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Brodt and Bourbeau Win U.S. Amateur Championship Titles

Stacie Bourbeau

LAKE SAINT LOUIS, MO (Nov. 19, 2015) — The top amateur poolplayers in North America were on display in early November at the U.S. Amateur Championship in Palm Harbor, Fla., just across the bay from Tampa.  For five straight days, the nation’s top players battled it out at Stroker’s for the coveted U.S. Amateur Championship title and their place in the record books.

 

More than 2,400 players attempted to qualify for this year’s event, with 128 men and 34 women advancing to the championship round.  The tournament field included a strong mix of U.S Amateur Championship veterans and a talented pool of newcomers vying for amateur pool’s most prestigious title.

 

Henry Brodt defeated fellow former champion David Rowell of Birmingham, Ala., 11-2 in the finals of this year’s U.S. Amateur Championship held Nov. 4-9.  Sixteen years after winning his second U.S. Amateur Championship title (1998-99), Henry Brodt now has a third to add to his collection.

 

Brodt apparently discovered the fountain of youth after retiring and moving to Laguna Beach, Calif.  Not only did he win his third U.S. Amateur Championship title, but at the age of 68, he also became the oldest player to ever do so.
To say Brodt dominated both the final round, and the tournament overall, would be an understatement.

 

He went undefeated throughout the 3-day event, handing losses to Carlos Carter (’13 Runner-up), Ernesto Bayaua (’11 Champion) and David Rowell (’00 Champion) and plowing through a field that included several players half his age.
Brodt will advance to the U.S. Open next fall, courtesy of the APA, and his name will be added for the third time to the Larry Hubbart Trophy.

 

Rowell finishes as Runner-up in this year’s event, his strongest finish since taking 2nd in 2010. Both of Rowell’s loses at this year’s event came at the hands of Brodt.
Ernesto Bayaua of Tomball, Texas, took 3rd Place, while Eric Tang of Hartford, Conn., took 4thJames Adams of Brooksville, Fla., and Gregory Dix of Myrtle Beach, S.C., tied for 5th Place.
Stacie Bourbeau of Orange, Mass., is the 2015 Women’s U.S. Amateur Champion after she defeated former champion Dana Aft (’13) of Marietta, Ga., 9-7 in the finals.

 

The finale opened in the 8-Ball set.  Bourbeau got on the scoresheet first with a win, but Aft came right back to tie the match 1-1.  The same scenario played out over the next two games.  Tied 2-2, Aft pulled ahead slightly with a win in the fifth game.  Bourbeau quickly countered and they split the 8-Ball set 3-3.

 

As they moved to the 9-Ball set, a similar pattern emerged, with Bourbeau winning one game, Aft the next.  The match finally seemed to take a turn in Bourbeau’s direction in the fifth game of the 9-Ball set.  Aft had a chance to take the lead, but left the 9-ball hanging, giving Bourbeau an easy out for her fifth match lead.  Moments later, she pocketed the 9-on-the-snap, opening up a 7-5 lead.  With her confidence mounting, a third straight win put Bourbeau on-the-hill.

 

Aft, the seasoned U.S. Amateur Championship veteran, refused to break.  She battled back to win the next two games, again pulling within one of Bourbeau.  Moments later though, her comeback bid fell short, as Bourbeau won the final game she needed for a 9-7 victory.

 

In a great show of sportsmanship, both ladies embraced as the crowd cheered the newly crowned champion.

 

Bourbeau secured the title in only her second U.S. Amateur Championship appearance.  She’ll advance to a pro event in 2016.
For the Runner-up, Aft, it was her highest finish in the U.S. Amateur Championship since winning the title in 2013.  Samantha Barrett of Woburn, Mass., took home 3rd Place in this year’s event.
The 2015 U.S. Amateur Championship was conducted by the APA, and is the only tournament produced by the APA open to both members and non-members.  Preliminary qualifying rounds were held throughout the country in mid-September.

 

As Champions, both Brodt and Bourbeau will return next year to defend their coveted titles.

 

The U.S. Amateur Championship is a double elimination tournament that offers the nation’s top amateur players the opportunity to showcase their skills through a combination of 8-Ball and 9-Ball matches, in the only APA event that does not use The Equalizer® handicap system.

 

The APA, based in Lake Saint Louis, Mo., sanctions the world’s largest amateur pool league, with leagues throughout the United States, Canada, Japan and China.  Nearly 250,000 members compete in weekly 8-Ball and 9-Ball League play.  The APA is generally recognized as the Governing Body of Amateur Pool, having established the official rules, championships, formats and handicap systems for the sport of amateur billiards.

