1.7 seconds—that’s how long it took for Mark Richards’ final bag to travel from his fingertips to the opposing board’s hole. That’s how long it took for him to make cornhole history.
With his Open #9 Singles win, Richards became the ACL’s winningest player of all time. Now the proud owner of 22 career titles, Richards won his bracket in convincing fashion, defeating ACL Pro partner Tony Smith in the semifinals and then rookie ACL Junior Pro Zack Aiken in the championship match.
However, this wasn’t the first time Mark Richards found himself facing off against 15-year-old Aiken. The two had previously met in the Singles final at the Albuquerque Open and Aiken ultimately walked away victorious. That round-limited match fueled Richards’ fire and went a long way in ensuring he took home the next Open Singles title in Reno.
Richards earned a second title that weekend alongside ACL Pro partner Tony Smith. He shared how it felt good to finally get the Doubles win, but it highlighted how there is still work to be done in their game.
“There’s more to take away than [from] Singles,” Richards said. “Singles told me, ‘hey, you’re still where you’re at and stay there.’ Doubles [told me], ‘hey, you and Tony can win one of these things.’”
Richards shared that he and Smith believe they have what it takes to beat anyone on any given day. “I think we were good enough to win, but I still think there were a lot of things that we could have done better, and that’s a good problem to have when everything is going your way.”
Mark Richards is known as an impressive player for a multitude of reasons, one of which being how he throws two different styles of cornhole bags within the same weekend. Most players stick to one type of bag during a tournament for the sake of consistency, but Richards tailors his bag choice to accommodate his partner’s playing style.
While competing with Tony Smith in Doubles on Saturdays, he throws a slower bag, but then switches to a faster bag for Singles on Sundays.
“I like the challenge,” Richards said. “When I warm up, I’ve got to be dialed in and I’ve got to be sure to tell myself, ‘hey, I’ve got to throw this thing on Saturday, but on Sunday, your bag on board speed has to be perfect.’ So there’s things I know I have to do each day, but as long as I’m locked in and doing it at a high level, I should be fine.”
While mechanics and strategy are a critical part of becoming a top cornhole pro, it’s the mental fortitude that seals the deal for a player. Mark Richards has demonstrated exceptional mental toughness in his ability to keep calm under pressure while maintaining his focus in high-stakes situations.
Mike Hennessey, Lucky Bags Cornhole owner and current bag sponsor, asserts he has never seen a player with a mental game as strong as Richards’.
“He’s very confident. He’s very focused. I’ve never seen anybody with the mental side of the game like him,” Hennessey said. “You could watch him play and you wouldn’t know if he was up 10 [points] or down 10; he maintains that same level of focus.”
In just four short years, Mark Richards has become one of the best players in the American Cornhole League. He believes if a player wants to become the best in the world, it all comes down to their willingness to fail before succeeding.
“Figure out the things that work for your game,” Richards said. “The thing that shaped me the most was trial and error—success and failure. If you really want to be a top tier player, you cannot mess around. You have to always be focused, always trying to perfect your craft, always respecting the game. There’s a list of things you have to do and you can’t skip one along the way in order to be great.”
