Marietta, Georgia – Dragon Promotions in conjunction with Marietta Billiard Club will be producing the 3rd Annual Johnny Archer Classic on October 12th-14th, 2012. The event formally known as the Gem City Classic, is continuing on this year and expanding to become a larger professional tournament. For years, the event was unofficially referred to as Johnny Archer’s tournament, so now the title has become official.
“Johnny is one of the greatest legends in the sport. Having done everything imaginable in pool including World Champion titles and Hall of Fame, we felt it was fitting that he have a tournament named after him”, said Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions who is producing the event and which also manages Archer.
“I’m really excited about this year’s event! We are getting Dragon Promotions involved to make it bigger and more professional, and hope that one day it will become one of the top tour stops on the pro circuit”, said Johnny Archer, pro legend and owner of Marietta Billiard Club. “I do feel a little shy about it being named after me, but I know most of the guys called it ‘Johnny’s Tournament’ anyways, so it wasn’t a big leap. I really do hope the players and industry support my event.”
World Champion Mika Immonen of Finland commented, “It’s a great honor for Johnny, and very well deserved. He has been a great champion for so long. In Finland, they made an event called the Ice Man Open for recognition of my achievements. And we are a small country in pool. So for me I was overwhelmed with just a fraction of what Johnny must feel.”
“As a teenage young player I used to watch Johnny play alot. I was 15 years old when I watched him win his first World Championship in Taiwan. It’s incredible that 20 years later I’m working on producing an event in his honor”, said Charlie Williams, fellow pro player and Dragon Promotions co-producer of the event.
“Johnny has been the greatest American player since the millenium started, which is as early as my pool career. And I know even well before that. He’s been a player we all look up to. I’m really happy for him and it’s an honor to be playing in it with him”, said Brandon Shuff, one of the USA’s new top young talents.
Marietta Billiard Club was opened in June 2007 and is a 20,000 square foot facility with 35 tables in a relaxed, friendly environment. The indoor recreations include several dart boards, foosball tables, pool leagues, pool tournaments, Texas Hold’em poker leagues and tournaments and more! It also has a private party room, The Scorpion Room , two full bars, live bands, and a house billiard pro Shawn Putnam. MBC also is a local favorite sports bar with full-service bar and restaurant-style food served by a fun-loving staff! Fans will enjoy ice-cold beverages while watching their favorite sports team play on one of MBC’s huge LCD flat screens! Please visit www.themariettabilliardclub.com/
To play in the Johnny Archer Classic Email johnnyarcherclassic@gmail.com or call 1-678 324-6693 for info
The Marietta Billiard Club Suite 210 1355 Roswell Road Marietta, GA 30062 .
Dragon Promotions is one of the leading producers of billiard programming in the world today. In a span of over 11 years, Dragon Promotions has produced over 100 international events airing on networks in USA, Korea, and Europe such as ESPN, ABS-CBN, ESPN Star Asia, MBC ESPN, XTM, XPORTS, and Euro Sport. Events include The World Tournament of 14.1, The Predator International 10-Ball Championship, King & Queen of Carom, Empress Cup, Pro Pool Schools, DP Pro Classic, Women’s Trickshot Challenge, World Junior 10-Ball Championships, The World Mixed Doubles and many more. Dragon also manages some of the world’s best players including Johnny Archer, Allison Fisher, Mika Immonen, Shanelle Loraine, Rodney Morris, Charlie Williams, Mike Davis, and Erica Park. Watch their decade long anniversary video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZrvwijI8fg visit www.dragonpromotions.com
Jacksonville, Florida– Pure X Cues by Players will be sponsoring a free pool school, tournament, and challenge the pro chances during Father’s Day weekend on June 16,2012. Billiard Factory of Jacksonville, FL will host the event sponsored by Brunswick Billiards and Championship Cloth. The pool school will be taught by world renown coach and professional player Charlie “Korean Dragon” Williams. Billiard Factory will also feature a huge sale to celebrate dads and pool players.
“We are committed to giving everyday players the upper hand by providing performance enhancing technology cues at great price points,” said Jamie Bond, President of Cue & Case Sales, Inc., parent company of Players and Pure X Technology Cues. “We also believe in supporting our dealer network by assisting retailers like the Billiard Factory with promotions and are happy to be helping with this event,” she added.
