A strong field of amateur players made it out to Gladi8or Pizza & Billiards on May 1st for some competitive 9 ball on 9 foot tables, with Josh Farris (684) capturing the hot seat against Francis Lanag (607) 7-1. Francis made his way back to the final after defeating Stop #4 champion Jon Balan (658) on the losers’ side 5-3; he then won the first set in the double elimination final 6-3 against Josh, but was unable to overcome the second set, which went to Josh 5-2. This is Francis’ highest finish so far in the series but we expect many more high finishes from him!
Several new players have joined the series, including Abet Ng, Butch Barba, Linda Dugger, Jesse Palomares and John Venadas. The series continues to grow as players fight for critical points that will get them into the Season Finale in December, where the top 32 players will get to battle it out for free for all the cash!
A big congrats as well to Jeffrey Jamerson who won the Break&Run Raffle for FREE entry to Stop #6, and Ray Cruz who won the Holy Case Raffle!
Lastly, we would like to thank all our sponsors for their support of this series which promises to build up to a great Finale in December: Mezz Cues, ZAN Tips, Turtle Rack, Holly Cases, Salotto App, Jam Up Apparel, fast&loose designs, and the BCA Pool League.
If you missed it don’t worry – we have a full year left of tournaments every first Sunday of the month! Find out more at www.LABCAPL.com
The annual Jay Swanson (‘Swanee’) Memorial has a way of drawing the country’s top pool talent to the West Coast, or thereabouts. Not that players need much of an incentive to play out there, but the list of previous winners includes players who are recognizable by their last or just a single name; Orcollo (2013, 2014), The Lion (2011, 2012), Parica (2010), and Archer (2008), for example. Last year (2018), Canada’s Erik Hjorliefson grabbed the title, though he did not compete this year. This year’s finalists, Hungarian Vilmos Foldes and West Coast native and West Coast Tour director Oscar Dominguez played in last year’s quarterfinals, won by Dominguez. This year, Foldes and Dominguez met twice, in the hot seat and finals, with Foldes winning both. The $3,000-added, 23rd Annual Jay Swanson Memorial, held on the weekend of February 23-24, drew 64 entrants to Griff’s Bar & Billiards in Las Vegas, NV.
Foldes’ path to the winners’ circle went through Butch Barba, Brian Begay, Peter Horton and Fach Garcia before arriving at a winners’ side semifinal matchup against Bret Huth. The younger Dominguez (Oscar, with his father, Ernesto, moving in his general direction on the winners’ side) got by Jay Mulimbayan, Marshall Jung, Robin Figueroa and Ian Costello to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal matchup against ‘young gun’ Christopher Robinson-Reinhold, who’d just spoiled Oscar’s opportunity to play his father by defeating him 8-6 in a winners’ side quarterfinal (father and son would not have played, they never do; Ernesto always forfeiting matches in which he’s pitted against his son).
Foldes got into the hot seat match 8-4 over Huth. Oscar Dominguez joined him after an 8-2 victory over Robinson-Reinhold. Foldes took the first of his two against Dominguez 8-5 and claimed the hot seat.
Over on the loss side, Robinson-Reinhold picked up Nick DeLeon, who, after his defeat at the hands of Bret Huth in a winners’ side quarterfinal, had eliminated Tuan Tran 7-3 and Fach Garcia 7-1 to reach him. Huth, in the meantime, drew Mitch Ellerman, who was in the midst of a six-match, loss-side winning streak that included the elimination of Ernesto Dominguez and Ian Costello, both 7-2.
Huth ended Ellerman’s run 7-5 and in the quarterfinals, faced Robinson-Reinhold, who’d defeated DeLeon 7-5, as well. Robinson-Reinhold took one more step, shutting Huth out in those quarterfinals.
Oscar Dominguez, no doubt eager for a second shot at Foldes in the hot seat, got his chance with a 7-4 win over Robinson-Reinhold in the semifinals. Foldes, though, in a final race to 11, claimed the 23rd Annual Swanee Memorial title 11-8 over Dominguez.
Event representatives thanked Mark Griffin and his staff for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Predator Cues, JB Cases, Simonis Cloth and Discount Custom Apparel.
A strong field of amateur players made it out to Gladi8or Pizza & Billiards on May 1st for some competitive 9 ball on 9 foot tables, with Josh Farris (684) capturing the hot seat against Francis Lanag (607) 7-1. Francis made his way back to the final after defeating Stop #4 champion Jon Balan (658) on the losers’ side 5-3; he then won the first set in the double elimination final 6-3 against Josh, but was unable to overcome the second set, which went to Josh 5-2. This is Francis’ highest finish so far in the series but we expect many more high finishes from him!