50th Annual Texas Open a Smashing Success

Owners Kim and Tracy Sanders welcomed players and fans to Skinny Bob’s Billiards in Round Rock, TX for the 50th Annual Texas Open! With $40,000 added to eight different events, there was something for everyone!

Local sponsors included Hanshew Custom Cues, Savage Billiards, ABC Supply Co., Inc, Mints Amusements, JB Cases, Diamond Billiard Products, Simonis, Aramith, GAF, Hanshew Custom Cues, PoolActionTV.com and Fort Worth Billiards Superstore of Fort Worth, TX.

Spotted roaming the room were One Pocket Hall of Famers Jeremy Jones and Scott Frost, Shane Van Boening, John Morra, Tony Chohan, Roberto Gomez, Sky Woodward, Billy Thorpe, Josh Roberts, Alex Calderon, Evan Lunda, Shane Wolford, Sergio Rivas, Robert Frost, James Davis Sr, Ming Ng and Tina Malm.

The ten day extravaganza kicked off with the $1,500 added Jack & Jill Scotch Doubles Nine Ball division and a players auction. This true double elimination race to seven event had 26 teams posting a $150 entry fee.

The teams of Billy Thorpe/Kim Sanders and Sky Woodward/Savannah Easton tore through the field to face each other in the hot seat match. Billy and Kim won the match 7-4 and claimed their seat in the finals. Sky and Savannah then faced James Davis Sr and Jennifer Kraber to duke it out. The match was close but ended 7-5 leaving James & Jennifer in third place.

The finals began with Woodward and Easton having to defeat Thorpe and Sanders twice to claim the title and that was exactly what they did! Sky and Savannah blistered Billy and Kim in the first set 7-1. The second set was close until Woodward and Easton pulled away and won the match 7-5 becoming this year’s Jack & Jill Scotch Doubles champs!

The $13,000 added One Pocket division began last Monday evening with a players auction. The event saw 24 players paying a $1,000 entry fee to compete in this true double elimination event. The format was alternate breaks and races to 5/4.

Playing down to the final four was Scott Frost and John Gabriel in the upper portion of the bracket and Roberto Gomez and Tony Chohan in the lower portion. Frost trounced Gabriel 5-1 while Chohan defeated Gomez 5-3. Tony then defeated Scott 5-3 to lock up his seat in the finals.

Meanwhile, on the one loss side, Billy Thorpe eliminated Roberto Gomez 4-2 and Shane Van Boening defeated John Gabriel 4-1. Shane then smoked both Thorpe and Frost 4-0 to advance to the finals. Billy finished in fourth place while Scott took third.

Still red hot, Van Boening won the first set 5-2 forcing one final race to four for the title. This set was much closer as both players fought for every ball. At three games apiece, Chohan studied the stack and pulled off a spectacular back cut combination shot to close out the set and take home the title!

The $500 added Banks division began on Wednesday with 46 players ponying up a $50 entry fee to play in this true double elimination, race to three, alternate break format.

Advancing to the final four were Sky Woodward/David Neumann and John Morra/Mike DeLawder. Sky won his match with David 3-0 while John defeated Mike 3-1. Moving on to the hot seat match, it was Morra over Woodward 3-1 securing John’s seat in the finals.

Shane Wolford’s quest for the title was ended by Sky 3-1 leaving him in third place and Woodward looking for revenge in the finals. However, it was not to be as Morra took the final match 3-1 and added a banks title to his resume.

The following evening was the $500 Nine Ball Mini – entry fee was $25, single elimination and races to three.

The field was trimmed to four players – Nick De Leon defeated Roberto Gomez and Vitaliy Patsura over Sky Woodward – both matches 3-1. Nick and Vitaliy decided to split the cash.

Friday afternoon saw the start of both a $500 added Ladies Ring 10 Ball Game and a $500 added Banks Ring Game. The ladies paid a $50 entry and the entry for the Banks was $100.

