2024 GAUNTLET OF POLO TO CONCLUDE WITH U.S. OPEN POLO CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE NATIONAL POLO CENTER
On Thursday, March 22, the 2024 U.S. Open Polo Championship draw party concluded at the National Polo Center – Wellington (NPC), determining preliminary matches in the third and final leg of the Gauntlet of Polo. Returning for the sixth consecutive year, the Gauntlet of Polo draws the world’s greatest polo talent to vie for the three most sought-after American titles: the C.V. Whitney Cup, USPA Gold Cup and U.S. Open Polo Championship. “The U.S. Open Polo Championship is the most important polo tournament in America,” said USPA Chief Operating Officer Chris Green. “It has been played for 120 years. There is not a person who has ever played polo for any period of time who would not want his or her name to be inscribed on the U.S. Open trophy.”
All nine teams competing in the USPA Gold Cup will return for the Open: Coca-Cola, La Dolfina, La Fe, Pilot, Park Place, Tamera, The Dutta Corp, Valiente and Clearwater. Up for grabs is $100,000 in prize money and the most coveted title in American polo.
Additionally, the Tommy Hitchcock Memorial Handicap will be played as the subsidiary tournament. Named in honor of Polo Hall of Famer Thomas “Tommy” Hitchcock Jr., the Memorial will be played in a single elimination format. Teams who are entered in the U.S. Open that do not qualify for the semifinals will be automatically entered. Breaking new ground to encourage participation, teams that satisfy the American Rule but are not entered in the U.S. Open may enter the Hitchcock Memorial. The U.S. Open Polo Championship begins Wednesday, March 27 and will run through April, with the final slated for Sunday, April 21, on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One at NPC. All U.S. Open matches at NPC will be broadcast by the USPA Polo Network. Livestreamed games will be available on uspolo.org as well as across multiple USPA social media platforms including Facebook, X and YouTube.
For the full tournament schedule, please visit the tournament detail page here.