“Championship Cloth loves these kind of events. Programs like this will help retailers and boost interest and sales in our billiard industry,” said Mike Serra, Chairman of the Billiard Congress of America and Vice-President of Championship Cloth.
The event will feature a junior tournament for kids as well as an adult tournament sponsored by First Coast APA, the largest pool league in North Florida and Jacksonville. A special military only tournament will also be held in honor of the United States servicemen and women. Fans and players will also get a free lesson and challenge a game with professional touring champion Charlie Williams. Williams has won several major titles and also coached top ranking pro players such as Allison Fisher, Rodney Morris, Johnny Archer, Yu Ram Cha, Erica Park, as well as captained Team USA for the Mosconi Cup.
Autograph pictures and cases signed by 2x World 14.1 Champion Thorsten Hohmann will also be given away as free prizes. Hohmann is a player representative for Lucasi Hybrid Cues, another Cue & Case quality brand.
All activities are free and paid for courtesy of Brunswick Billiards, Championship Cloth, Pure X Cues, and Billiard Factory.
“The Pure X Pool School Show is a great idea, especially for retailers like Billiard Factory. With support from major manufacturers like Brunswick Billiards, Cue & Case and event organizing by Dragon Promotions, fans and consumers have a lot of terrific reasons to come shop and have fun. We like to give a little something of everything for all people coming through our doors,” says Erik Decious, Managing Partner of Billiard Factory in Jacksonville, Florida.
“Brunswick is pleased to be supporting the local military and league players in this event. For 167 years we have been connecting generation after generation around the billiard table. We are proud that the Billiard Factory continues to invest in the future of the sport and we are excited to be there as their partner,” said Austin Rothbard, President of Brunswick Billiards.
People that have been thinking of finally buying Dad that pool table, cue stick, darts or adding another item for his man cave like a foosball table, ping pong, shuffleboard, bar, game table or home theater seating… the time would be now. Billiard Factory is honoring the special promotions and sale starting today all the way through the end of Father’s Day weekend. Military and APA members will get additional discounts so bring your membership card or military ID.
Families should bring their Dads and meet the pro, get a free pool lesson, and play in a free tournament. A perfect Father’s Day present! Free school starts at 1pm. All activities end at 6pm or until conclusion of the tournaments. Billiard Factory is located at 5585 University Blvd West, Jacksonville (904) 733-6880
Billiard Factory is the nation’s largest family owned and operated home entertainment superstore, carrying every top brand name in billiards and home entertainment furnishings. Billiard Factory has been in business for over 40 years and has over a dozen locations throughout the United States. More information on stores and locations can be found at www.billiardfactory.com
Cue & Case Sales, Inc., parent company of Players, Players HXT and Pure X Cues, has been an industry leader in billiards for over 20 years. Founder Jim Lucas started the company with a single goal in mind: to provide everyday pool players with high quality cues at an affordable price. Players was one of the first cue lines Lucas started with – today it is one of the top brands in the world. In recent years, the Players line has been updated with Players HXT and Pure X technology cues. Popular among world class professionals such as Jennifer Barretta and Shaun Wilkie as well as everyday players, these cues come packed with all the performance-enhancing features today’s players want, but still carry an affordable price tag. Cue & Case Sales is the parent company to over 17 industry-leading brands and is the largest manufacturer/distributor of billiard supplies in the world. Cue & Case Sales’ global distribution network provides customers with a price match guarantee, super low freight rates and one-stop shopping services. Please visit www.cueandcase.com for more information.
Queens, New York– It’s back again and for the seventh consecutive year, Dragon Promotions will produce the biggest international 14.1 event in the world, The 72nd World Tournament of Straight Pool . Once again in partnership with the support of Dr.Michael Fedak, this year’s event will for the first in decades move to New York to Carom Cafe in Queens. The well renown billiard room will host this year’s event starting July 29 through August 3, 2012. Once again the greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive on USA soil and attend this prestigious event to play for the coveted title of greatest straight pool player in the world.
” Finally we are in New York City! Ever since the first year we resurrected the World Tournament, New Yorkers have been literally begging us to move it there. They promised big crowds, so here we are seven years later. This is the closest we have also ever been to Manhattan, so we are only a few stops on the subway to Queens and Carom Cafe”, said Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.
Sponsors and private contributors are still needed for this year’s event. Final added money and fund raising for the 2nd Annual Straight Pool Hall of Fame still must be generated. To help be a part of this treasured event, all the info to reach Dragon Promotions is found at the end of this news story.
