The room was full with players and spectators as the Flamingo Billiards Tour Qualifier got under way Saturday at Cue-Phoria Billiards & Cafe in Winter Park, Florida. Twenty-four of the top 9-Ball women competitors from around the state came to play.  The format was a modified double elimination, playing down to the final eight, four from each side. The four on the one-loss side redrew one of the four from the winners bracket. 

Chris Fields got off to a rough start, losing her first match to Kim Richeson, 7-1, but made it to the redraw by defeating Chelsea Hardwick, who was in town and is a regular player on the Miss Cues Regional Tour. Field also got past Cassidy Mulligan and Laura Clay. Also making it to the redraw from the one-loss side was Jeannie Seaver, who initially lost a close match on the hill to Nicolle Cuellar. Not to be stopped, Jeannie knocked out Jane Freeman, Stephanie Mitchell and Kelly Cavanaugh to make it to the final eight. Also making it to the redraw from the one loss side was Kira Brown, who went west after losing to Kim Richeson, but fought her way back with wins over Janis Sessions, Vanessa Seaver and Kelly Coyle. Tour Director Mimi McAndrews also made it to the redraw after losing to Richeson, but defeating Barbara Ellis, who played a strong game all day, and newcomer Darlyne Petrovit.

Filling the final eight bracket from the winners side was Crystal McCormick, who won over Stephanie Mitchell, Chelsea Reeves, and Laura Clay.  Also on the winners side was Shanelle Loraine, who sent Janis Sessions and Kelly Cavanaugh west. Kim Richeson also came from the winners side, beating Kira Brown, Fields and McAndrews. Nicolle Cuellar stayed on the east side sending Susan Roberts, Jeannie Seaver and Kelly Coyle west. 

In the redraw, Brown drew Cuellar, but lost hill-hill. McAndrews matched up against McCormick, but couldn’t get in stroke with McCormick easily taking the match. Seaver ended the day for Richeson, and Fields won a tough match over Loraine, who has been playing a much improved game this year.

The semi-finals matched Cuellar against McCormick, but McCormick seemed to be having stamina problems on this night, and Cuellar took advantage, making it to the finals by winning 7-2.  Fields, who had never won a match against Seaver, the favorite to win the event, beat the odds and won the match 7-5.

With the momentum going her way, Fields was not going to stop at this point. She played strong and won her first Flamingo Billiards Tour event over Cuellar 7-2. Not too disappointed, Cuellar won the qualifier!

Many thanks to room owner Faheem Zia and house pro Adam Wheeler at Cue-Phoria (www.cuephoria.com), for inviting the FBT and for being great hosts, and to Boynton Billiards for their continued support.

Janet Atwell played both amiable hostess and event champion at the Kick-Off event of the 2012 MissCues Regional Ladies 9-Ball Tour. In addition to the $325 first prize, Atwell’s undefeated weekend also earned her an entry into the WPBA US Open in June. The $500-added Kick-Off event drew 14 entrants to Atwell’s Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.

Atwell opened her five-match campaign with victories over Jessica Human and Sam Patton, which moved her among the winners’ side final four to face Melody Kuty. Buffy Jolie, in the meantime, who would end up facing Atwell twice, defeated Stephanie Goens and Tonya Wiser to square off against Teresa Gifford in the other winners’ side semifinal. Atwell sent Kuty west 5-2, and was joined in the hot seat match by Jolie, who’d sent Gifford over 5-1. Atwell sent Jolie to the semifinals 5-2 and sat in the hot seat to await her return.

First up for Kuty in the loss bracket was Shannon Crosthwaite, who, following an opening round defeat at the hands of Chelsea Hardwick, defeated Debbie Cervantis 5-3 and shut out Wiser. Gifford drew Hardwick, who, after defeating Crosthwaite, was sent west by Kuty and was in the midst of a four-match, loss-side winning streak that would eventually put her into the semifinals against Jolie.  Hardwick defeated Dana Cartier 5-2 and Patton, double hill, to meet Gifford.

Hardwick defeated Gifford 5-2, and in the quarterfinals, got a second chance against Crosthwaite, who’d downed Kuty double hill. A second double hill match for Crosthwaite yielded a second victory over her for Hardwick, who moved on to face Jolie. 

Jolie ended Hardwick’s loss-side streak 5-3 and got her second chance against Atwell. Atwell took the final match 7-1 to complete her undefeated weekend.

Following the WPBA Regional Tour Championships, April 13-15, at 150 N Out Billiards and Darts in Mooresville, NC, the MissCues Tour will stop at Diamond Billiard Pub in Lexington, KY on June 23-24.