The Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) has made great strides in the last two years to expand the number of Tour stops on the WPBA Tour, and currently seven stops are already scheduled for 2020. In alignment with our strategic goals to expand the tour, the Board of Directors is revitalizing the Regional Tour Program (RTP).
To date, three regional tours have committed to joining the program:
Both the Tiger Florida Tour and Florida Coastal Ladies Tour are coordinating their efforts and schedules to maximize opportunities for the women players in their region.
Major points within the new program include:
* There is no annual WPBA affiliation fee for any women’s Regional Tour.
* A women’s Regional Tour must offer a minimum of 4 regional tour stops per year.
* Players on any WPBA-affiliated Regional Tour are not required to join the WPBA.
* WPBA-affiliated Regional Tours need not be exclusively affiliated to only the WPBA.
* WPBA-affiliated Regional Tours may use tour stops as qualifiers to WPBA Pro Tour events if applied for in advance.
As more women’s Regional Tours affiliate to the WPBA, the WPBA plans to reintroduce its annual Regional Tour Championship (RTC). Current women’s Regional Tours or promoters desiring to initiate their own women’s Regional Tours may contact the WPBA at wpbaoffice9@gmail.com / (855) 367-9722 for affiliation applications and/or materials to assist in the formation process.
The WPBA Board of Directors is committed to providing opportunities for the next generation of women to become professional billiards players and join the ranks of our dedicated cadre.
$29,000 GUARANTEED PURSE, 64 PLAYER FIELD, & ARAMITH BALLS AS SPONSOR
The Women’s Professional Billiard Association is excited to announce the 1st Signature Tour Stop of 2018. Emerald Billiards, located at 2511 Old W. Spanish Trail; New Iberia, LA, will be hosting the 64-player event with a guaranteed purse of $29,000. A field of 64 elite players will travel from all over the world for a shot at the title & the top prize of $5,500.
WPBA President Dean Roeseler has this to say regarding the event: “The WPBA Board is proud to bring you the second tour stop of the year in New Iberia, LA. This event will be a "signature stop" (50% points) and will be a 3 day event beginning Friday June 22nd at 10am. Emerald Billiards owner Keith Hulen is dedicated to making this a great event. We have 2 more events on the schedule for this year and will make those announcement when contracts are completed.”
EVENT SCHEDULE (times approximate):
Thursday June 21st: Black Widow Exhibition 7pm-10pm
Friday June 22nd: Match play from 10am-11pm
Saturday June 23rd: Match play from 10am-12am
Sunday June 24th: Match play from 10am-finals 8:30pm
Exhibition Event with “The Black Widow” Jeanette Lee June 21st 7pm-10pm
“The Black Widow” Jeanette Lee will be doing an exhibition with challenge matches the night before the main event, June 21st from 7pm-10pm. For tickets to the main WPBA event or “The Black Widow” exhibition call: 337.319.0530
Tiger SMART gathered for the 2nd Annual Georgia State 9-Ball Championship at Rack & Grill II in Augusta, GA, September 16, 2017. Rack & Grill hosts two events a year and is also home to the very popular Monthly Tournament the first full weekend on each month. Chris Kuneman, owner, is always a fantastic host and Tiger SMART is so happy to have cultivated the relationship.
Format was double elimination, one race to nine in the final. The event was full of exciting matches including: a hill-hill victory for Debbie Teichert over Marianne Merrill; Tiffany Stidham over Christy Miller 7-5; Tiffany Stidham over Palma “Rose” Kogan 7-5; and Lisa Cossette over Erica He 7-5. There were also some one-sided matches including Ashley Rice over Audra Mozee 7-1; Belinda Calhoun over Palma “Rose” Kogan 7-1; and Marianne Merrill over Erica He 7-1.
Winner’s bracket final was won by Calhoun 7-4 over Ashley Rice while the one loss battle was won by Tiffany Stidham 7-4 over Lisa Cossette setting up the semi-final match between Stidham and Rice. Showing some signs of fatigue, Stidham was bested by Rice 7-2.
The one set final was very well played. Ashley Rice won the South Carolina Championship earlier in the year, showing she’s got game. Calhoun took the match and the title 9-5. Congratulations to all the ladies who displayed their talents, professionalism, and dedication to our sport.
Tiger SMART would like to thank our title sponsor Tiger Products along with Simonis, Aramith, Ozone Billiards and Quick-Clean.
Our next tour stop will be the North Carolina State Championship at Randolph’s Billiards in Hickory, NC, October 21-22. Come join the fun!