The World Tournament is the oldest tournament in history that still exists today. Invented by Jerome Keough and shortly after recognized as the official game of billiards. The first World 14.1 Tournament was held in 1911 and won by Alfredo DeOro. In its history due to war and economics, the World Championships had 29 tournaments that did not take place including a 15 year gap between 1990-2005 until Dragon Promotions revived the game and the World Tournament in 2006.
“This is my absolute favorite game, and this is my favorite event in the world. The World Tournament is the ultimate straight pool event, and the oldest testament of skill there is in pool. Dragon Promotions have been terrific caretakers of this prestigious championship, and I am pleased to help them continue the longest running tournament in history”, said Dr.Michael Fedak, one of the event’s main sponsors.
This year marks the 72nd World Tournament , and expected stars such as reigning champion Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, Two-time World 14.1 Champion Oliver Ortmann with former World Champions Allen Hopkins, Stephan Cohen of France, and world class 14.1ers Johnny Archer, Mika Immonen, John Schmidt, Charlie Williams, Mike Davis are just a few of the powerful list of world beaters who will come to play in the greatest straight pool tournament in the world. Players may also join qualifiers to get a chance to compete in the World Tournament with all the legendary greats. Qualifier info will be announced shortly and later can be found at www.DragonPromotions.com To host a qualifier or play, contact worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com
“The World Tournament till this day has proven to have the most passionate fans and players. Myself and our staff at Dragon Promotions have really come to a true appreciation of this game and its rich history. We are very proud to have become the caretakers of this prestigious event”, added Cindy Lee.
The format for the event will be the same as the past six years. 64 players divided into 8 groups of 8 players in a round robin format playing races to 100. The top 32 players will advance to a double elimination tournament races to 150. The top 16 players will then advance to a single elimination race to 200 points.
Vendor spaces are also available, for more information on player registration, sponsorship, or if you would like to submit a comment, please email worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or contact Dragon Promotions at 1-407-782-4978. Full event info is at www.dragonpromotions.com
Dragon Promotions is one of the leading producers of billiard programming in the world today. In a span of over 10 years, Dragon Promotions has produced over 100 international events airing on networks in USA, Korea, and Europe such as ESPN, ABS-CBN, ESPN Star Asia, MBC ESPN, XTM, XPORTS, and Euro Sport. Events include The World Tournament of 14.1, The Predator International 10-Ball Championship, King & Queen of Carom, Empress Cup, Pro Pool Schools, DP Pro Classic, Women’s Trickshot Challenge, World Junior 10-Ball Championships, The World Mixed Doubles and many more. Dragon has expanded to other sports such as football and manages some of the world’s best pool players including Johnny Archer, Allison Fisher, Mika Immonen, Shanelle Loraine, Rodney Morris, Charlie Williams, Mike Davis, and Erica Park. Watch their 10 year anniversary video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZrvwijI8fg visit www.dragonpromotions.com
Mark your calendars and watch out for any unknown players that will be lurking around in the area after the Super Billiards Expo being held in Philadelphia next week. Starting at 12noon, there will be an open 9-ball tournament for anyone and everyone to enjoy some heavy competition. The first 32 players to sign up and register for this double-elimination tournament will also be granted a free pass to the special event planned for later that same evening. All fans will also have a chance to play challenge matches with Shanelle, Borana, and Charlie Williams as well as photo opportunities and autographs.
The Poison Challenge Match is brought to you by Dragon Promotions www.Dragonpromotions.com .Top billiards pro Charlie Williams, and the “Sandman” of Sandcastle Billiards, Ed Liddawi, have collaborated together to create a very special treat for pool fans of all ages and genders alike. www.NYCGrind.com is the Official Media Partner of the event and founder Jerry Tarantola will be on site.
“The Poison Battle of the Beauties is a fantastic concept and one that will definitely draw new audiences to watch. The Predator Group likes outside the box events like this and we are sure people from everywhere will love watching Shanelle and Borana play”, said Nina Nigro, Marketing Manager for Predator Group.
“Battle of the Billiard Beauties” will feature international billiards star, Shanelle Loraine of Guam, as she faces local celebrity female player and Rack Starz’ own, Borana Andoni of New York City. The two women will play a one set race to 9 in 9-Ball. These two lovely young ladies have definitely made their mark in the billiards industry as they strive to perfect their game and promote the sport in many ways.
