By Steve Drumwright – Red Line Editorial
Most pairings at the 2025 Zimmer Biomet APP Newport Beach Open made sense on paper.
In the women’s doubles 70-and-over 4.0-4.5 division, the players’ hometowns usually weren’t far from each other. Most of the pickleball partners have played together for a while, too.
Then there’s Gail Hamilton and Dyxie Van Bruggen.
Hamilton hails from Indio, California, while Van Bruggen was listed as being from 760 miles north in Bend, Oregon.
It turns out Van Bruggen splits her time between Bend and Palm Desert, California, and their nascent partnership began only recently when they met at a pickleball club in the Palm Springs area.
Nonetheless, the new partners decided to aim for a spot in the 2025 USA Pickleball National Championships through the Golden Ticket event in Newport Beach from July 2-6.
The women’s faith in their abilities paid off when they came up with the best match since forming the duo. Hamilton and Van Bruggen defeated Sue Morgan of Laguna Niguel, California, and Annabel Rogan of Santa Monica, California, 11-4, 11-8 to win the gold medal on July 3. That earned the pair a chance to compete at nationals in San Diego on Nov. 15-23.
What made it even more special was that Hamilton and Van Bruggen typically play in the 4.0 division, while their foes in the title match hail in the 4.5 category. The two divisions were combined for the tournament though, as there were only two 4.5 teams entered.
Those two teams handed Hamilton and Van Bruggen their only two losses in six round-robin matches. In the second game of the championship match, Hamilton and Van Bruggen were down a handful of points before finishing with a flourish, stunning the previously unbeaten team.
“That was probably the best game we played,” Van Bruggen said.
The victory was even more stunning when you consider Morgan and Rogan didn’t allow more than five points to a team in pool play, including an 11-4 win over the eventual champs in what was Hamilton and Van Bruggen’s last match before the knockout rounds. They then survived a 16-14 match in the semifinals over the other 4.5 team, Beth Arkin of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, and Lisa Sigaty of Orange, California.
“We played together quite a bit,” Hamilton said. “It’s hard to find (another) 70-year-old that wants to play in a tournament. It worked out well. We complement each other.”
Hamilton and Van Bruggen also had starkly different career paths. Hamilton was in IT, while Van Bruggen was a therapist for adolescents with behavior and emotion problems. Yet both had another sport in common that has helped them enjoy pickleball — softball.
Hamilton played a bit professionally in Southern California as a shortstop, while Van Bruggen was a pitcher during her career as a youth player. Hamilton pointed out the quick reaction times needed to be able to dig a hard-hit ball out of the dirt while ranging right or left. Meanwhile, Van Bruggen’s quick reflexes developed as batters lasered line drives at her following her delivery — and well before pitchers wore facemasks.
“I think it helps a lot if you’re athletic,” Hamilton said.
That softball background also helps in an elite tournament such as Newport Beach, which drew several talented teams not only from the region, but other states including Hawaii and Arizona.
“Since we both did competitive sports in high school or college, it’s just like you never say ‘we’re done,’” Van Bruggen said. “You just fight, fight, fight.”
As with many folks in their age bracket, Hamilton and Van Bruggen say pickleball not only keeps them active but is a good way to make connections socially.
“I feel very blessed that I’m healthy, and I have avoided injuries, knock on wood,” Van Bruggen said, “and [then there’s] the social aspect.”
“Probably everybody I’m friends with is from our community,” Hamilton added.
Now the duo plans to practice together and sharpen their teamwork before looking to add a second gold medal at Nationals, when they likely will be facing just 4.0 teams.
“I feel pretty good about it,” Van Bruggen said.
“It’s a good ego booster and good for our confidence,” Hamilton said of beating a strong field. “There’s a lot of players, strong pickleball players in this area.”
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Steve Drumwright is a journalist based in Murrieta, California. He is a freelance contributor to USA Pickleball on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
