Record 20 teams competing for coveted trophy in U.S. Open Polo Championships

WELLINGTON — For the first time in the history of the U.S. Open Polo Championships, a record 20 teams will compete for the coveted trophy at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

The tournament begins Tuesday with a doubleheader and runs through April 24. Audi opens against La Fe at 11 a.m. and Dutta Corp/Show plays Old Hickory Bourbon/Airstream at 3 p.m.

Seven pro teams based at Grand Champions Polo Club enabled the all-time team entry record to be broken. The new teams expected to challenge defending champion Scone are Aspen Valley Polo Club, Audi, Casablanca, Grand Champions Polo Club, Santa Rita Polo Farm, Sol de Agosto and Polo Training Foundation.

With an additional four 10-goalers from the Grand Champions entries, eight 10-goalers will compete in the month-long tournament: Pablo MacDonough of Aspen Valley Polo Club, Gonzalito Pieres of Grand Champions Polo Club, Sapo Caset of La Elina, Hilario Ulloa of Park Place, Facundo Pieres of Pilot, Pelon Stirling of SD Farms, Polito Pieres of Santa Rita Polo Farm and Juan Martin Nero of Sol de Agosto.

Adolfo Cambiaso, expected to play for Scone, sustained a groin injury during the USPA Gold Cup and will not compete in the U.S. Open. He underwent surgery in Argentina and has returned to Wellington to begin his post-op recovery.

Meanwhile, in a thrilling overtime finish, Pilot knocked off Park Place, 11-10, to win the USPA Gold Cup Sunday at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

The win knocked previously undefeated Park Place out of Gauntlet of Polo series contention after Park Place won the opening series leg C.V. Whitney Cup. Pilot remains the only team to win the Gauntlet title.

With 6:48 left in overtime, Argentine 10-goaler Facundo Pieres picked up a loose ball at midfield and outraced defenders to score the game-winner.

"I was thinking to score," Pieres said. "I wanted to hit the ball long. My idea was to hit it as long as possible. Our idea was to try and have the game even at the end, that's what happened. Once you are there then you'll always have chances of winning.

"To win tournaments you need everybody to be on top. Park Place is a very strong team. They like to run and put a lot of pressure on you. We knew we had to try and slow down as much as we could. We knew it was going to be tough. We were lucky because they had a shot that they could have run to goal, and they missed it, and we scored."

Pieres dedicated the win to childhood friend Clemente "Corchito" Zavaleta, 36, who was seriously injured in a polo accident and is fighting for his life at St. Mary's Medical Center. He has undergone two surgeries and remains in critical condition. A large sign that read "Corchito" hung from the Pilot players' tent.

Pieres scored a game-high 10 goals and was Most Valuable Player. He finished with 39 goals for the tournament.

"This was an amazing win," said Pilot patron Curtis Pilot. "Park Place was probably ranked number one overall coming in and to beat them, it was pretty special. We came close in the C.V. Whitney Cup, but this one is very sweet. We said at halftime whether we win or lose, let's just lay it out there."

With the prize money doubling from the previous two Gauntlet of Polo tournaments, the C.V. Whitney Cup and USPA Gold Cup, the U.S. Open winner will pocket $100,000. U.S. Polo Assn will award an additional $2,500 donation to the finalist teams' polo charity of their choice.

In 2020, for the first time since World War II in 1945, the tournament was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, Scone defeated Park Place 14-13 with Cambiaso winning his ninth Open title and first with his son Poroto.

The U.S. Open will be livestreamed on GlobalPolo.com.

Team rosters and brackets:

Side A, Bracket I:

1. Grand Champions Polo Club (22): Riley Ganzi, 0, Gonzalito Pieres, 10, Juan Bollini, 4, Juan Martin Zubia, 8.

2. Santa Rita Polo Farm (22): Melissa Ganzi, 0, Camilo "Jeta" Castagnola, 9, Polito Pieres, 10, Hector Guerrero, 3.

3. La Elina (TBA): Facundo Obregon, 6, Sapo Caset, 10, Jared Zenni, 6, TBA.

4. Scone (22): David Paradice, 0, Keko Magrini, 3, Poroto Cambiaso, 9, TBA.

Side A, Bracket II:

5. G-String Polo Ponies (22): Gillian Johnston, 1, Nico Escobar, 5, Nico Pieres, 9, Julian de Lusarreta, 7.

6. CK Shack (22): Henry Porter, 4, Martin "Facha" Valent, 4, Santi Toccalino, 8, Kris Kampsen, 6.

7. Casablanca (22): Juancito Bollini, 4, Sugar Erskine, 6, Tincho Merlos, 8, Luis Escobar, 4.

Side A, Bracket III

8. Aspen Valley Polo Club (TBA): Vinny Sangaline, 0, Pablo MacDonough, 10, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, TBA

9. SD Farms (22): Sayyu Dantata, 2, Lucas Escobar, 4, Pelon Stirling, 10, Peco Polledo, 6.

10. Park Place (22/23): Andrey Borodin, 0/Josh Hyde, 1, Juan Britos, 9, Hilario Ulloa, 10, Cody Ellis, 3.

Side B, Bracket IV:

11. Audi (22): Marc Ganzi, 2, Jason Crowder, 5, Barto Castagnola, 9, Paco de Narvaez, 6.

12. La Fe (20): Louis Devaleix, 0, Robi Bilbao, 5, Francisco Elizalde, 9, Lucas Diaz Alberdi, 6.

13. La Indiana (21): Stewart Armstrong, 3, Jeff Hall, 6, Lucas Criado Jr., 5, Mariano Aguerre, 7.

14. Tamera (22): Ale Poma, 1, Magoo Laprida/Jejo Taranco, 8, Diego Cavanagh, 9, Segundo Saravi, 4.

Side B, Bracket V:

15. Dutta Corp/Show (22): Timmy Dutta, 4, Tomas Garcia del Rio, 8, Inaki Laprida, 7, Joaquin Avendano, 3.

16. Polo Training Foundation (22): Nic Roldan, 8, Carlitos Gracida, 4, Jesse Bray, 6, Matias Gonzalez, 4.

17. Cessna (21): Will Johnston, 2, Camp Campbell, 2, Miguel Novillo Astrada, 9, Gringo Colombres, 8.

Side B, Bracket VI:

18. Old Hickory Bourbon/Airstream (22): Matias Magrini, 7, Santino Magrini, 5, Stevie Orthwein, 4, Joaquin Panelo, 6.

19. Sol de Agosto (22): Pacquito de Narvaez, 2, Grant Ganzi, 3, Juan Martin Nero, 10, Toro Ruiz, 7.

20. Pilot (22): Curtis Pilot, 0, Mackie Weisz, 5, Facundo Pieres, 10, Matias Torres Zavaleta, 7.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: U.S. Open Polo Championships start Tuesday in Wellington