A few days shy of a year ago (Oct. 14, 2019), Caroline Pao and Linda Shea battled it out for an event title at Stop #7 of the 2019 J. Pechauer Northeast Women’s Tour, hosted by Eagle Billiards in Dickson City, PA. They were also competing for the top spot in the tour rankings at the time. It was a short field of 12 entrants that day and they met, first, in a winners’ side semifinal and then later in the finals. Pao won both matches to claim the event title, her third of the season, but it wasn’t enough to move her into the tour’s top spot over Shea, who’d competed in all seven of the tour’s stops to that point.
This year (Oct. 10-11), things were a little different for the two frequent competitors on Shea’s tour. Though it was, this time, Stop #8 on the (2020) tour at the same location, and Shea was once again at the top of the tour rankings, there’d been a lot of proverbial water under the bridge of pool since that earlier matchup. It was Pao’s first cash payout since she’d finished 9th at the WPBA’s Ashton Twins Classic in January. Shea, on the other hand, was looking for her third win on this year’s interrupted tour, which had been forced to cancel stops #2 through #4. Shea won the first stop back (#5), was runner-up to Kathy Friend in #6 and then beat Friend in the finals of #7.
Enter Caroline Pao with her first appearance on the tour since that win a year ago and Kia Burwell, who, like Shea, had competed in all four of the tour’s 2020 stops and arrived in Dickson City as the tour’s #3 competitor behind Shea and Friend.
It was Burwell who met up with Shea, twice, and eventually eliminated her in the event semifinals. She met Pao, twice, as well, but was defeated both times, as Pao went undefeated to pick up her fourth JPNEWT win in four tries. The event drew 29 entrants to Eagle Billiards.
Pao showed little sign of any prolonged absence from the tables and marched to a winners’ side semifinal against Ada Lio, having given up only three racks in 24 games; none to Carol V. Clark, one to April Hatcher and two to Chari Slater. Burwell, in the meantime, got by Linda Cheung, survived a double hill battle versus Shanna Lewis and defeated Karen Carter 7-2 to arrive at her winners’ side semifinal against Shea.
Shea and Burwell got into something of a predictable double hill match at which Burwell prevailed to earn her spot in the hot seat match. Pao sent Lio to the loss side 7-1, giving her a winners’ side aggregate score, going into the hot seat match, of 32-4. Though Burwell put up a better fight than any of Pao’s previous opponents, Pao took the hot seat 7-3 and waited on Burwell’s return.
On the loss side, Shea picked up Shanna Lewis, who was working on a four-match, loss-side winning streak that had recently sent Christie Hurdel (7-2) and Chari Slater (double hill) home. Lio drew Kassandra Bein, who was also working on a four-match, loss-side winning streak that had sent Karen Carter (7-3) and Suzzie Wong (7-4) to the proverbial showers.
Shea advanced to the quarterfinals 7-2 over Lewis and was joined by Bein, who’d extended her loss-side winning streak by ending Lio’s 7-2. Shea then put a stop to Bein’s winning streak 7-3 in those quarterfinals. Burwell, in turn, put a stop to Shea’s modest two-match, loss-side winning streak with a 7-3 win in the semifinals.
Pao showed no sign that waiting for the finals had affected her play. In fact, she gave up one less rack in the finals against Burwell than she had in their earlier hot seat match. Pao completed her undefeated run with the 7-2 win and in her first appearance on the 2020 tour, moved among the top 10 competitors on the tour. Burwell, in the absence of the tour’s #2-ranked player (Kathy Friend), moved into second place behind Shea.
Pao, who noted after the event, that she doesn’t play in as many tournaments as she used to, as a result of work commitments, did enjoy being back.
“It was actually fun competing again,” she said, “especially since I don’t get to compete as much.”
“Kia (Burwell) has been working on her game,” she added. “She’s always been a tough competitor, but is much tougher now. I really enjoy sparring with her.”
Though she and Shea did not meet in a match this time out, Pao remembers their past quite well. She’s aware, as well, that her own inability to compete as often has a way of keeping her out of contention for any of the top spots on the tour.
“Linda is a great player,” she said, “and I enjoy competing with her because she is such a strong competitor. I’d never be able to catch up to her in (tour) points since I would not be able to attend all of the events.”