Shanelle began playing pool in 2000, and played on the University of Central Florida pool team for four years. She has been invited to international events worldwide as well as appeared on several television programs and modeled for shampoo commericials and telecommunications companies. Shanelle trains in Orlando FL, and is coached by Top World Ranked Pro, Charlie Williams who has also coached the likes of Allison Fisher, Yu Ram Cha, Rodney Morris, Erica Park and many more. To book Shanelle for appearances email dpsportsmanagement@yahoo.com or call Dragon Promotions at 1-407-782-4978
A New York player from the Bronx, Borana was born in Albania. She plays on the JPNEWT tour and Tony Robles‘ 9 Ball Tour. She frequents Amsterdam Billiards room in New York City and recently went to the Philippines to compete in the World Mixed Doubles Classic with Mika Immonen as his partner. Borana currently plays a role in the web series, “Sharks” and also in the upcoming film, “9 Ball The Movie”.
“My dedication and commitment to the billiards industry is to provide the proper environment and platform for veteran as well as novice players to enjoy and introduce them to all the beautiful facets of the sport. Pool rooms that are actually dedicated to the players are very limited in the area. I hope to expend efforts to help erase the negative stigma the pool world has been branded with for the past several generations and replace it with a cleaned up positive image to help revitalize the industry.” says Ed Liddawi, owner of Sandcastle Billiards.
The recent affiliation with Accu-Stats video creator and Hall of Famer, Pat Fleming is sure to only compliment and accent the beautiful atmosphere and proper playing conditions you’ll find at Sandcastle Billiards. The Simonis Arena is now housed at Sandcastle and will be the playing grounds for this event.
If you’re going to be in the area, be sure you don’t miss this event! Sandcastle Billiards is located at 101 Townsley Street and Route 1 South in Edison, NJ. Telephone # (732) 632- 9277. Easy access from interstate highway Route 1, Route 287 exit 1, the NJ Turnpike exit 10, and the Garden State Parkway exit 130. www.SandcastleBilliards.com
Poison Billiards, an international billiards industry leader, is a high-performance recreation pool cue producer focused on bringing cutting-edge designs, with Predator engineering for best-in-class playability, to billiards players worldwide. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Poison Billiards is a division of The Predator Group whose core brands also include Predator Cues and Uni-Loc. For more information regarding The Predator Group, visit www.thepredatorgroup.com. For information on Poison Billiards visit www.poisonbilliards.com.
MIKA IMMONEN Mika “Ice Man” Immonen had a great year that started off with a 3rd place finish at the 300+ player field at the Derby City Classic 9-Ball in Indiana. He then went on to add another major title to his belt as he snapped off the 1st place prize at The Masters 10-Ball in Virginia defeating Germany’s Ralf Souquet in the finals. He went on to win the High Run 14.1 Challenge in Vegas and then won his own event named in his honor in Finland, The Brunswick Iceman Open. Mika came close to winning his 2nd Predator International Championship, but got a respectable runner-up to Dennis Orcullo in Philippines. Mika also had top 10 finishes in the World 8-Ball Championship in Dubai, The World Tournament of 14.1 in New Jersey, and The World Pool Masters in Manila. Mika represents Mezz Cues & Kamui , and is the distributor for Mezz USA. The former World 9-Ball, World 10-Ball Champion, and World #1 turned 39 which means..(drumroll!)…he will be eligible for the BCA Hall of Fame Ballot in 1 more year!
Mika’s quote of the year,”I love that the World Tournament of 14.1 is a sanctioned ranking event. We need these kind of events on our calendar. I wish we had more 14.1 tournaments. We need to keep straight pool alive and well because it’s a great game.” (Mika is a 2x Silver Medalist at The World Tournament of 14.1)
ALLISON FISHER “The Duchess of Doom” Allison Fisher had another incredible year on her continuing resurgence. She hired professioal coach Charlie Williams in the last quarter of 2010 and capped it off with a sudden turnaround back to back finals at the World 9-Ball Championship and the China Open where she was barely defeated in both finals 9-7. Then she continued right through to 2011 with a 3rd place at the Amway Cup in Taiwan ,where she shattered the field with win/loss game records with multiple 7-0,7-1 drubbings of top women and dropped only 1 match in the event after the round robin stage. She then shook off a 3 year streak without a big win, with a champion performance at the Ultimate 10-Ball defeating Kelly Fisher in the finals. Then came her full redemption at the WPBA US Open where she put a stellar performance and a new elevated game to defeat Korea’s Ga Young Kim in the finals for her 5th career US Open title. She then went onto the finals again at the next WPBA Tour Championship where she re-matched with Kim in the finals again, but this time settled for 2nd. Off to China next, where third time became a charm as she snapped off her first major win in China at the Haining Open defeating Kelly Fisher in the finals. She ended the year with a strong 3rd place at the Taobao World Mixed Doubles representing England with her partner Craig Osborne. Fisher was signed to a multi-year deal with Star Tables and is looking stronger than ever for the 2012 season.
