Michael McKendrick and Justin Emory
While many regional tour and independent events have opted to employ the FargoRate handicapping system in designating the range of skill levels allowable at specific events, the Pockets Gaming and Billiards Lounge in Waynesboro, PA promoted their recent weekend event (Sat., Feb. 24) as being for “APA 6 and under based on your highest skill rating.” This is ‘roughly’ equivalent to Fargo rates in the lower 400s. Similarly, an APA rating of 5 would (again, roughly) translate into a Fargo rate in the 300s. Colorado State University has published a ‘lookup tool’ which can be used to translate a variety of handicapping systems into Fargo rates, or vice versa. So the next time you wonder how your APA Equalizer system handicap (or any of a number of other common ratings systems) compares to Fargo rates, you can look it up – https://billiards.colostate.edu/faq/rating/FargoRate/.
Fargo rates at Pockets on the weekend ranged from a low of 235 and a high of 487. The $500-added event, which drew its designated-maximum of 32 entrants, was officially won by Michael McKendrick (433 Fargo, racing to 4), who went undefeated to the hot seat. In the hot seat match, McKendrick defeated Justin Emory (470, racing to 6), who became the official runner-up when he and McKendrick agreed to a split of the top two prizes. The 235 Fargo-rated competitor finished among the top half of the event’s finishers, while the 487-rated competitor went ‘two and out.’
McKendrick’s five-match journey to the hot seat started out a little shaky, as he was forced at the outset to win two straight, double-hill matches against Steven Drury and Brad Shauf. After defeating Adam Emerick 4-2, McKendrick drew Austin Phillips in one of the winners’ side semifinals.
Emory, in the meantime, got by Brett Lasley (2) and shut out Kiersten Dawley, before he ran into his first and only double-hill challenge, Ryan Ditch. Emory prevailed to draw Scott Struble in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Emory advanced to the hot seat match 6-3 over Struble, as McKendrick was busy contending with his third double-hill battle, which he eventually won. McKendrick played his last match, claiming the hot seat over Emory 4-2.
On the loss side, Struble picked up Jackie Barnes, who’d lost her winners’ side quarterfinal match to Austin Phillips 3-5 and then defeated Trent Dixon 5-1 and Travis Oran Phillips II, double hill. Austin Phillips drew Ron Brady, who’d lost his opening match to Jon Mehalko and embarked on an eventual seven-match, loss-side winning streak that had recently eliminated Ryan Ditch 6-4 and shut out Paul Clay Bivens, Jr.
Brady chalked up loss-side win #6, downing Phillips 5-1. He was joined in the quarterfinals by Struble, who’d defeated Barnes 5-1. Brady downed Struble 5-2 in that quarterfinal match.
Emory ended Brady’s streak 5-2 in the semifinals that followed. Negotiations got underway between McKendrick and Emory over a split of the top two cash prizes as they opted out of a final match, leaving McKendrick as the event’s official winner.
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