The US Open debuted a new event this year – split age. The split age event had three different divisions – mens, womens, and mixed. Split age is basically where one partner is 50 years old or older and the other partner is below 50 years old. It’s really interesting to see the dynamics of a team where one player is significantly older than the other. I know Leigh Waters isn’t 50 but perhaps the US Open was inspired by the success of the Waters mother-daughter team. They are so fun to watch when playing together not just because of the age gap but because of their sheer athleticism.
Here are the results of the various split age divisions:
MENS PRO SPLIT AGE
- GOLD – Dayne Gingrich and Ben Johns
- SILVER – Mills Miller and Dekel Bar
- BRONZE – Rick Witsken and Altaf Merchant
WOMENS PRO SPLIT AGE
- GOLD – Cammy MacGregor and Irina Tereschenko
- SILVER – Jennifer Dawson and Leigh Waters
- BRONZE – Eva Welsher and Lauren Stratman
MIXED PRO SPLIT AGE
- GOLD – Steve Kennedy and Catherine Parenteau
- SILVER – Eva Welsher and Joey Farias
- BRONZE – Dave Fleming and Callie Smith
What’s funny is for the longest time I thought Matt Wright was 47 years old (he’s actually only 44 or something like that) so when I first found out about the split age events I was thinking, “Wait until Matt and Lucy can play in split age together. Everyone’s in big trouble!” LOL.
I guess same thing goes for the Waters duo. It’s only a matter of time before they are eligible for split age. We have to wait a few years but it’s coming. I hope the world is ready.