Allison’s quote of the year,“I’ve played her several times, and I’ve never done that before.” (after her 0-3 comeback of 9 games in a row won vs Xiao Ting Pan en route to her US Open win. Deja Vu from 2010’s Allison quote of “Did that really just happened?” when she blanked Karen Corr 9-0 at the semi-finals of the China Open). www.allisonfisher.com
RODNEY MORRIS
Rodney “The Rocket” Morris had another incredible year topping his great 2010 season. Morris started 2011 with a 1st Place at The Fatboy Challenge where he defeated Darren Appleton in the finals. He then flew to Sweden and snapped off the Interpool Open defeating Raj Hundal in the finals. He lost 10-9 in the finals of the Poison DP Classic to road partner Charlie Williams before hitting a hot streak that started off with a 3rd at the Seminole Tour stop in California, and then back to back major wins at the Seminole stop in Rhode Island where he defeated Johnny Archer in the finals and then the next week went to New York and defeated Alex Pagulayan in the finals of the Turningstone Classic. He then showed his straight pool prowess with a solid 5th at the World Tournament of 14.1 and ended the tour year with back to back 3rd place finishes at The Nicaragua Open and Turningstone Classic winter edition. He qualified for his 8th Mosconi Cup to represent the USA in Las Vegas to end the year. Morris also dedicated time serving the sport as the Vice-President of the ABP (Association of Billiard Professionals) and was one of the key negotiators for securing prize funds for professional players. Rodney renewed his contract to represent Poison Cues by Predator.
Rodney’s quote of the year, “I’m starting to like this game,” said Morris. ” I just kept telling myself throughout my matches that if Charlie Williams could do it, it must be easy!” (Morris at the 2011 World 14.1 Tournament) http://www.facebook.com/rodneyrocketmorris SHANELLE LORAINEShanelle Loraine continued her improvement in her skills on and off the table in 2011. Besides strong finishes on the regional circuit including a 3rd place at The Flamingo Florida Ladies Tour, Shanelle was voted the Top 20 Most Voluptuous Women in All Sports, where she came in #3 and was the only billiards player in the vote. Shanelle was also voted #3 Most Hottest Girl by the Bleacher Report on Random Sports, which included several top ladies such as Jeanette Lee. Shanelle was the highest ranked over all other women in billiards and quote. One of the very few to crossover to mainstream media from billiards, she was just signed on by Yalin Billiards and renewed her contract to endorse Poison Cues by Predator. As the Bleacher Report.com says ,”Shanelle Loraine is bringing a different level of hot to the world of billiards. She might just be the hottest female to ever touch a pool stick. ” Who are we to argue?Shanelle’s quote of the year, “Red, Since we are both playing in China for the first time we decided to wear red in hopes that it will bring us good fortune.Blue, to represent our country. Black, to help bring out our competitive spirit.” (on the team color choices for her and partner Max Eberle at the Taobao World Mixed Doubles)http://shanelleloraine.com/JOHNNY ARCHERJohnny “Scorpion” Archer finished his 20th consecutive year ranked in the top 5 in the US rankings. Archer won another Music City Open in Tennessee and finished 5th and 7th at the Masters 10-Ball and Players Championship. He then won the Maryland 14.1 Open and the Poison DP Classic 10-Ball in back to back weeks. He finished runner-up to Rodney Morris at the Seminole stop in Rhode Island and placed 5th at The World Tournament of 14.1 He then went off to Canada to win the Challenge du St. Laurent and finished 9th at the US Open. Archer flew to China to play with partner Jeanette Lee where they dominated the field but came a little short in the finals losing to defending champs Efren Reyes & Rubilen Amit at the Taobao World Mixed Doubles. Johnny qualified for his 15th consecutive Mosconi Cup to represent the USA once again and though Europe earned the win, Archer still had a winning record on the USA Team. Archer also dedicated time serving the sport as the President of the ABP (Association of Billiard Professionals) and was one of the key negotiators for securing prize funds for professional players and establishing ABP Guidelines. Johnny represents Scorpion Cues and Yalin Tables. The 27 year tour veteran still managed to have time to run his poolroom The Marietta Billiard Club in Georgia with his wife Melanie and spend time with his children Lee and Leann. Johnny’s quote of the year, “We had a great 2011 and we are all closer to accomplishing the goals of the ABP. We aim to help professional players get closer to their dreams. 