After a brief pause in the schedule for the U.S. National Championships, the SDA Pro Tour returned to action with the Creek Challenge Cup at The Creek, a $10,000 event on the Cache_Seven Challenger Tour. A competitive field gathered on Long Island, with top seeds Travis Judson and Clinton Leeuw leading the draw in what proved to be an eventful and hard-fought weekend.
The title was claimed by Henry Parkhurst and Marcus Sim Wei Jie, marking a first SDA victory for both players. Sim Wei Jie, originally from Malaysia and now an assistant professional at Heights Casino, partnered Parkhurst to impressive effect throughout the event, navigating a challenging path to the final.
Their semi-final victory over second seeds Sergio Martin and Khamal Cumberbatch was the match of the tournament, with Parkhurst and Sim Wei Jie edging a high-quality contest 15–13 in the fifth. The result continues the rise of Martin and Cumberbatch as a team to watch this season, while underlining the growing confidence of the eventual champions.
On the other side of the draw, The Creek head professional Tristan Eysele and partner Abhishek Agarwal advanced to the final with a dramatic 15–14 in the fifth win over Santiago Orozco and Dana Santry, the latter suffering his third 15–14 defeat of the season in a series of narrow finishes.
The final, however, had an unfortunate conclusion. Judson was forced to retire with a knee injury in the opening stages, handing the title to Parkhurst and Sim Wei Jie. It marked the second serious injury of the tournament, following Tim Lassusa’s Achilles tear in the first round.
Despite the difficult moments, the event delivered another competitive and compelling weekend on the Challenger Tour, highlighted by a breakthrough result for two emerging players and continued depth across the field.