 

The APA produces three major tournaments each year—the APA National Team Championships, the APA National Singles Championships and the U.S. Amateur Championship—that, together, pay out more than $1.5 Million in cash and prizes annually!
The APA and its championships are sponsored by Aramith, Action Cues and Pool Dawg.

 

For complete coverage of the U.S. Amateur Championship visit www.poolplayers.com/usam/.

 

 

Dechaine chalks up 7th 2014 win with undefeated run at revived Eastern States Championship

Mike Dechaine

It was, at one time, one of the country's premier tournaments; the Eastern States 9-Ball Championships, but for a variety of reasons, it had ceased to exist. Until Tony Robles and his Predator Tour, in collaboration with Marc Dionne's New England 9-Ball Series, and Gloria Jean's Ride the Nine Tour revived the event, creating the 1st Annual Eastern States Pro and Amateur Championships, held over Labor Day weekend. The $3,000-added Pro event drew 30 entrants to Snooker's Billiards in Providence, RI, and was won by the room's house pro and sponsored player, Mike Dechaine, chalking up his seventh 2014 win (two stops on the Joss Tour, the New England 9-Ball Open XXVII, an Open event on the Tri-State Tour, the George "Ginky" Sansouci Memorial, and in July, a challenge match victory (with Corey Deuel, against Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante) and the American Rotation Championship Series III Finals.
The $2,000-added Amateur event (separate report) drew 75 and was won by Eric Tang, who won three on the loss side and defeated hot seat occupant, Dennis Levesque.
 
"I'm always looking for ways to improve the (Predator) tour," said Predator Tour director Tony Robles, "and the Eastern States Championships used to be as well-known as the US Open. By working together (with Dionne and Gloria Jean), we were able to make people more aware of their tours.
 
"We had a blast," Robles added. "We love Snookers."
 
So, apparently, does Mike Dechaine. Sponsored by the room, Dechaine set out on an undefeated route through the field that eventually led him to a winners' side semifinal against Jeremy Sossei; the first of two against him. Joe Dupuis, a regular on both Dionne and Gloria Jean's tours, met up with Ray McNamara in the other semifinal. Dechaine got into the hot seat match with a 9-6 win over Sossei. Dupuis advanced to meet him with a 9-5 win over McNamara. Dechaine gave up only a single rack, advancing to the hot seat over Dupuis.
 
On the loss side, Jayson Shaw, who'd been defeated, double hill, by Sossei in a winners' side quarterfinal match, was working his way back to a re-match in the quarterfinals. He got by Tom D'Alfonso 9-3 and (picking up some speed) Nelson Oliveira 9-1, to draw McNamara. Sossei picked up Sean "Alaska" Morgan, who'd defeated Suad Kantarevic 9-2 and Michael Yednak 9-3. Sossei shut Morgan out, as Shaw eliminated McNamara 9-5.
 
Shaw had earned his re-match against Sossei, only to see the second verse be the same as the first. Sossei took the quarterfinal match 9-7 over Shaw, and then, in what Robles described as an "error-filled match," defeated Dupuis 9-3 to earn his own re-match against Dechaine.
 
In the extended race-to-13 format of the event, Sossei needed to reach 13 first, which would have extended the match to 15 games. He chalked up just a little shy of half that many, as Dechaine completed his undefeated run 13-6 to claim the newly-revived Eastern States Pro Championship title.
 
Tour Director Tony Robles thanked Steve and Regina Goulding, owners of Snookers, and their staff, as well as "(his) lovely wife, Gail," NYCGrind, NAPL, AZBTV, New England 9-Ball Series, Gloria Jean's Ride the NineTour, Poolonthenet.com, Gotham City Technologies, Ozone Billiards.com, Delta-13 racks and ("the Big Kahuna," said Robles) Predator Cues.
 

Tang comes from the loss side to win 1st Annual Eastern States Amateur Championship

Eric Tang returned from a winners' side semifinal defeat at the hands of Dennis Levesque to defeat him in the finals of the newly-revived Eastern States Amateur Championship, held on Labor Day weekend. The $2,000-added event drew 75 entrants to Snooker's Billiards in Providence, RI. A concurrently-run, $3,000-added Pro event  (separate story) drew 30 entrants.
 