2012 is going to be even better with more promoters stepping up to do the right things and players getting more benefits.”http://www.johnnyarcher.net/ERICA PARKEunji Erica Park was the latest sensation to join Dragon Promotions in her debut year with our company. The former Korean Female Rookie of the Year player arrived in the US at the tender age of 22 to try to see if she could make it onto the WPBA Tour. Coached and mentored by DP’s own Charlie Williams, Erica started the year with top 10 finishes in amateur events such as the Super Billiards Expo Ladies Division in Philadelphia. She then made some noise at the Ultimate 10-ball in Texas with a top 10 finish. Then taking full advanatge of her first USA tournament win with the WPBA US Open Qualifier, she went onto to finish 3rd at the US Open making her debut appearance at a WPBA event as well as on ESPN USA. She ended the year with a 5th place finish at the Taobao World Mixed Doubles. With only 10 months of professional coaching, she has taken down super star names this year such as Jeanette Lee, Allison Fisher, Xiao Ting Pan, Karen Corr, Yu Ram Cha and even a surprise win over USA men’s champion Mike Dechaine. She went unranked to finishing in the top 32 in 1 season. Yalin Tables signed her on already and be on the lookout for more news on Erica in 2012.Erica’s quote of the year , “I feel a new eagerness to train and get better now. I had alot of fun at the US Open. It’s more fun when you’re winning!” http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002481496624MIKE DAVIS“Iron” Mike Davis started 2011 with a 3rd place at the Derby City 14.1 Challenge and then later a strong 3rd place finish at the Masters 10-ball in Virginia. Known for his committment to his craft with dedicated practice, “Iron” Mike also plays in more events than probably any other pro. He placed in the money of 27 events during the year. The highlight of the year for him was his incredible run at the 71st World Tournament of 14.1 where he became the first American to reach the finals in 20 years. He was runner-up to Germany’s Thorsten Hohmann, the only player to defeat him in the event. Mike also won 6 regional pro-am torunaments during 2011. Davis also serves on the Board of Directors for the ABP (Association of Billiard Professionals) . Mike is sponsored by Hammerheads Billiards in Palm Harbor, Florida.Mike’s quote of the year “This is definitely one of the most significant accomplishments for me. I’ve won a couple big 9-ball events, but this is major for me to make it to the finals of the World Tournament.” (Mike on the feeling of being the first American in 2 decades to reach the finals where the Europeans have dominated each year since the 2006 revival)https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1263523927CHARLIE WILLIAMSCharlie “Korean Dragon” aka “The Dragon” Williams still managed to beat a few good players in 2011 as he balanced his duties of producer, coach, writer and manager. Charlie started the year with top 16 finishes in the Derby City Bank Pool and One Pocket which boasted 300+ player fields in each, and snapped off their 64 player 9-Ball One day event. Williams then went onto win the Super Billiards Expo Pro Bar Table Open and then won the Wyoming State Open 8-Ball Bar Table Open. He finished 4th at the Ultimate 10-Ball and 9th at the US Open 10-Ball, and 6th at the Seminole Pro stop in Florida. He won the Poison DP Pro Classic 9-Ball in Louisiana where he defeated Thorsten Hohmann, Shane Van Boening, Johnny Archer, and Rodney Morris back to back en route. Charlie finished 3rd at the World Tournament of 14.1 in New Jersey , knocking out defending champion Oliver Ortmann. Charlie went off to China and placed 5th alongside student Erica Park at the Taobao World Mixed Doubles. Williams ended the year ranked #8 in the USA Mosconi Cup rankings, and was selected as the captain of the USA Team for the very first time. Charlie also serves on the Board of Directors for the ABP (Association of Billiard Professionals) . Williams continues to endorse and represent Predator Cues in their 10th year together, and promises to show the strength of Predator’s advanced technology by still not practicing in 2012, and hopes he will still beat a few more good players.Charlie’s quote of the year, “Our USA boys this year are a close knit group that love and care about each other off and on the table and that’s going to shine through in Vegas.” (CW’s opinion of the USA Team before the Mosconi Cup. He later followed up after their loss to Europe with “I’d take the same exact USA team again next year in a heartbeat” )
Players Fight to Stay Alive Until Sunday’s Televised Rounds!