“I only got lucky to be ranked as high (last year) because I was able to play in three events,” she said, “and was fortunate enough to win the three events I played in.”
She added her first in 2020 to make it four events.
Tour director Linda Shea thanked the ownership and staff at Eagle Billiards, as well as title sponsor J. Pechauer Custom Cues, Coins of the Realm, angle aim Art (Britanya E. Rapp) and the Turtle Rack. The next stop on the JPNEWT, scheduled for Nov. 7-8, will be hosted by Triple Nines in Elkridge, MD.
Linda Shea went into the sixth stop on her J. Pechauer Northeast Women’s Tour as the tour’s #2-ranked player, a mere 25 points behind the tour leader, Nicole King. An undefeated run through a short field of 14 entrants on-hand for a $700-added event at Q Master Billiards in Virginia Beach, VA over the September 16-17 weekend, gave Shea a second win on this year’s tour (she won her first back in April) and allowed Shea to switch places with King in the current tour rankings (King finished this event in the tie for fifth place). The event’s runner-up, Carol V. Clark, switched places with Elaine Wilson as well, moving up from 4th to 3rd place in the rankings.
Shea had to get by Clark twice to claim the title. She did so, first, in the battle for the hot seat. Shea had sent Kia Sidbury to the loss side 7-3, while Clark was busy in a double hill fight that eventually sent Sharon O’Hanlon to the loss side. Shea and Clark battled to double hill in the hot seat match, before Shea finished it, sending Clark over to the semifinals.
On the loss side, Sidbury picked up King, who’d been sent to the loss side by O’Hanlon and defeated Kassandra Bein 7-4 and Jacki Duggan, double hill. O’Hanlon drew Elaine Wilson, a second-round victim of Shea’s, who’d defeated Connie Eddins 7-3, and Judie Wilson 7-5.
With only 25 points between Shea and King in the standings, and Shea already guaranteed a minimum of 160 points, Kia Sidbury assured Shea’s elevation to the top ranking position with a 7-5 win over King. Sidbury was joined in the quarterfinals by Elaine Wilson, who’d defeated O’Hanlon 7-5.
Wilson defeated Sidbury 7-5 in those quarterfinals, only to have her loss-side run halted by Clark in the semifinals 7-2. The often intangible element of momentum, which normally favors the player who’s not been sitting during the semifinals (in this case, Clark), failed to have an effect. Shea improved on the double hill fight she and Clark had waged in the hot seat battle, and claimed the event title with a 7-2 win in the finals.
As a qualifying tournament for a North American Pool Tour event (The Desert Shootout, scheduled for November in Las Vegas), Shea’s victory gave her a spot in that tournament. Having already been invited, Shea passed the qualifying spot on to Clark.
Shea thanked the ownership and staff at Q Master Billiards for their ongoing hospitality, as well as title sponsor J. Pechauer Custom Cues. Stop #7 on the JPNEWT, scheduled for October 14-15, will be hosted by Eagle Billiards in Dickson City, PA.
After a bit of a hiatus from competing on the J. Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour, Karen Corr, whose last win on the tour came almost exactly a year ago, returned on the weekend of June 24-25. After being sent to the loss side by Briana Miller, Corr came back to meet and defeat her in the finals to claim her first 2017 JPNEWT title. The $500-added (from Coins of the Realm) event, the fourth stop on the tour, drew 29 entrants to Champion Billiards in Frederick, MD.
Miller, looking to go back-to-back after her tour win in May, faced Corr in this event's third round. They battled to double hill, before Miller prevailed and advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Eugenia Gyftopoulos. Tina Malm, in the meantime, squared off against Nicole King (runner-up to Miller in May). Miller advanced to the hot seat over Gyftopoulos, and faced Malm, who'd defeated King, both by a score of 7-5. Miller sent Malm to the semifinals 7-2 and sat in the hot seat, listening to the approaching 'footsteps' of Corr.
Corr opened her loss-side campaign with a victory over Elaine Wilson, and followed that with a 7-5 win over Gwen Townsend, to face King. Gyftopoulos drew Heather Platter, who'd eliminated Carol V. Clark and Kassandra Bein, both 7-4, to reach her. Corr downed King 7-3, and in the quarterfinals, faced Gyftopoulos, who'd defeated Platter 7-4.