The final two players in the Banks Ring Game were Robert Frost and Roberto Gomez. Roberto took it down!

And, the final two players in the Ladies 10 Ball Ring Game were Jennifer Kraber and Michelle Cortez – they elected to chop the pot!

After a rousing player auction on Friday evening, play for the Open Nine Ball was to begin on Saturday morning. The Ladies 9 Ball Championship began Saturday evening.

With a full field of 32 ladies, the format was true double elimination, races to seven, winner breaks, template rack with one on the spot – entry fee was $125.

The field was trimmed down to four on the winners side. Rising star Savannah Easton pounded Camilla Renee 7-1 while Nicole McDaniel beat the always tough Jennifer Kraber 7-5. Savannah and Nicole advanced to the hot seat match with Easton taking the match 7-4 and securing her spot in the finals.

After losing her first match to Teresa Garland 7-5, Sofia Mast got to work. She mowed down Dori DeLeon 7-5, former Texas Open champ Ming Ng and Crystal Jones – both 7-2, escaped 7-6 over Julia Rapp, reigning Music City Open champ Tina Malm 7-5, former Texas Open 10 Ball champ Jennifer Kraber 7-2 and Chris Fields 7-4.

In dead punch, Mast made short work of McDaniel 7-0 to arrive at the finals! Savannah put up a good fight in the finals but she went down too (7-4)! Ten matches in a row to become the youngest winner of any single title at the Texas Open!

And, now – back to the main event!

After many hours of play, the field in the Texas Open 9 Ball Championship had been whittled down to eight undefeated players. John Morra was defeated by Shane Wolford 9-2, Shane Van Boening skunked Alex Calderon 9-0, Roberto Gomez beat Vitaliy Patsura 9-5 and Tyler Styer won over Sergio Rivas 9-6.

Wolford lost to Van Boening 9-5 and Gomez was defeated by Styer. Both Van Boening and Styer advanced to the hot seat match and what a match it was! Both men played super! Shane had six break and runs – he missed two shots. Tyler had five break and runs – he missed none unless you want to count a long jump shot. Tyler eked out a 9-8 win and moved into the finals! Shane headed west to await an opponent.

Morra eliminated Woodward 9-7 and then annihilated Gomez 9-0 while Patsura beat Rivas 9-4 and Wolford 9-5. John and Vitaliy battled it out until Patsura closed out the match 9-7 leaving Morra in fourth place.

Next for Patsura was Van Boening – Shane was eliminated 9-6 and finished in third.

Moving into the finals, Vitaliy had to win two sets to take the title from Tyler. Having none of that, Styer drilled Patsura 9-1 and went undefeated to become this year’s Texas Open 9 Ball champ!

Congratulations to all the 2023 champs!

And, thanks again to Kim and Tracy Sanders and their staff for, as always, a first class event!

We’d also like to thank James Hanshew for making and donating a beautiful cue that was raffled off featuring all the winners of the Texas Open 9 Ball Championship!

Thanks to Tournament Director Jason Hill for an exemplary job juggling multiple events. We’d also like to thank Larry Schwartz, Jeremy Jones, Scott Frost, Josh Roberts, Nick DeLeon, Jude Rosenstock, Robert Frost, Ming Ng, Mary Kenniston and our own Ray Hansen for their excellent commentary.

PoolActionTV would like to thank our sponsors! Our sponsors include JB Cases, Hanshew Jump Cues, Savage Billiards, Lomax Custom Cues, Diamond Billiard Products, Durbin Custom Cues, Simonis, Aramith, GAF, the Action Palace of Dayton, OH and Fort Worth Billiards Superstore of Fort Worth, TX.

And as always, thanks to Terry Hanna and all our fans!

Our next stop is the $10,000 added Michigan Fall Classic. Held at Eastside Billiards in Grand Rapids, MI, the dates are September 15th-17th. Hope to see you there!!!

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