Midwest 9-Ball Tour Underway at Shooters Billiards in Olathe Kansas

Shane Van Boening and Cliff Joyner

The Midwest 9-Ball Tour is starting off 2008 with a big bang. This weekend (February 21-24, 2008), you can find Tournament Directors Evelyn Dysart and Danny Dysart manning the brackets at Shooters Billiards in Olathe, Kansas for their bar table events and one pocket competition.

The $1000 added one pocket division started play Thursday evening with a total of thirty-seven players in the field including such top names as Shane Van Boening, Cliff Joyner, Buddy Hall, and the list goes on.

The field has dwindled down to the final four as of Friday evening with Buddy Hall taking the winners side hot seat over Mark Haddad by a score of 3-2. On the one-loss side, Brian Jones and Cliff Joyner will battle to determine who will face Haddad in the semi-finals. If Joyner makes it past Jones, he will have a chance at a grudge match with Haddad as he sent Joyner to the one-loss side earlier 3-1.

Following shortly behind these match-ups, Daniel Neldner and John Gabriel took fifth/sixth, while Chris Weast and Joe Salazar finished in seventh/eighth. One of the more recognizable players on hand, Shane Van Boening, did not make it to the prize money rounds. Instead, finishing thirteenth through sixteenth in the field after being knocked out of the race by local player Bruce Bellinton.

The $4000 added bar table main event and ladies divisions will jump start on tonight (Friday). The deadline to register is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. and play is anticipated to begin shortly thereafter (approx. 10 p.m.).

Keep an eye out right here on AZBilliards.com throughout the weekend for updates from Shooters (brackets will not be provided for this event). For additional information on the tour, visit their website at www.9balltour.com