Corr shut Gyftopoulos out in the quarterfinals, and then defeated Malm 7-2 for a second shot against Miller. Corr captured her first JPNEWT title of 2017 with a 9-4 victory over Miller in the finals.
This event was a qualifier for a 2017 NAPT Division 1 Pro event of the qualifying player's choice. With Corr, Miller and Malm already qualified, the spot went to fourth place finisher Eugenia Gyftopoulos.
Ozzy Reynolds (APT Owner), Jacki Duggan, Janet Atwell and Raymond Walters (APT Tour Director)
For the second year in a row, the Women's VA State 10-Ball Championships came down to Janet Atwell and Jacki Duggan squaring off in both the hot seat match and the finals. And also for the second year, Atwell won both matches to claim that title. The 2016 event drew 18 entrants to Diamond Billiards in Midlothian, VA, on the weekend of February 13-14.
In her first 34 games, over five matches, Atwell chalked up an aggregate score of 30-4. She'd shut out Kristine Wylie (opening round), and given up only a single rack to Nicole Monaco (third round). In between, Tina Scott, who finished third in 2015, managed to take three against her in the second round. Atwell chalked up her third shutout against Buffy Jolie in a winners' side semifinal.
Duggan, in the meantime, was awarded an opening round bye, before being challenged, double hill, by Sierra Reams. Duggan advanced to defeat Kia Sidbury and in the other winners' side semifinal, Judie Wilson, both 7-2. Atwell added a fourth shutout, over Duggan, to claim the hot seat. Atwell had also shut Duggan out in the 2015 hot seat match.
On the loss side, Buffy Jolie picked up Meredith Lynch, who'd gotten by Cheryl Pritchard 5-3 and survived a double hill fight over Sidbury. Wilson drew Nicole Monaco, who, after her defeat at the hands of Atwell on the winners' side, had defeated Nicole King 5-3 and Kassandra Bein 5-2.
Monaco defeaTed Wilson, as Jolie eliminated Lynch, both 5-2. It was Lynch's second straight finish in the tie for fifth place, while Wilson improved from 21st in 2015 to fifth this year.
Monaco defeated Jolie 5-2 in the quarterfinals, but ran into a very determined Duggan, who gave up only a single rack to her in the semifinals. Atwell, though, proved to be equally determined. Though Duggan would improve on her 2015 performance in the finals against Atwell (1-9), Atwell prevailed in 2016, 8-3, to claim her second straight VA State 10-Ball Championship.
They've come at her from every angle; the hot seat/final route, where Karen Corr gets challenged twice by the same player; the three-match, loss-side route, in which a player loses a winners' side semifinal and wins three on the loss side to get a second chance at her, and most recently, the deep-from-the-loss-side route, in which a player comes from deep on the loss side (say, five matches or more) to challenge her in the finals.
The occasion this time around, on the J. Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour, was the Q Masters Mid-Atlantic Women's 9-Ball Open, held on the weekend of August 15-16, offering a $6,000 prize fund, and hosted by the US Open's Barry Behrman at his Q Master Billiards facility in Virginia Beach, VA. Pretty much everyone on the 47-entrant roster was looking to deny Karen Corr her seventh straight win on the JPNEWT. Corr responded with a six-match, 35-8 performance that secured that seventh straight win, and for the third time this year, Briana Miller challenged her in the finals, choosing the only method of the three noted above that she hadn’t tried yet; the ‘deep from the loss side’ (seven wins) route.
Four matches in, with victories over Connie Eddins, Barb Yeager, Nicole Monaco, and Shanna Lewis, Corr had given up only three racks; one each to Eddins, Yeager and Lewis. At this point, in a winners’ side semifinal, she ran into a familiar nemesis, who’d challenged her three times in the finals this year – Tour director Linda Shea. In the meantime, Jia Li, who’d been runner-up to Corr earlier in the month, faced Kim Whitman, who would finish third for the third time this year.
Shea became the first player to chalk up more than a single rack against Corr, but moved to the loss side 7-2. Whitman, in the meantime, sent Li packing 7-4. Corr, apparently not happy with Shea’s second rack against her, gave up only one to Whitman, and sat in the hot seat waiting for Miller to complete her seven-match, loss-side run.
