Undefeated Earl Strickland Wins All-Carolina Final: Takes $15,000 And The Lead In Year-Long Point Standings Las Vegas-Earl Strickland of Greensboro, NC sailed undefeated through a field of 96 of the world's top professional billiards players to take his second Camel Pro Billiards Series title of the season when he won the Riviera Hotel Pro 8-Ball Open here August 6th. Strickland also took the lead in the $300,000 year-long point standings. He defeated Mike Coltrain of Raleigh, NC 7-5 in the all-Carolina final. Strickland's second Camel title of the season came seemingly effortlessly as he downed Randy Whitehead, Shiloh, IL, 7-2; John Colak, Calgary, ALB, 7-4; JR Calvert, Jeanette, PA, 7-2; Ray Shultz, Owensboro, KY, 7-1; Kim Davenport, Modesto, CA, 7-6; and Ernesto Dominguez, Sylmar, CA, 7-2 before squaring off against fellow Tarheel Coltrain in the final. The lone 8-Ball contest of the eight-event Camel Pro Billiards Series provided the stage for some all-time high finishes by several players. Ernesto Dominguez doubled his payday with his fourth place finish; his previous high finish was a pair of 7-8th places at JOB's and Denver in 1998. Jeff Carter, Madison, WI, bettered his previous high finish (13-16th Las Vegas 1998) with his 5-6th place finish here. Although Ralf Souquet, Manching, Germany, has posted higher finishes (second at JOB's in 1997 and third in Tulsa last year), his fourth place effort here was remarkable given his first round loss to Steve McAninch, Toledo, OH, and the challenge of playing with jet lag from international travel. Ray Shultz notched an impressive 7-8th place finish losing only to Strickland and Coltrain. Shultz's previous high finish was a 17-24th in 1998. Kim Davenport continued his unbroken streak of cashing at every Camel Pro Billiards Series tournament since 1997's Denver event. Not all the action in Las Vegas was in the pro arena. The Riviera Hotel and Casino's new convention center ballroom hosted thousands of American Poolplayers Association team players who made the trip for the National Team Championships. In addition, the Camel Corner Pocket showcased free black light pool and friendly competition on the Camel Speed Shot table. Exhibitions by Tom "Dr. Cue" Rossman and pro challenges added to the non-stop pool fun. The annual Pool Party got the week off to a fun start with a live band, performances by Simon the magician, autograph sessions with the pros and a sweepstakes drawing from ESPN The Magazine. SportsCenter anchor Linda Cohn drew the ticket that sent a lucky APA player on a VIP weekend to watch a broadcast of ESPN's SportsCenter. The next event in the Camel Pro Billiards Series is the Kasson 9-Ball Open, Sept 14-19 at JOB's Billiard Club in Madison, TN. The Camel Pro Billiards Series is a program of eight professional billiards tournaments that showcase the 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball skills of the world's top cueists. Fields of 96 qualified professional players compete for $75,000 purses and year-long points. At the end of the season, a $300,000 year-end bonus fund is awarded to the top finishers based on points earned throughout the year.