MT. PLEASANT, MI – The Women’s Professional Billiard Association’s (WPBA) WPBA Masters continues at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mt. Pleasant, MI with elimination rounds in the one-loss bracket of the double elimination chart. Defeated players in the following matches finish 25-32:
Next up, continued one loss eliminations, plus winner’s side play to determine the last four undefeated players.
To view the tournament chart and ongoing results, visit www.wpba.com and click on “2012 Soaring Eagle Tournament Board.” One-loss side matches begin at 11:00 a.m. Friday. The sixteen undefeated players compete at 3 and 6 p.m.
The tournament will conclude on Sunday, January 29 beginning at 1 p.m., when the final four players remaining will compete for the title of 2012 WPBA Masters Champion. Tickets are available via startickets.com. The three final-round one-hour matches will be taped by ESPN for broadcast on Sunday, March 18, from 1:30 – 4:30 pm EST.
Alongside the WPBA Masters is the Soaring Eagle Open III, featuring amateur singles 8-Ball and 9-Ball tournaments in men and women’s divisions, with $10,000 in added prize money. This event also begins Thursday, January 26 and continues through Sunday, January 29, 2012. Visit www.soaringeagleopen.com for more information.
About the Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA)
The WPBA was established in 1976 as the Women’s Professional Billiard Alliance, and will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2011 as the oldest pro player organization in the sport. The WPBA sanctions and produces the Women’s Pro Billiard Tour, which features ESPN-televised events with the world’s greatest women players. Visit www.wpba.com for more. The WPBA Classic Tour is sponsored by the American Poolplayers Association, Diamond Billiards, Iwan Simonis, Cuetec Cues, Delta 13, Pooldawg, Mueller Recreational Products and Aramith.
About the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
The Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort is the Midwest’s premier AAA Four Diamond gaming and hospitality destination offering top-name entertainment year-round, award-winning dining, high stakes bingo and a full-service spa. For more information, visit www.soaringeaglecasino.com
MT. PLEASANT, MI – The WPBA Masters 9-Ball Championship wound up play tonight with completion of Round Two. Losing players in both rounds begin competition at 11 a.m. Friday in the one-loss bracket. Winners of the Round Two matches play at 3 and 6 p.m. Friday. Grand Ledge, Michigan's Vicki Paski upset top 8 ranked Brittany Bryant to join fellow Hall of Famers Allison Fisher, Karen Corr and newly inducted Jeanette Lee in the final sixteen.
For the first time in the history of the Women’s Pro Billiard Tour, the entire semi final and final matches will run LIVE on ESPN3, beginning Sunday at 1 p.m. Fans can head to http://www.wpba.com for more info and tournament brackets, or visit the link direct at http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/817665/wpba-masters.
WPBA Masters Sponsors
Auto-Owners joins WPBA Masters sponsors Diamond Billiard Products, Iwan Simonis Cloth, Aramith pro balls, Delta-13 (racks) and online gameroom supplier Pooldawg in sponsoring this historic event on the 2013 Women’s Pro Billiard Tour.
Tickets
Tickets are available via startickets.com or the Soaring Eagle Box office at 888-726-9633.
The Women’s Professional Billiard Association’s (WPBA) top players have arrived in northern Michigan to compete in the WPBA Masters at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort. The WPBA Masters 9-Ball Championship kicks off the 2012 Women’s Pro Billiard Tour season and the first round of competition begins at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 26, 2012.
Here is the first round schedule. (Note, the 16 winners will compete against the tournament’s top 16 seeds in round two, while the losers move to the one-loss side of the tournament chart.) To view the chart and ongoing results, visit www.wpba.com and click on “2012 Soaring Eagle Tournament Board.”
There will be two sessions of play each day. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, January 29 beginning at 1 p.m., when the final four players remaining will compete for the title of 2012 WPBA Masters Champion. These three final-round one-hour matches will be taped by ESPN for future television broadcasts. Tickets are available via startickets.com.
