Connor Garnett with the trophy after defeating Tyson McGuffin.
Connor Garnett was too much for Tyson McGuffin to handle on Championship Sunday. PPA Tour

Garnett downs McGuffin to capture men's singles title

OVERLAND PARK, KS - Connor Garnett, the #2 seed, claimed his second gold medal on the PPA Tour by defeating #3 seed Tyson McGuffin in the men's singles final at the Selkirk Kansas City Open. Garnett's victory came in three games, with scores of 11-0, 2-11, 11-2.

Garnett's path to the final meant taking down Alex Neumann, Yates Johnson, Aanik Lohani, and Chris Haworth, while McGuffin saw opponents Hunter Johnson, Eric Roddy, Gabe Tardio, and Federico Staksrud on his side of the bracket.

The final began with a moment of history as Garnett achieved a rare "golden pickle" in the first game 11-0, which is where the first server takes the game by winning eleven consecutive points without a sideout.

A closer look at Connor Garnett's work in the first game.
A closer look at Connor Garnett's work in the first game. Pickleball.com

McGuffin regrouped in the second game and came storming back to take it 11-2, setting the two up for a decisive third game.

In the final game, Garnett once again took control, closing out the match with an 11-2 victory and securing his second gold medal on the PPA Tour—his first-ever title coming at the Veolia LA Open earlier this year against Federico Staksrud.


In the bronze medal match, Haworth battled it out against Staksrud in another three-game thriller, with Haworth taking it 11-7, 0-11, 11-9.

If you missed the men’s singles action from Sunday, you can rewatch the full final on YouTube.