The WPBA Tiger SMART Tour staged the 5th Annual WPBA South Carolina State 9-Ball Championship May 20-21, 2017 at Palace Billiards in Greenville, SC. Many thanks to owner, Mike Sijon, for opening his room to host the event. Palace Billiards is a new venue for Tiger SMART and it is safe to say, will be a permanent venue for the tour. Sijon commented, “The girls are terrific; so well dressed and congenial.”
Format was two, six person, round robins, race to seven, with the top two finishers of each bracket playing a single elimination semi-final and race to nine final. Five rounds of group play began and was completed on Saturday. Bracket one results were: Ashley Rice 4-0; Tiffany Stidham 2-2 with a games won/games lost record of 25-20; Marianne Merrill 2-2/21-18; Cheryl Pritchard 2-2/21-23; and Audra Mozee 0-4. Bracket two results were: Belinda Calhoun 3-1/24-18; Debbie Teichert 3-1/24-22; Lisa Cossette 2-2/23-21; Betty Lea 2-2/22-21; and Julie Stephens 0-4.
On Sunday, the semi-finals were played by Debbie Teichert, who was having a fantastic tournament with her only loss in group play was to Calhoun and who has shown tremendous improvement over the past year and up and coming future star, Ashley Rice. Rice continued her unbeaten streak for a trip to the finals. The other semi-final was contested by Tiffany Stidham, back from child birth and Belinda Calhoun. At 5-6 Stidham played a great safety on the seven-ball. Calhoun kicks in the seven and had a shot on the nine for the win.
Rice played solid, was consistent, and took advantage of her opportunities, always a winning formula as evidenced by her 9-3 victory and a perfect 6-0 record for the weekend. Congratulations to Ashley Rice for a stellar performance the entire tournament. Rice not only captured the title but has won the opportunity to play in the next WPBA Pro event.
Many thanks to Tiger SMARTs sponsors: Tiger Products, Ozone Billiards, Simonis, Aramith, and Quick-Clean for helping to make dreams come true.
Thursday night will go down in U.S. Open history. After the Hall of Fame banquet where Belinda Calhoun and Rodney Morris were feted for their accomplishments in the game we went back to the tournament room little knowing what was in store for us.
Jayson Shaw and Ko Pin Yi have both had an amazing week of play, mowing down one opponent after another. Last night they met one another and it appeared that Ko would walk away easily with the win. Shaw couldn’t get his break to work at all and Ko was making everything he could see. But then, with the score at 10-4 in favor of Ko in the race to 11 games, Shaw found his break. From that point on he totally controlled the table and all Ko could ever get was an opportunity to kick or jump. Shaw rallied back rack by rack and wound up winning the match 11-10.
This leaves us with only four undefeated players. Jeremy Jones beat Alex Pagulayan to gain his berth there while Jung Lin Chang got by Brandon Shuff to face him. Jayson Shaw is there to face off against David Alcaide who defeated A. Al Shammari to gain his spot in the untarnished foursome.
On the one-loss side of the brackets Y.L. Cheng will face A. Al Ahammari and Dennis Orcullo will take on Ko Pin Yi. Brandon Shuff will face Shane Van Boening and Young Ko will face Alex Pagulayan.
There is nothing left but a field of heavyweights and any of them could wind up on the final table. To watch the action live just go to accu-stats.com and sign up for the stream!
Gail Eaton came out firing at the Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Tour Texas Open Warm-Up ladies’ 9-ball event held at Skinny Bob’s Billiards in Round Rock, Texas. Eaton fought her way through a talented field of 29 women, overcoming local favorite Jennifer Kraber in the first and final set, 5-2, to capture her second, consecutive, Gulf Coast Tour tournament title.
On August 28th, 2016, Skinny Bob’s Billiards www.skinnybobs.com, along with tour sponsors Delta-13 Rack www.delta-13.com, APA of North Harris County www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty, Cyclop Billiard Balls, and host hotel Candlewood Suites in Round Rock www.CandlewoodSuites.com facilitated another successful event for the ladies, who competed for over $1,000 in prize money, in a one-day competition.