Following victories over Nicole Fleming and Borana Andoni, Miller had been sent to the loss side, by TruTV Hustler, Emily Duddy 7-4. She began her loss-side run with 7-4 victories over Kassandra Bein and Belinda Calhoun, and followed them with a 7-1 win over Iris Cabatit, and a 7-4 victory over Nicole Monaco. This set her up against Shea. Li, in the meantime, picked up Duddy, who’d survived a double hill match against Jacki Duggan and defeated Colleen Shoop 7-2.
Miller downed Shea 7-2 and was denied a rematch against Duddy, when Li defeated her 7-4. Miller took the quarterfinal match against Li 7-4, and gave up only a single rack to Whitman in the semifinals. Corr completed her (yet again) undefeated run with a 7-2 win in the finals.
They'd battled in the finals of Stop #3 on the J. Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour on the last weekend in May; Briana Miller coming from the loss side to challenge Corr in the hot seat. Corr won it, chalking up her third victory on the tour. On the weekend of June 13-14, at the $1,000-added fourth stop on the 2015 tour ($500-added from Coins of the Realm, contributing to the top three finishers), Corr and Miller battled again, this time, twice; in the hot seat and finals. Corr won them both to record her fourth straight and ninth overall win on the tour since March 2014.
Corr gave up only four racks through her first 32 games, defeating Eugenia Gyftopoulos and Kathy Friend 7-1, and shutting out Boye Lu. This put her into a winners' side semifinal against Jia Li who, by comparison, had given up 10 racks through her first 31 games. Miller, in the meantime, was awarded an opening round bye, and defeated both Nicole Fleming and Lai Li 7-2, which set her up to face Nicole Monaco in the other winners' side semifinal.
Miller defeated Monaco 7-3, as Corr was sending Jia Li to the losers' bracket 7-2. Miller recorded as many racks in the hot seat match as all of Corr's previous opponents combined, but moved to the semifinals on the heels of Corr's 7-4 win.
Tour director Linda Shea, who had been Corr's finals opponent in the two opening stops of the 2015 tour and twice in 2014, as well, went an uncharacteristic two-and-out in this one. Sent to the loss side by Jia Li 7-5 in the opening round, she battled to double hill against Nicole King on the loss side before being eliminated. Coming over from the winners' side semifinal, Monaco ran into Tina Scott, who was in the midst of a four-match, loss-side winning streak that had included a double hill win over Judie Wilson and a 7-3 win over Boye Lu. Jia Li ran into Kia Sidbury, who'd survived two straight double hill matches against Kassandra Bein and Kathy Friend to reach her.
By identical 7-3 scores, Li and Monaco eliminated Sidbury and Scott and advanced to the quarterfinals. Li shut Monaco out in those quarterfinals, but was eliminated 7-5 by Miller in the semifinals. Corr improved on her 7-4 hot seat performance against Miller, by defeating her 7-2 in the finals.
Karen Corr continues to dominate the proceedings on the J. Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour. On the weekend of May 30-31, she chalked up her third 2015 victory on the tour (adding to her five victories on the tour in 2014), going undefeated through a field of 28, on hand for the $1,0000-added ($500 by Coins of the Realm) event that was hosted by Triple Nines Bar and Billiards, in Elkridge, MD.
Corr was challenged by different opponents in the hot seat and finals. Following victories over Boye Lu, Kia Sidbury, and Joy McFeaters (by an average score of 7-2), Corr squared off in a winners' side semifinal against Nicole Fleming. Kim Whitman, in the meantime, who'd averaged 7-3 victories over Kassandra Bein, Tina Scott, and Kathy Friend, faced Briana Miller, who had defeated her three opponents (Connie Eddins, tour director Linda Shea, and Eugenia Gyftopoulos) by an average that was right between Corr's 7-2 and Whitman's 7-3.
Corr gave up only one rack to Fleming, and in the hot seat match, faced Whitman, who'd sent Miller to the loss side 7-2. Corr claimed the hot seat 7-4 over Whitman and waited for what turned out to be the return of Briana Miller.
On the loss side, Miller picked up Shea for a second time. Shea was on a four-match winning streak that had included victories over McFeaters 7- 3 and a shutout over Tina Scott. Fleming drew Kathy Friend, who'd gotten by Pauline Mattes 7-3 and Kia Sidbury 7-1. Miller downed Shea a second time 7-3, and in the quarterfinals, faced Friend, who'd eliminated Fleming 7-2.
