Thirty-nine players showed up the weekend of March 19-20th at Legend’s Billiards in League City, TX to play in the second stop of 2016 on the OB Cues Ladies Tour. Top players from all over Texas and one new player from Alabama were gunning for the $775 first place prize in this event. With the awesome hospitality offered by Mindy and Craig Cohen and their staff, it was destined to be a great weekend of pool for all of the players.
It was a full day of action on Saturday as thirty-nine players were dwindled down to eight ladies in the main event. On Saturday night, the 9th-12th finishers were Jennifer Kraber, Monica Anderson, Michelle Cortez, and Alicia Stanley. Great job ladies!
Returning on Sunday, the final four in the winner’s bracket were Corina Campbell vs. Robyn Petrosino and Tara Williams vs. Amanda Lampert. The four ladies returning on the one-loss side were Orietta Strickland vs. Angie Payne and Jennifer Yo vs. Ricki Casper. Eliminated in the 7th-8th position was Jennifer Yo and Angie Payne, both of Austin, TX. This was Jennifer’s highest finish to date in an OB Ladies Tour event, Congratulations Jennifer! The 5th-6th places went to Amanda Lampert of Frisco, TX and Robyn Petrosino of Spring, TX; Congratulations Robyn on hitting her highest finish to date as well! 4th place was taken by Ricki Lee Casper of Houston, TX. Congratulations to all the ladies for their great shooting that earned them the spot in the main event on Sunday!
Tara Williams of Fort Worth made her way through Saturday with wins over Adena Sanchez (7-0), Kim Pierce (7-2), Michelle Cortez (7-5), and Monica Anderson (7-2). On Sunday, she continued her undefeated run and to take the hot seat with wins over Amanda Lampert (7-4) and Corina Campbell (7-3).
Corina Campbell of Dallas set up her highest finish to date by making her way through to the brackets, defeating on Saturday Teresa Garland (7-5), Lorna McEwan (7-5), and Jennifer Yo (7-2). She continued her run on Sunday winning against Robyn Petrosino (7-6), before being taking her first loss in the finals (3-7) against Tara for the hot seat.
For the 3rd place match, Corina was matched against Orietta Strickland of Dallas. Orietta jumped to a heavy lead at 6-2, but after a few unforced errors Corina was allowed back into the match. By continuing to capitalize on the opportunities given by Orietta, Corina was able to tie the match at 6 games to have one game decide who would move on to the finals. In the last game, both players traded safeties throughout the rack, but Corina missed a tough kick on the six to give Orietta ball in hand with four balls on the table. The only problem with the layout was that the 8-9 were tied up on the bottom rail. Orietta pocketed the 6 and played shape on the 7 to break out the trouble 8-9 layout, but when she executed the breakout, the 8-9 remained close together, forcing a combination on the 9-ball. She studied the combination for a minute, then took the shot. All the breath in the room was sucked in as the 9-ball rattled in the pocket but didn’t fall, leaving Corina an 8-9 combo for the match win. Congratulations to Orietta for a great match to watch and another great tournament finish!
With Tara and Corina in the finals match, it was a rematch of the hot seat for the tournament. Just like the hot seat match, both players traded racks early in the set until the match was set at 3-3. Once again, on the seventh game, Tara turned it on and didn’t look back. She finished out the set just as she had the first time they played with a final score of 7-3. Congratulations to Corina for her second place finish and reaching her highest finish to date on the tour!!! With this second win of 2016, Tara has seventeen tour wins and now holds the OB Cues Ladies Tour record for the most wins by a single player. Congratulations Tara on another great accomplishment!
Thanks again to Legends for hosting all the lovely ladies for this second event of 2016, and to all our board members who do a fantastic job all year around.
Special recognition and thanks to OB Cues our main tournament sponsor. If you want to get serious about your game, check out OB Cues at www.obcues.com
Many thanks and love to all our families, fans, supporters—we greatly appreciate each and every one of you. Also to the many, many ladies/ players/friends who traveled from near and far; we loved seeing you all again and greatly appreciate you making the journey to play on the OB Cues Ladies Tour. We look forward to seeing everyone once again at Stop #3 – Click’s Billiards in San Antonio, Texas, May 21-22nd weekend.
