts to an extraordinary exhibition match. Chris and Patrick faced down Alex and Bradley in a textbook example of how exciting pickleball is when raw talent takes to the court. There were equal displays of power and strategic dinking in what many agreed was the most exciting pickleball yet played at Franklin Creek. According to Alex, “The level of play was top notch. It was truly a pleasure for us to feed off the energy of the crowd, which encouraged us perform at high levels.”
As exciting as the exhibition was, the primary purpose of the event was to introduce Patrick May. Originally from Augusta, Georgia, Patrick was ranked number three in junior table tennis before retiring at age thirteen to focus on soccer, tennis and disc golf. He played disc golf at Augusta University where he was awarded a B.A. in Political Science.
After graduating, Patrick went to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He lived in Maryland for seven years before moving to Savannah in 2019 to become a parish priest. Patrick discovered pickleball during the COVID pandemic and once hooked, never looked back. Last fall he stepped away from active ministry to pursue ventures in real estate and pickleball. As Chris Kader says, “We are very fortunate to have Patrick at The Landings.” Patrick adds, “I’m grateful to join Chris, Alex and Bradley to contribute to a pickleball culture so well established. The team has some exciting new projects that I can’t wait to help get off the ground. Stay tuned.”
After the exhibition, costumed Landings picklers took to the courts for a Halloween round robin. The event was purely social, and everyone clearly enjoyed themselves. Costumes ran the gamut from Mario Bros to Fred Flintstone and Barbie’s Ken. Hands down, the crowd favorite was Paul McCormack who came in drag. As a woman he was, at best, a three on a ten scale, but he played his role with theatrical aplomb. We should note, it was fortunate he did this in Georgia, not Florida where he would have been in violation of several anti-fun regulations, tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail. Thank you, Paul, for your inspired performance.
Finally, the PPA Tour: Hilton Head Open was played at Palmetto Dunes Tennis and Pickleball Club. Seven hundred forty-two people from all over the country registered to play, including at least fifteen from The Landings Club. Landings combatants included Tim Sampson, Danny Klugman, Lisa and Jeff Tocci, Betsey and Einar Andersen, Chris Phillips, Chris Poppell, Harriet Andersen, Melinda Porro, Andrew Jones, Peter Dorward, Kristen Berger, Scott McKessy, and Patrick May. Betsey and Einar took silver in 60-69 3.5, while Andrew Jones won the gold medal in Men’s Double’s 35-49 5.0. Finally, Kristen Berger and Chris Phillips won gold in Mixed 35-49 4.0. Congratulations to all.