Miller took the quarterfinal match 7-4 over Friend and then, gave up only a single rack to Whitman in the semifinals. Miller came within a game of forcing Corr into a double hill, deciding game, but Corr prevailed 7-5 to claim her third 2015 JPNEWT title.
Karen Corr seems determined to match her 2014 performance on the J. Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour, when she won all five of the events in which she competed. Tour director Linda Shea seems equally determined to be the competitor who stops Corr's string of JPNEWT victories. She was the runner-up in two of Corr's 2014 victories, and won the tour's final 2014 stop. On the weekend of April 25-26, Corr chalked up her second straight win on the 2015 tour, and for the second time, it was Shea who met her in the hot seat and finals. The $1,000-added event ($500 from Coins of the Realm) drew 26 entrants to First Break Cafe in Sterling, VA.
In the season opener in March, Corr went 42-8. In the second stop, she went 42-10, defeating Brit Rapp, Asia Cy, and Nicole Fleming to draw Nicole Monaco in a winners' side semifinal. Shea, in the meantime, got by Colleen Shoop, Melissa Jenkins, and Tina Scott, to draw Eugenia Gyftopoulos in the other. Shea downed Gyftopoulos 7-5, as Corr was shutting Monaco out. Corr took the first of two over Shea 7-3 to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Joy McFeaters was in the midst of an impressive six-match run that would take her as far as the semifinals. Defeated by Monaco 7-3 in the opening round, McFeaters was awarded a bye in her opening, loss-side match then defeated Rumi Brown, Denise Reeve, Nicole Fleming and Cheryl Sporleder to draw Gyftopoulos. Monaco drew Tina Scott, who'd defeated Kassandra Bein 7-2 and Delia Mocanu 7-5 to reach her.
McFeaters got by Gyftopoulos 7-5, and missed out on a re-match versus Monaco when she (Monaco) was defeated by Scott 7-5. McFeaters completed her loss-side run with her best match of the tournament, defeating Scott in the quarterfinals 7-2.
Shea, though, stepped up in the semifinals. She shut McFeaters out (her second shutout of the tournament; Corr had only one) and turned for a second shot at Corr. Corr upped her game, as well, allowing Shea only a single rack in the finals to complete her undefeated run and claim the second JPNEWT title of the 2015 season.
Karen Corr started the 2015 year on the J. Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour the way she ended the 2014 season; on a winning note. In the $1,000-added season opener ($500 from Coins of the Realm) that drew 32 entrants to Triple Nines in Elkridge, MD on the weekend of March 7-8, Corr played 50 games of 9-ball and won 42 of them, including back-to-back 7-1 victories over tour director Linda Shea, who, as a result of playing in almost twice as many events as Corr during the 2014 season ended up as the tour's top-ranked player last year.
They met first in the hot seat match. Corr had gotten by Shanna Lewis, Susan Shinn (who had chalked up an event-best three racks against her), and Delia Mocanu (for a 21-4 record) to draw Nicole Monaco in a winners' side semifinal. Shea, in the meantime, had defeated Connie Eddins, Nicole Fleming, and Joy McFeaters-Haas (for a 21-10 record) and played Meredith Lynch. Corr defeated Monaco 7-2, as Shea was busy sending Lynch to the loss side 7-5. Corr took the hot seat 7-1 and waited on Shea's return.
On the loss side, Kim Whitman and Kia Sidbury were making some noise that would see them both win six on that side of the bracket and face each other in the quarterfinals. Whitman had defeated Sidbury 7-1 in the opening round, and then, herself, been sent over by Monaco in the second round.
Sidbury got by Melissa Jenkins (double hill), Lynn Richard, Eugenia Gyftopoulos, Mocanu, and Kassandra Bein to draw Lynch, coming over from the winners' side semifinal. In addition to wins over Judie Wilson and a shutout over McFeaters-Haas, Whitman survived two double hill matches, against Nicole King and Jia Li, to pick up Monaco. Whitman eliminated Monaco 7-3 to chalk up her fifth loss-side win, as Sidbury was chalking up her sixth in a 7-2 win over Lynch.
Whitman ended Sidbury's loss-side campaign 7-5 in the quarterfinals, and got a shot at Shea in the semifinals. Shea took that match 7-5 for her second shot against Corr, who repeated her hot seat performance, claiming the season opener 7-1.