Tang (an "A" player) and Levesque (a "B+") met first in the winners' side semifinal, as Dan Faraguna (B) and Mark Small (C) met up in the other. Levesque took the first (and last) of two against Tang 7-3 and in the hot seat match, met up with Small, who'd sent Faraguna west 7-4. Levesque gained the hot seat 8-7 over Small and waited on Tang.
 
Tang moved over and picked up Paul Dryden, who'd defeated Ryan Cullen and Victor Nau, both 7-5, to reach him. Faraguna drew Josh Gormly, who'd eliminated Chris Amaral 7-4 and Mike Demarco 7-5. Tang got by Dryden 7-2, and after Gormly had defeated Faraguna 7-3, Tang defeated him 7-2 in the quarterfinals.
 
Tang chalked up the third straight loss-side match in which he'd given up only two racks by defeating Small in the semifinals 9-2. Levesque, in the finals, challenged that streak, as he and Tang battled to double hill (8-7). Tang chalked up game #16 to snatch the title away from Levesque.
 
Tour Director Tony Robles thanked Steve and Regina Goulding, owners of Snookers, and their staff, as well as "(his) lovely wife, Gail," NYCGrind, NAPL, AZBTV, New England 9-Ball Series, Gloria Jean's Ride the NineTour, Poolonthenet.com, Gotham City Technologies, Ozone Billiards.com, Delta-13 racks and ("the Big Kahuna," said Robles) Predator Cues.

LaBoy goes undefeated, splits top Tri-State prize with Ramierez

Lidio Ramierez, Owner/Operator Kevin Buckley, Amy Yue Yu and Miguel “Pee Wee” Laboy

It was one of those 6 a.m. deals, where two players who've spent all day, all night and into the next morning on their feet, look at the top two cash prizes and decide that the difference is not significant enough to make a final match desireable. Miguel "PeeWee" Laboy proved to be the 'title' beneficiary of this, finishing undefeated and chalking up his second win on the Tri-State Tour this year. Lidio Ramierez, a Predator Tour victor in June, grabbed the runner-up title, splitting  the top two cash prizes. The $2,000-added event, held on Saturday, August 16, drew 64 entrants to Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY.
 
Laboy and Ramierez did face each other in a winners' side quarterfinal. A 7-1 victory by Laboy sent Ramierez on a five-match, loss-side winning streak that would eventually get him back to the finals. Laboy moved on to face Junior Singh in a winners' side semifinal, as Amy Yue Yu met up with Chris DeCaprio. Laboy defeated Singh 7-4 and faced Yu, who'd sent DeCaprio west 6-3. In what would prove to be his final win, Laboy defeated Yu 9-8 to gain the hot seat.
 
It was Singh who had the misfortune of running into Ramierez on the loss side. Ramierez had defeated Eric Tang 7-4 and Thomas Rice 7-5 and then, eliminated Singh 7-6. He was met in the quarterfinals by Sam Hoffman, who, after shutting out Larry Chandler and defeating Mickey Xie 6-3, had downed DeCaprio 6-4.
 
Ramierez sent Hoffman home 8-4, and then, in the semifinals, with dawn approaching,  defeated Yu 9-7. LaBoy and Ramierez agreed to the money split, leaving LaBoy as the undefeated, official winner.
 
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Gotham City Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Qpod, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Focus Cases by John Batron, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics , and Focus Apparel. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for August 23, will be hosted by the The Cue Bar in Bayside (Queens), NY.

Parker goes undefeated to claim first Tri-State Tour win

Phil Davis, Jud Parker and Eric Tang

Jud Parker worked his way through six opponents, going undefeated on April 19, to claim his first event title on the Tri-State Tour. The $1,000-added event drew 30 entrants to the Cue Bar in Bayside (Queens), NY.
 
Parker defeated Brian Singh, Gil Costello, and Thomas Schreiber to move among the winners' side final four and a match versus Pat Mareno. His eventual finals opponent, Eric Tang, in the meantime, squared off against Phil Davis in the other winners' side semifinal. Parker moved into the hot seat match with a 6-2 win over Mareno, but it was Davis who met him, having sent Tang to the loss side 7-4. Parker claimed his fifth victim with a double hill win over Davis and sat in the hot seat, waiting on Tang.
 
Tang's first opponent on the loss side was Rhio Annie Flores, who'd gotten by Tony Ignomirello and Dave Ascolese, both 7-4, to reach him. Mareno drew Paulo Valverde, who'd defeated Schreiber 6-4 and Mike Figueroa 6-3. Tang and Mareno got right back to work, eliminating Flores 7-3, and Valverde 6-3, respectively and faced each other in the quarterfinals.
 
