 |
| Melinda Bailey |
In early 2008, Wes reluctantly notified Melinda that he needed to phase out of the tour sponsorship. “Wes regretted this as much as we did,” Melinda says. “We had the best partnership we could have asked for, but he needed to focus his energy on his businesses.”
 |
| Tour members express appreciation for Wes Hunter’s 15 years of sponsorship |
A few years earlier, Royce Bunnell and his partner, Don Owen, had gone into business making innovative cue shafts, and in 2006, they were ready for their first showing. The Hunter Classics Tour happened to be holding a tournament in Dallas at that time, and Royce decided that event would provide a good venue to introduce his new product, the “OB-1” shaft.
“Right away,” Royce says, “I was impressed by the professionalism and dedication of these ladies. From that point on, I attended their tournaments and did everything I could to help support their tour.” And during this period, the OB-1 shaft proved so successful, that Royce and Don expanded their line and began marketing complete cue sticks.
So now, needing a sponsor, Melinda called Royce to see if he’d be interested. “I barely got the question out,” Melinda says, “before he accepted.” Royce concurs. “It was an opportunity to sponsor what I believe is the best regional tour in the country.”
Now the challenge would be, making a smooth transition.
Melinda is that rare individual who enjoys her vocation as well as her avocation — meteorology and pool, respectively. While she was growing up in San Antonio, Texas, a meteorologist spoke at her seventh-grade career day. Melinda joked with her mother, who watched the Weather Channel daily, “I’ll become a meteorologist, just so I can tell you the weather.”
Later, when Melinda enrolled at Texas A & M University, she was undecided which curriculum to follow. Then she noticed that the school had a meteorology program. At the time, she didn’t realize that Texas A & M was the only school in Texas that offered an undergraduate degree in meteorology, but she decided that would be her major. Fortunately for Melinda, the cards had fallen in place, and she started on her career path.
She graduated from Texas A & M in 1992, and for the next eight years she forecasted the weather in Jacksonville, Florida and in San Antonio, Texas. Then she moved into her current position in middle management at the National Weather Service Regional Headquarters in Fort Worth.
“I love going to work every morning,” Melinda says. Her job enables her to travel, speak to groups, and oversee special projects and policy. One recent project was developing a tsunami warning system for the southern and eastern United States.
Melinda’s pool-playing career began at a local arcade, while she was still in high school. “I got bored getting top scores in the video game, ‘Galaga’,” she says, “so I started hitting balls on the pool table.”
Her interest in pool grew during the years she attended Texas A & M. Then after graduation, she began competing in leagues and tournaments. By 1997, she was immersed in the game, playing not only locally, but also in Hunter and other regional tour events across the country. She also began making annual trips to Las Vegas to compete in the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) National 8-Ball Championships.
In 2000, Melinda agreed to serve as a Hunter Classics Tour board member. She says, “I enjoy the opportunity to help women take a break from their daily lives, have fun, and realize their dreams.”
During this period, Melinda also became a partner in www.azbilliards.com, the top pool-related website on the Internet. Additionally, she began serving as webmaster on the Hunter and several other pool-related websites.
As her dedication to pool has grown, so has her skill as a player. During her eleven years on the Hunter Tour, she’s been a perennial top-10 finisher, once finishing as high as fourth in the year-end standings. Memorable highlights of her playing career include: 2002 — 9th Place in Women’s Singles at BCA Nationals, which earned her BCA Master status. 2007 — 5th Place in Scotch Doubles at BCA Nationals (with Royce Bunnell as her partner). 2008 — 1st Place in the inaugural Southwest Amateur Tournament.
 |
| Melinda |
Winning the Southwest Amateur Tournament earlier this year was a special moment for Melinda. One of her overarching goals was to win a tournament while in her thirties. “I was running out of time,” she says with a laugh. She reached that goal on her birthday weekend. “In the final match, I had to win three sets from a good friend,” she says. “It was tough, but somehow I managed to do it.” With tears in her eyes she dedicated the win to her mom and dad.
Late Sunday evening, the first official event of the OB Cues Ladies 9-Ball Tour comes to a conclusion, as longtime tour member, Tara McCracken, completes her undefeated sweep through the 52-player field with a hard-fought victory over visitor Nicole Keeney.
Melinda, the other directors, and Royce enjoy the moment. The transition from the Hunter Classics Tour to the OB Cues Ladies 9-Ball Tour couldn’t have gone more smoothly. One of the directors slips and refers to the group as the Hunter Tour. Royce teases her, then admits that during the weekend he’s occasionally slipped himself.
 |
| New sponsor, Royce Bunnell, and Tara McCracken (left) and Nicole Keeney |
Melinda is one of the members who make the tour so successful. As webmaster, she’s already changed the name throughout the website, and when she returns home to Fort Worth, she’ll enter the results of the first official OB Cues Ladies 9-Ball Tour event.
In one corner of the Home Page, the original mission of the tour remains the same: “Good pool. Good friends. Good times.” Nearby, Melinda has added: “Same tour, new name.”
