Achieving excellence in any sport is difficult. Maintaining that level is even more challenging. This is true on the PPA Tour, where the influx of talented players, better video analysis and scouting, the use of personal trainers and coaches, and enhanced training and methods make it crowded at the top. With this increased level of competition, can anyone challenge some of the PPA’s established winning streaks this year?
The PPA website lists its tournament’s medalists since August 2020. ( https://www.ppatour.com/tournament-history/ ) . Here are the various streaks of most consecutive tournaments won, based purely on tournament results, not factoring in specific players’ or teams’ lack of participation:
Men’s Singles: 12 tournaments, Ben Johns, August 2020-September 2021
Winning every tournament for 13 months is a staggering achievement. Ben’s active streak is at four, through the Desert Ridge Open. For Ben to challenge his record this year, he would need to play, and win, through May. Perhaps someone can interrupt his success, such as on a day after grueling Men’s and Mixed Doubles matches. In the 22 events since Ben’s run of 12 events, only five other men have won a singles title, and of those five, only Zane Navratil has won back-to-back events, in the fall of 2021.
Women’s Singles: 7 tournaments, Anna Leigh Waters, November 2021-April 2022.
Anna Leigh has won three straight titles through the Desert Ridge Open, a streak that started after she did not play at the Takeya Showcase in November. If she continues to play and win, number eight would be at the Red Rock Open in April.
Women’s Doubles: 11 tournaments, Simone Jardin, and Lucy Kovalova, August 2020-August 2021
This astonishing mark should stand for a while, partly because there are very few championship-level teams committed to playing together, such as Callie Smith and Lucy Kovalova, who won three straight events a year ago. On the “Kitchen Konversations” podcast recently, Waters said, “I have the first quarter of the year planned out. Right now I’m kinda just switching Anna (Bright), Catherine (Parenteau), Anna, Catherine, Anna, Catherine, in that order.” Because of that alternating pattern, we may need to readdress this question in a few months.
Mixed doubles: 10 tournaments, Simone Jardin and Ben Johns, August 2020-June 2021.
The last three tournaments through the Desert Ridge Open have been won by Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns. This streak started after they did not play together at the Takeya Showcase last November. Their ability to challenge this streak includes their availability, that is, playing together continuously over the next three months.
Men’s doubles: 3 tournaments, (tie) Riley Newman and Matt Wright, May-June 2022; Ben and Collin Johns, October 2022-current. (active streak)
The Johns brothers are in the driver’s seat to extend their own record. Their three titles through the Desert Ridge Open have all come in gold medal matches against Riley Newman and Matt Wright.
Newman and Wright are no strangers to the top of the podium, winning seven times in 2022, with four of those against the Johns brothers, most recently at the Takeya Showcase in November.
For another team to break through is a tall task: either Ben or Riley has been a part of every Men’s Doubles gold medal team since October 2021.
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