It was the sixth stop on this year’s WPBA sanctioned Gulf Coast Tour and the players came out in full force, including hometown talent Tam Trinh, Jennifer Kraber, Kim Sanders, Veronica “Pistol Perez” Perez, and Kim “Texas Heat” Pierce, along with San Antonio’s Gail Eaton, Lufkin’s Toni Esteves, numerous Houston contingents, and the newest and youngest member of the tour, 13-year old Ariana Lynch of San Antonio. The road to the winners’ side final four saw Eaton defeat Toni Esteves, Loretta Lindgren, 5-1, and Veronica Perez, 5-0. Mercedes Vasquez also made an impressive run for the final four winners’ side, ousting Tangela Hunt, Teresa Garland, and Liz Yorek, 5-4. Tam Trinh defeated Terri Resendes, 5-0, and Kim Pierce, 5-4, while Ricki Casper ousted Diana Cardona, 5-0, and Kimberly Brown, 5-1. Eaton went on to defeat Vasquez, 5-3, and Casper overcame Trinh, 5-2. On the one-loss side, Nicole McDaniel eliminated Teresa Garland, 4-1, Tiffany Mundie ended Veronica Perez, 4-2, and Kim Pierce halted a three-match-run by Brandi Humber. And then, there was Kraber. Struggling after a second round loss to Garland, 5-1, Kraber won three consecutive matches to meet Pierce. Down to the final eight players in the event, on the top of the one-loss side, it was Mundie over McDaniel, 4-2, while down below Kraber struck another blow, eliminating Pierce, 4-2. Trinh made quick work of Mundie, 4-1, and Kraber took down Vasquez, her fifth victim, 4-1. Back on the east side, Eaton narrowly escaped Casper for the hot seat win, 5-4. Kraber went on to defeat Trinh, 4-1, and Casper, 4-2, which marked an astounding seven, consecutive match wins, to meet Eaton in the final. The former WPBA Pro came out firing against the Austin contender, ending her impressive run in the first set, 5-2.
In an effort to better accommodate the large number of players competing in the Texas Open Warm Up 9-Ball Event at Skinny Bob’s, beginning in 2017, the Gulf Coast event will be staged at “Skinny Bob's II”, a smoke-free pool room, adjoining the main room, which houses eight new Diamond bar tables. “This event has presented some challenges over the years, and I’m confident that utilizing this additional space will provide a smoother tournament experience for all of the players,” says Tour Director, Kim Newsome.
WPBA Vice President and 2016 BCA Hall of Fame inductee, Belinda Calhoun, attended the event, in advance of participating in the 43rd Annual Texas Open. The Gulf Coast Tour would like to congratulate this decorated, professional player on her upcoming Hall of Fame induction, and thank her for close to 30 years of service in the industry. It is because of the efforts of self-less volunteers like Mrs. Calhoun, that the industry continues to move in the right direction. On that note, the Gulf Coast Tour welcomes its newest player members, Ariana Lynch, Kimberly Brown, Stephanie Reyes, Monica DeTuncq, Cindy Tillman, Jennifer Kraber, and Nicole McDaniel.
The Gulf Coast Tour will host a $1,000 added 9-ball event and 2017 WPBA Masters Qualifier on November 12th-13th at Fat Racks Billiards and Sports Lounge in San Antonio, Texas. For more information visit www.gulfcoastwomenstour.com or contact Kim Newsome at 713.825.1411.
As of today, we have 118 players signed up. We expect to fill the field of 160 within 10 days! Entry fees are well ahead of last year, so please don’t be left out! Does anyone really want to be on the “waiting list”? Trust me, many will be there.
Are you still waiting for your visa?
If you received your formal invitation and you are still waiting for your visa, you may have to pay your entry fee and book your hotel room NOW, or else it may be too late to be listed as a paid entry.
Do you plan on being a spectator?
There are still some great TV Arena seats available, but they too are going fast. Take a look at the floor plan and select a guaranteed seat for your entire stay.
Do you plan on staying at the Sheraton Waterside Norfolk Hotel?
The hotel rooms will be sold out very soon for some of the tournament days. The $99 special room rate is still available, but only if they have rooms left. Book your room now or you might end up saying “Where will I stay on Friday night?”
Do you plan on attending the BCA Hall of Fame Banquet?
There’s still time to get the limited tickets available. It’s scheduled for Thursday, October 20, at 4:30pm. Witness Rodney Morris and Belinda Calhoun being inducted as 2016 HOF honorees.
For several years now, Round Rock, TX has been the Labor Day Weekend destination of choice for pool players near and far. At this year’s Texas Open, hosted by Skinny Bob’s Billiards, players and fans were treated to four different events plus an opening night 9 ball mini-tournament. When the smoke cleared in the mini, it was the father-son duo of Ernesto and Oscar Dominguez who split the cash.
