Tournament Profile
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United States Open Championship
Grand Slam
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Place: Wellington, Palm Beach, Florida, USA
Club: International Polo Club
Date: March 25 - April 18, 2010
Level: 26 hcp
Tournament type: Open
WPT Category Ranking: Grand Slam
Winner Points: 150
Finalist Points:
70
Semi Finalist Points:
50
Rest of player Points: 25
Tournament Director: Jimmy Newman


Audi - US Open winners 2009


Review

Audi captures title in OT - by IPC

Hall of famer Gonzalo Pieres never won a U.S. Open, but today, his dream came true as he watched his sons, Nicolas, Gonzalito and Facundo Pieres bring it home for Wellington’s own Audi, as they captured the U.S. Open, defeating Las Monjitas 9-8 in sudden death overtime at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

“We feel very fortunate to have won today. It’s my first open that I’ve ever played in so I feel like I’ve struck fools gold a little bit,” said team captain and Wellington resident Marc Ganzi. “Today was a culmination of hard work, planning and a dream and it’s a great ending.”

This was a storybook ending for the Audi team, who trailed by four goals, at the end of the second chukker 5-1.

“We were really surprised at their marking and their game plan…when we got behind by four we said we gotta play their game plan,” added Ganzi. Ganzi also dedicated the win to his friend Victor Vargas, owner of the Lechuza Caracas team, who lost 21 of their horses.

Prior to the start of today’s match a moment of silence was held and a bell was rung 21 times in honor of the fallen horses. “This game is definitely a tribute to Victor, he’s a friend. I’m very confident that team will regroup and be back here next year.”

Audi changed their game plan in the third chukker and scored two from the field and capitalized on a field goal, ending the half 7-5.

“We changed a little bit, we moved me to back and we said, listen we gotta go one goal at a time. We got lucky,” said Ganzi. His team trailed by one goal during the fourth and fifth periods and with just over a minute in regulation play remaining, Audi’s Facundo Pieres tied the match at eight. Pieres, who scored seven of the team’s 9 goals, also scored the winning goal in overtime.

There’s so much organization and planning that went into this team a year ago and to have it all come together, it’s a dream come true,” added Ganzi.

2009 Winner
Audi 9 vs Las Monjitas 8
Audi
  Name
 Hcp
Marc Ganzi
1
Gonzalo Pieres Jr.
9
Facundo Pieres
10
Nicolás Pieres
5
 Total 
26
Las Monjitas
  Name
 Hcp
Camilo Bautista
0
Adam Snow
8
Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr.
9
Ignacio Novillo Astrada
8
 Total 
26

2008 Winner
Crab Orchard 15 vs Las Monjitas 12
Crab Orchard
  Name
 Hcp
George Rawlings
1
Nachi Heguy
9
Adolfo Cambiaso
10
Jeff Blake
6
 Total 
26
Las Monjitas
  Name
 Hcp
Camilo Bautista
0
Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr.
9
Javier Novillo Astrada
9
Ignacio Novillo Astrada
8
 Total 
26

2007 Winner
Crab Orchard 14 vs Jedi 13
Crab Orchard
  Name
 Hcp
George Rawlings
0
Matias Magrini
9
Adolfo Cambiaso
10
David Stirling Jr.
8
 Total 
27
Jedi
  Name
 Hcp
Torsten Koch
1
Pablo MacDonough
9
Juan Martin Nero
9
Cristian Laprida jr.
7
 Total 
26

2006 Winner
Las Monjitas 12 vs Orchard Hill 6
Las Monjitas
  Name
 Hcp
Camilo Bautista
0
Adam Snow
9
Eduardo Novillo Astrada
9
Ignacio Novillo Astrada
8
 Total 
26
Orchard Hill
  Name
 Hcp
Steve Van Andel
0
Hector Galindo
8
Jeff Hall
8
Francisco de Narvaez jr .
9
 Total 
25
2005 Winner
White Birch 11 vs Skeeterville
Skeeterville
  Name
 Hcp
 Skeeter Johnston (us)
2
 Julio Arellano (us)
8
 Owen Rinehart (us)
8
 Lucas Monteverde (arg)
8
 Total 
26
White Birch
  Name
 Hcp
 Julio Gracida (us)
3
 Lucas Criado (arg)
9
 Mariano Aguerre (arg)
10
 Del Carrol Walton (us)
4
 Total 
26
2004 Winner
Isla Carroll 10 vs White Birch 6
Isla Carroll
  Name
 Hcp
 Sugar Erskine (za)
8
 Francisco Bensadon (arg)
8
 Guillermo Gracida (us)
9
 John Goodman (us)
1
 Total 
26
White Birch
  Name
 Hcp
 Del Carrol Walton (us)
3
 Lucas Criado (arg)
9
 Mariano Aguerre (arg)
10
 Peter Brant (us)
4
 Total 
26
2003 Winner
C Spear 14 vs Lechuza 7
C Spear
  Name
 Hcp
 Tommy Boyle (us)
2
 Jeff Hall (us)
7
 Carlos Gracida (us)
9
 Matias Magrini (arg)
8
 Total 
26
Lechuza
  Name
 Hcp
 Victor Vargas (ven)
2
 Sebastian Merlos (arg)
10
 Juan I.Merlos (arg)
10
 Jorge Rodriguez (arg)
4
 Total 
26
2002 Winner
Coca Cola 13 vs Orchard Hill 10
Coca Cola
  Name
 Hcp
 Gillian Johnston (us)
1
 Adam Snow (us)
9
 Miguel Novillo Astrada (arg)
9
 Tommy Biddle (us)
7
 Total 
26
Orchard Hill
  Name
 Hcp
 Jeff Hall (us)
7
 Julio Arellano (us)
8
 Eduardo Heguy (arg)
10
 Steve Van Andel (us)
1
 Total 
26
2001 Winner
2001 Winner
Outback 14 vs Orchard Hill 12
Outback
  Name
 Hcp
 Santiago Chavanne (arg)
7
 Fabio Diniz (br)
8
 Adolfo Cambiaso (arg)
10
 Chirs Gannon (us)
1
 Total 
26
Orchard Hill
  Name
 Hcp
 Sugar Erskine (za)
7
 Julio Arellano (us)
8
 Eduardo Heguy (arg)
10
 Kristy Waters (us)
1
 Total 
26