JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Women’s World Golf Croquet Championship will be held in England in August and the First Coast will be well represented.
Ponte Vedra’s Debbie Davidoff and Helen Covington will each compete in the event, as Davidoff is the third ranked women’s player in the United States. Covington will also compete in the over-50 World Championship in Australia in October.
"It's such an honor to represent our country, to go somewhere on behalf of the United States," Davidoff said. "Whether or not we do well, we're going to make great friends and have a wonderful experience."
Both ladies stopped by Good Morning Jacksonville on Saturday to explain how croquet is a sport for all ages as well as talk about their history in the sport.
Davidoff and Covington play a version of the sport called 'golf croquet,' a one shot game.
"So, you constantly alternate between the blue, red, black and yellow balls," said Davidoff. "And when a wicket is scored, all the players move on to play the next wicket and the winner of the game is the first to score seven."
Covington started playing the sport when she was 60-years-old, as her first tournament came in 2019 at a winery in Sonoma, California.
"I came in second in nationals [in] my second tournament, that started in 2019," said Covington. "And by 2021, I was number one in the country. Crazy... for being 60, and now I'm representing my country in a world championship!"
Keep track of Davidoff and Covington's progression while competing in the championship game overseas as livestreaming will be done by the U.K. Croquet Association. In addition, you can receive updates on live scores by clicking here.