River City Pickleball Club Hosts Classic March 6-8, Local Amateurs Compete

The River City Classic, organized by the River City Pickleball Club, ran March 6–8, 2026 at Merchant Centre Court in Owensboro, with matches scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM each day and a lineup that ranged from senior singles to 3.0–5.0 doubles play. Bretnea Harvey, vice president of RCPC, said, “We are beyond excited to invite several hundred competitors from Owensboro, the rest of Kentucky, and several surrounding states to compete in the River City Classic in March at Merchant Centre Court.”

RCPC, founded in 2019, puts on the Classic as one of its two yearly tournaments, a spring and a fall edition, and the club “proudly calls Owensboro home.” The club has positioned the Classic as a regional stop for amateurs looking for organized play and local competition, continuing a run that drew a substantial field in 2025.

Last year’s River City Classic welcomed over 350 pickleball players representing seven states, with international competitors involved as well, a mark organizers cited as part of the tournament’s growing reach. Harvey’s mention of “several hundred competitors” echoed that scale and signaled expectations for a multi-state turnout across the March weekend.

Organizers laid out a day-by-day schedule aimed at separating age and skill groups: Friday, March 6 served as the senior competition day; Saturday, March 7 featured Men’s and Women’s Doubles for skill levels 3.0 through 5.0; and Sunday, March 8 closed with Mixed Doubles, also at 3.0 through 5.0. All competition on each day began promptly at 8:00 AM, allowing players and spectators to plan for morning starts and full-day brackets.

RCPC also encouraged broader participation from visitors and newcomers, noting a community emphasis on inclusion: “RCPC always encourages all guests and visitors to join them on the courts as they love introducing new players to the nation’s fastest-growing sport.” That message underscored clinics and drop-in play opportunities the club often highlights during tournament weekends, aimed at converting curious tourists into weekend players.

Harvey framed the Classic as both a showcase and a tourism draw, saying, “Our fall and spring events always showcase some of the best talent in our region as well as invite people to check out all our city has to offer, from new hotels, a beautiful riverfront, to some of the best local restaurants you can find. We hope people will see this as an opportunity to come experience what competitive Pickleball looks like.”

The River City Classic remains one of RCPC’s signature events, continuing a pattern established since the club’s founding in 2019 and reinforcing Owensboro’s role as a regional hub for amateur pickleball.