Tang ended Mareno's day 8-3 in those quarterfinals to earn himself a re-match versus Davis in the semifinals. He took advantage of the opportunity, downing Davis 7-4 for a shot at Parker in the hot seat. Parker, though, offered Tang limited opportunities in the final match, jumping out to a 3-0 lead, and then, after allowing Tang a single rack, adding three more to reach the hill. Tang chalked up one more rack, before Parker closed it out to claim his first Tri-State title.
 
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at the Cue Bar, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Heptig Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for April 27, will be hosted by BQE Billiards in Jackson Heights, NY. 

DaBreo goes undefeated to take his fourth Tri-State title of the year

Eric Tang, Raphael DaBreo and Jamiyl Adams

He's been chalking up undefeated wins at a pace of one per month since August; three on the Tri-State Tour (August, October and November) and one on the Predator Pro-Am Tour in September. He chalked up his fifth with a Tri-State victory on Saturday, December 28, once again, going undefeated; this time through a field of 43, on-hand for the $1,000-added event, hosted by the Cue Bar in Bayside (Queens), NY.
 
DaBreo advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Dave Shlemperis with earlier wins over Gary Murgia, Shivam Gupta, and Eric Tang (who would come within a single 9-ball, hanging in a corner pocket, of facing him a second time). Jamiyl Adams faced Bryan Toolsee in the other winners' side semifinal. DaBreo downed Shlemperis 8-5 and in the hot seat match, faced Adams, who'd sent Toolsee packing 6-2. DaBreo moved into familiar territory with a 9-5 win over Adams, and waited in the hot seat for his fifth different opponent in the five finals he'd been a part of since August.
 
On the loss side, Eric Tang started his comeback with a 7-1 win over Thomas Hagan, and then just did survive a double hill battle versus Miguel Laboy. This set him up to face Shlemperis. Toolsee drew Ramon Feliciano, who'd defeated Tony Ignomirello and Akbar Karmoeddien, who'd won the previous week's Tri-State stop, both 6-3.
 
Tang and Feliciano handed Shlemperis and Toolsee their second straight defeat; Tang, 7-5 over Shlemperis and Feliciano 6-3 over Toolsee. Tang then dropped Feliciano 7-4 in the quarterfinals, and was a single step away from facing DaBreo a second time. That single step was Jamiyl Adams. With the victory in sight, knotted at double hill, Tang hung the 9-ball in a corner pocket, allowing Adams to drop it and be the one to face DaBreo a second time.
 
Adams took advantage of that 'old school' intangible, momentum, to take a 4-0 lead in the finals, but DaBreo came right back with four of his own to tie it. They traded racks to 5-5, before DaBreo took two in a row. Adams took rack #13 to pull within one, but DaBreo finished it with another two to claim his fourth (and last) 2013 Tri-State title.
 
Tour representatives thanked their hosts at the Cue Bar in Bayside, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Heptig Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next Tri-State Tour stop, scheduled for January 4-5, will be hosted by Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY.  

Sossei comes back from the loss side to take Lucasi Hybrid New England 9-Ball Series

Jeremy Sossei

Eight of the last fourteen matches played at the Lucasi Hybrid New England 9-Ball Series stop on Sunday, February 26 were double hill battles, including the hot seat, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. The winner, Jeremy Sossei, who won seven straight on the loss-side to compete in the finals, was involved in three of those final four. The $350-added event drew 23 entrants to World Championship Billiards in Manchester, CT.

Sossei was sent west in an early round by Bobby Tuska, who moved on to the winners’ side final four and a match against Eric Tang. Steve Mack, in the meantime, squared off against Jason Conner. Tang won a double hill match over Tuska, as Mack sent Conner west 7-2. Tang got locked up in his second straight double hill match versus Mack, and won that, as well, leaving him in the hot seat, waiting on Sossei.

With two behind him on the loss side, Sossei shut out Irvin Simkins, and survived a double hill battle over Tom Torres, for the right to face Conner. Tuska faced Bob Madengin, who’d defeated Charlie Matarazzo 7-3 and survived his own double hill battle against Kevin Baccio.  Sossei didn’t give up a single rack in the match against Conner that sent him to the quarterfinals. Madengin spoiled the potential Sossei/Tuska re-match with a 7-3 victory over Tuska.

Sossei then won three straight double hill matches to secure the event title. He defeated Madengin in the quarterfinals, and then, Mack in the semifinals for a chance at Tang in the hot seat. He completed the event with a double hill win over Tang in the finals.