Next up was the 9 Ball Ring Game. Thirty two players entered the fray with Chip Compton and Edgie Geronimo being the last two standing. They duked it out with Chip taking down the $1140 first place money.
Eighteen teams were entered in this year’s Jack n’ Jill Scotch Doubles event. The final match saw James Davis Sr and Jennifer Kraber defeat Jay and Belinda Calhoun 7-2 to take this year’s title and $1820 cash prize.
The Women’s Division had a 32 player field. After many matches, Belinda Calhoun and Ricki Casper battled for the hot seat. Neck and neck all the way, Ricki emerged the victor 7-6 and claimed her spot in the finals. Belinda was sent to the west side to await the victor of the Helen Hayes-Chris Fields match. Leaving Helen in fourth place, Chris survived to play Belinda for the other berth in the finals.
This time it was all Chris as she defeated Belinda 7-1 to claim the spot. Advancing to the finals, Ricki defeated Chris 7-5 to pick up $2080 in cash and becoming this year’s Women’s Texas Open Champ!
The Open Division had a full 128 player field. The field was whittled down to 32 players when a second auction and redraw were held. Canadian champ John Morra and defending champ Sky Woodward were the finalists for the hot seat match. John led for most of the match until Sky closed it out 9-5 and again, claiming his spot in the finals.
John went west to await the outcome of the Manny Chau–Brandon Shuff match. Brandon squeaked out a victory leaving Manny with a very respectable fourth place finish. John, living up to his nickname, Mr Smooth, played solid pool and defeated Brandon – forcing him to settle for a third place finish.
Since the Texas Open is true double elimination, John would have to defeat Sky twice to win the tournament. The first set was all John as he played nearly perfectly and led 7-0. Finally, Sky slid a bead over to his side and then it was all Sky as the match progressed to 7-4 when the players took a break. The following game was taken by John – putting him on the hill. Sky won the next but scratched on the break, leaving John with a fairly simple runout & forcing a second set. Final score – 9-5.
The second set began with each player notching wins until the middle of the match. After a pair of uncharacteristic errors by Sky, John pulled away until he reached the hill 8-5. Needing one game to win the tournament, he made a ball on the break and methodically ran the balls to claim his first Texas Open title and $20,600 cash!
Congratulations to John Morra and Ricki Casper for becoming the 2016 Texas Open Champs! Great tournament, Sky & Chris!
And, thanks again to everyone at Skinny Bob’s for, as usual, a first class event! And, as always, PoolActionTV would like to thank our sponsors! Our main sponsors include Hanshew Custom Cues, Sanders Roofing, Kamui, Club Billiards in Wichita, KS and Kamikaze Tips. Special mention goes out to Lomax Custom Cues, Aramith, Simonis, Durbin Custom Cues and GoPlayPool.com.
Thanks to Terry Hanna and all our fans! Next, we’ll be heading to the Four Bears 8 Ball Classic in New Town, ND – September 15-18th. Hope to see you there!!!
Broomfield, Colo., July 20, 2016 – The Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame welcomes a pair of powerful left-handed champions to the class of 2016. The United States Billiard Media Association today announced that smooth-stroking Hawaiian “Rocket” Rodney Morris and “The Texas Belle,” Belinda Calhoun have earned induction as the 67th and 68th members of the sport’s most prestigious hall of fame.
Morris, 46, will enter the Greatest Players wing of the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame, while Calhoun, 63, will be honored in the Veteran Players category. Both will be formally inducted during ceremonies on October 20, 2016, at the Norfolk Sheraton Waterside in Norfolk, Va.
Born in Anaheim, Calif, but raised in Hawaii, Morris burst onto the pool scene in 1996 when, as a 26-year-old, he thrashed Efren Reyes in the final to capture the U.S. Open 9- Ball Championship. Just hitting his playing prime, Morris was away from the game for nearly four years following a federal drug conviction. A remorseful and rededicated Morris returned to the game in 2001 and won the year-ending Sands Regency Open. Over the next six years, Morris captured the UPA Pro Tour Championship, the Matchroom Sports-promoted World Pool League title and the World Cup of Pool. He finished second to Reyes in the IPT World 8-Ball Championship in 2006, earning $150,000. Morris also made eight appearances on Team USA in the Mosconi Cup, earning MVP honors in 2004. More recently, Morris captured titles at the Turning Stone Classic and the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship.
“I want to cry,” Morris said, who lives in Lincoln, Calif. “It is validation and recognition of all the years and hard work I’ve put into this game. Getting into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame is especially gratifying because I came from a broken home, was raised on the streets and made just about every mistake you can make. But I persevered, which proves that everyone can do something great it they dedicate themselves to it.”
