The Tri-State Tour has a reputation for crowning a new and different winner almost every week, and its season finale, held on the weekend of June 27-28 and hosted by Amsterdam Billiards in Manhattan, was no exception. Joe Fego defeated Michael Tosado twice to capture his first Tri-State Tour win and join the ranks of new faces in the Tri-State winners' circle. The $1,000-added, A-D handicapped event drew 39 entrants.
From among the winners' side final four, Fego, a “D” handicap player, defeated Michael Aro (“C+”) 7-4 to move into the hot seat match against Tosado (an “A” player), who'd sent ChristIan Smith (a “B” player) west 7-2. In the hot seat match that followed, Fego hung on to win 7-5 and waited for Tosado's return in the true double elimination final.
It was Andrew Kane, who'd gotten by Lionel Rivera and Daniel Dagabot by identical 7-5 scores, who was waiting for Aro on the one-loss side. Smith would square off against Trevor Heal, who'd advanced past Jerry Tarantola in a hill-hill match and Mike Scholden 8-3. Aro defeated Kane 6-2, as Smith downed Heal 7-4. Smith then advanced to the semifinals versus Tosado with another 7-4 win; this time over Aro. Tosado, though, ended Smith's bid with a 7-4 victory of his own that sent him back for a second chance verus Fego.
In the opening set of the true double elimination final, Tosado used another 7-4 win to force a second set. Fego responded with a commanding 7-1 win to capture the first place prize.
Tri-State Tour representatives are expected to release the names of the tour's top players in each of their respective handicaps by Wednesday, July 1. The tour's annual invitational tournament is set for July 11-12 at Comet Billiards in Parsippany, NJ.
Fego takes first Tri-State stop on tour finale
June 28, 2009