Alongside the WPBA Masters is the Soaring Eagle Open III, featuring amateur singles 8-Ball and 9-Ball tournaments in men and women’s divisions, with $10,000 in added prize money. This event also begins Thursday, January 26 and continues through Sunday, January 29, 2012. Visit www.soaringeagleopen.com for more information.
Final 16 Players Compete in Single Elimination Stage for the Title
LINCOLN CITY, OR – The Women’s Pro Billiard Tour’s WPBA Tour Championships is down to the final 16 players who will compete in the single elimination stage to determine the eventual champion on Sunday.
On the winner’s side, eight players emerged victorious after the second seeded round of play:
The eight winners were then drawn into the eight emerging from the one loss side, including Vivian Villarreal, with wins over Shelby Locati 9-1 and Eleanor Callado 9-7; Melissa Little, with wins over Jennifer Chen 9-4 and Kim White 9-7; Liz Cole, with wins over Dawn Hopkins 9-3 and Cathy Metzinger 9-6; Jennifer Barretta, with a win over Maureen Seto 9-4; Brittany Bryant, with wins over Tina Hess 9-1 and Val Finnie 9-6; Erica Park, with wins over defending champion Xiaoting Pan 9-6 and Nicole Keeney 9-3; Helena Thornfeldt, with wins over Teruko Cucculelli 9-4 and Tamara Rademakers 9-7; and Ewa Laurance, with a win over Emily Duddy 9-4.
Fans can keep up with match results at www.wpba.com via the Tour Championship Tournament Board. The final sixteen will narrow to eight players late this evening. Those eight be featured in the ESPN televised quarter finals on Saturday!
For more information, or to obtain tickets call 1-888-MAIN-ACT (624-6228) or 541-996-5775. Chinook Winds Casino Resort, located on the beach in Lincoln City, is owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.
About the Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA)
The WPBA was established in 1976 as the Women’s Professional Billiard Alliance, and celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2011 as the oldest pro player organization in the sport. The WPBA sanctions and produces the Women’s Pro Billiard Tour, which features ESPN-televised events with the world’s greatest women players. Visit www.wpba.com for more. The WPBA Classic Tour is sponsored by the American Poolplayers Association, Diamond Billiards, Iwan Simonis, Delta 13, Pooldawg and Aramith.
LINCOLN CITY, OR – Just eight world-class players remain in contention for the WPBA Tour Championship title today, now preparing to take the stage in quarter final matches taking place at 1, 3, 6 and 8 pm (Pacific Standard Time) in front of ESPN cameras (taped for later broadcast) at the Chinook Winds Event Center.
The final sixteen took to the floor late last night to pare down the field, with eight great matches. US Open runner-up Ga Young Kim defeated Hall of Famer Ewa Laurance 9-6 and national junior champion Brittany Bryant defeated Norway’s Line Kjorsvik 9-7. Great Britain’s Kim Shaw destroyed American contender Liz Cole, and in a surprise victory, the Texas Tornado Vivian Villarreal bested UK native Kelly Fisher. Fisher, hot off a win at the Yalin Women’s World Championship in the Philippines was an early favorite.
Today’s races change to seven for the TV rounds (first player to win seven games) and the match-ups are as follows:
Ga Young Kim vs. Brittany Bryant (1:00 pm PST) Kim Shaw vs. Vivian Villarreal (3:00 pm PST) Helena Thornfeldt vs. Jeanette Lee (6:00 pm PST) Allison Fisher vs. Jennifer Barretta (8:00 pm PST)
Fans can keep up with match results at www.wpba.com via the Tour Championship Tournament Board.
For more information, or to obtain tickets call 1-888-MAIN-ACT (624-6228) or 541-996-5775. Chinook Winds Casino Resort, located on the beach in Lincoln City, is owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.
About the Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA)
The WPBA was established in 1976 as the Women’s Professional Billiard Alliance, and celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2011 as the oldest pro player organization in the sport. The WPBA sanctions and produces the Women’s Pro Billiard Tour, which features ESPN-televised events with the world’s greatest women players. Visit www.wpba.com for more. The WPBA Classic Tour is sponsored by the American Poolplayers Association, Diamond Billiards, Iwan Simonis, Delta 13, Pooldawg and Aramith.