[photo id=30871|align=right]Born Belinda Campos in Austin, Texas, Calhoun was one of the Women’s Professional Billiards Association’s top stars through the ’80s, capturing a pair of BCA National 8-Ball Championships titles, the Texas River City Open and the NPCA Classic Cup 9-Ball title. Calhoun dominated 1985, winning the Women’s World 14.1 title, the WPBA National Championship and the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship. That same year, she was also named “Player of the Year” by Billiards Digest and was named to the Pool & Billiard Magazine “All-Stars.” Calhoun was credited with running seven racks and out during the 1993 World 9-Ball Championships.
In addition to her stellar playing career, Calhoun has been active in organization administration, serving 20 years on the WPBA Board of Directors, six years on the WPA Board and several years as a Billiard Congress of America Board Director.
“This is a wonderful surprise,” said Calhoun, who now resides in Fork, S.C. “I had resolved myself to the idea that [getting into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame] wasn’t going to happen. I’m honored. I had always thought my career was deserving, so this is very gratifying. I feel like I’ve served the sport well for a long time.”
Voting for the 2016 Hall of Fame was conducted by the USBMA Hall of Fame Board, which consists of USBMA members, elected At-Large members and living members of the Hall of Fame. To be eligible for consideration in the Greatest Players category, a player a) must be 40 years old by Jan. 1 of the year of their inclusion on the ballot; b) must have a professional playing career of at least 10 years; and c) must have recorded significant achievements in U.S.-based and international events.
Morris edged Women’s Professional Billiards Association champions Gerda Hofstatter and Vivian Villarreal by a single vote. Morris was named on 48 percent of the ballots, while Villarreal and Hofstatter were named on 47 percent. Kim Davenport was named on 26 percent of the ballots, while Shannon Daulton and Jeremy Jones received votes on less than 25 percent of the ballots.
Calhoun’s nomination was recommended by the Veteran Players Committee, which reviews the careers of players who were not elected in the Greatest Players category prior to turning 60, at which point they are removed from the ballot. Induction for a Veteran Players nominee is achieved if more than 50 percent of the Hall of Fame Board votes in favor of the candidate.
In 2014, in Phoenix, AZ, China's Jia Li defeated Janet Atwell to become the WPBA's Regional Tour Champion for the first time. In 2015, in Herndon, VA, it was Betty Lea who played runner-up to Li's second championship. On the weekend of January 7-10, 2016 at Zingale's in Tallahassee, FL, it was Christy Dickerson, who, though she would defeat Li to claim the hot seat, fell in the finals to hand Li her third straight RTC title.
The $11,000 prize fund drew a full field of 64 entrants, drawn from 13 regional tours around the country; roughly, five from each region, with some over-under exceptions. Eight round robin brackets, yielding four winners per bracket, cut the field in half, into a double elimination bracket of 32.
Through 25 winners' side games in the opening three rounds, Jia Li gave up only four racks, and three of those to her opening round opponent, Kim Pierce. Dickerson came to the winners' side semifinals, having carved a somewhat more arduous path – 35 games, with an aggregate score of 21-14. The two faced each other, while teenager Taylor Hansen (31 games, 21-10, including a 7-2 win over Belinda Calhoun) and Gail Eaton (32 games, 21-11) met up in the other winners' side semifinal.
Eaton sent the youngster Hansen to the loss side 7-3, as Li and Dickerson, in their first meeting, fought to double hill. Dickerson prevailed, claiming the hot seat as Eaton headed for the semifinals.
Over on the loss side, Stephanie Mitchell, who hadn't competed in an RTC since she bought Corner Pockets in Largo, FL in 2010, was working on a modest loss-side streak that began when Dickerson had defeated her 7-3 in a winners' side quarterfinal. Mitchell's opening loss-side victory over Nicole Albergaria was her toughest, coming down to a single game. She then downed Michell Monk 7-1 to pick up Hanson. Jia Li, in the meantime, was hooking up with Jeannie Seaver, who'd eliminated Calhoun 7-5 and given up only a single rack to Roe Guanero.
Hansen ended Mitchell's weekend 7-2, as Li was busy with a double hill match that she eventually won over Seaver. Li then downed Hansen 7-3 in the quarterfinals, and spoiled Eaton's chances at a re-match against Dickerson, with a 7-3 victory in the semifinals.
Li chalked up her third straight RTC title with a single set 9-3 win in the finals.
