Al Birkett Wins All American Tour Stop 5


Cue Masters owner Bill Kramer congratulating winner, Al Birkett

The fifth stop of the 2006/2007 McDermott All American Tour (produced by the American CueSports Alliance – ACS) featured a $750-added purse and thirty-seven players, hosted by owner Bill Kramer at Cue Masters Billiards in Dubuque, Iowa, on Saturday, November 11. The event featured double-elimination 8-ball on bar boxes, and Al Birkett of Clinton, Iowa - rated a “4” on a regional handicap system used - came up through the loser's bracket to take the title However, early on the winner's bracket was controlled by Ron O'Meara Jr. (Cedar Rapids, IA) [4]. O'Meara turned back DJ Wolrab (Cedar Rapids, IA), [3], 4-1 to take the hot seat. Matches in the loser's bracket leading up to the tourney finals included Anthony Wilson (Moline, IL) [3] eliminating Ron Pluym (Dubuque, IA) [4] 3-3; John Price (Dubuque, IA) [3] eliminating Chad Vilmont (Clinton, IA) [5] 3-4; Wilson defeating Price 3-2; DJ Wolrab [3] upending Anthony Wilson 3-2. O'Meara self-destructed against Al Birkett in the finals, as Birkett clipped O'Meara in the first set of the finals, 4-3, and ran away with the deciding set 4-0 for the Finals win.

The ACS wishes to thank sponsors McDermott Handcrafted Cues, Silver Cup Chalk, Billiard Wholesalers, Pro Series Cases and Kirchhofff Distributors for their support in donating “Value-In-Kind” product for this stop on the McDermott All American Tour. Sponsorship opportunities are still available by contacting the ACS.

Saturday, December 9, will feature Billiards on Main in Galesburg, IL, hosting a $500 added 8-ball McDermott All American Tour stop (for onsite entry details contact Mark Hammer at 309/342-7665). Information, entry details and schedules for the 2006/2007 McDermott All American Tour are available at www.americancuesports.org. The ACS is a non-profit, national organization dedicated to heightening the interest and awareness of cue sports through the support and sanctioning of organized competition throughout the United States and North America.

Final Results:
1st Al Birkett (Clinton, IA) $500
2nd Ron O'Meara (Cedar Rapids, IA) $300
3rd DJ Wolrab (Cedar Rapids, IA) $200
4th Anthony Wilson (Moline, IL) $125
5-6th Mark O'Hare (Cedar Rapids, IA) $100
John Price (Dubuque, IA)
7-8th Ron Pluym (Dubuque, IA) $80
Chad Vilmont (Clinton, IA)