The Buffalo Club Open once again lived up to its reputation as one of the most popular stops on the SDA calendar, closing out the regular season in style. With a $30,000 purse and its iconic buffalo sculpture trophy, the event—hosted at The Buffalo Club—attracts top-tier talent and a lively local crowd. Defending champions and top seeds James Stout and Scott Arnold, the current world #1 ranked team, returned looking to repeat last year’s success. Second seeds Adam Bews and Matt Henderson were eager for redemption after Bews, partnered with Kyle Martino, fell to Stout and Arnold in the 2023 final.
This year’s draw featured plenty of action, with rising stars Daelum Mawji and Charles Culhane grabbing attention in the quarterfinals by upsetting 3rd seeds Elroy Leong and Kyle Martino in straight games. They followed up the performance with a spirited effort in the semifinals, taking a game off Bews and Henderson before bowing out 3-1. On the top half, Josh Hughes and Tor Christoffersen, who have cemented themselves as a top-six team this season, ran into a wall against Stout and Arnold. While Hughes and Stout are familiar training partners at the Racquet & Tennis Club where they both work, the veteran experience and precision of Stout proved too much on the day.
The final followed a familiar script for the top seeds, with Stout and Arnold starting slowly and dropping the opening game for just two points. The second game saw them gain ground until a disputed call at 6-all rattled Stout, leading to a six-point run for Bews and Henderson, who took the game and a commanding 2-0 lead. The third game was a tense, scrappy battle as Bews and Henderson inched toward the finish line. A series of frantic rallies and a brilliant reverse from Henderson nearly sealed the match, but the top seeds held their nerve, finally taking the third after multiple lets. From there, the momentum shifted completely. Stout and Arnold stormed back to take the fourth and then opened up a wide lead in the fifth that their opponents couldn’t recover from, sealing the comeback win.
With the Buffalo Club Open bringing the regular season to a close, the tour now takes a break until September.