Good Pool, Good Friends, Good Times – we are the OB Cues Ladies Tour!!!!!
Check us out at www.obcuestour.com or Facebook/obcuestour
Loretta Lindgren executed a come-from-behind victory in a 48 player field to secure the second stop on the WPBA sanctioned, Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Tour. Lindgren suffered an early loss to Belinda Lee, 5-3, and rebounded to meet hot seat winner, Yvonne Asher, in the finals. This was Asher’s debut in a Gulf Coast final, and a first-time, finals face-off for the pair. A seasoned Lindgren overcame Asher in overtime, 5-3, 5-1, to secure her second-ever, Gulf Coast Tour 9-ball title.
On February 27, 2016, the Gulf Coast Tour converged on Bogies Billiards West, in Houston Texas, and thanks to room owner David Richardson, tour sponsors Delta-13 Rack and the APA of North Harris County, the Gulf Coast women couldn’t have been more pleased with the success of this event. Great competition and impressive player numbers have set the tone for this year’s Gulf Coast Tour. In full swing for 2016, the “Coast” kicked off an amazing first quarter, with a running total of 53 official WPBA Members, averaging 44 players per event. Tour director, Kimberly Newsome, commented about the growing popularity of the tour. “I expected the tour to grow, but never this big, this fast. The WPBA has expanded our territory to include Louisiana and Oklahoma, and we’re currently in search of venues to host events in those states. We anticipate holding multiple qualifiers for the 2017 WPBA Masters and sending an increased number of invitees to the 2017 WPBA Regional Tour Championships. It’s going to be a year for the record books.”
The battlefield was explosive in this one-day, 9-ball extravaganza, as Lorna McEwan made her bid for the final four, with wins over Brandi Humber, D’Andrea McQuirter, Mercedes Vasquez, 5-4, and Toni Esteves, 5-4, while Robyn Petrosino powered through Kim Jenkins, 5-3, Ricki Casper, and Gail Eaton, 5-1. On her way as well, Yvonne Asher bested Angie Payne, 5-2, Natalie Rocha, 5-4, and Cindy Watson, 5-2, while Terry Petrosino (Robyn’s mother) defeated Mindy Williams, Jennifer Dooley, 5-1, and Belinda Lee, 5-1. As the winners’ side was shaping up, the one loss side witnessed 2015 tour champion, Ricki Casper, eliminate Mindy Williams, Tam Trinh, and Cindy Watson, by the same score, 5-1. Angie Payne had an incredible run after suffering a second round loss at the hands of Asher, 5-2, eliminating Mary Reyes, 5-3, Kim Pierce, Mercedes Vasquez, Sara Bork, and Belinda Lee, to face-off with Casper. Lindgren also made her way through the east side with victories over Karen Hughes, 5-0, Jennifer Dooley, 5-3, and Toni Esteves, 5-2, while Natalie Rocha defeated Liz Yorek, 5-1, and Michelle Yim, 5-3, to meet Lindgren. Back on the east side, R. Petrosino ousted McEwan, 5-2, and Asher slid by T. Petrosino, 5-4, ending the possibility of a mother-daughter, hot seat duel. Asher defeated R. Petrosino for the hot seat, 5-2, and it was anyone’s guess who would power down the one loss road to meet Asher at the end. Back on the west side, Casper ended McEwan’s run, and Lindgren eliminated T. Petrosino, by the same score, 5-4. Lindgren shut out Casper, 5-0, and R. Petrosino, 5-1. Asher was patiently waiting in the wings, anticipating her first final and possible tour title, while Lindgren was searching for second. In the finals, Asher remained vigilant, but Lindgren came on strong, taking the first set, 5-3. With a little extra wind in her sail, Lindgren picked up the pace, ending Asher’s impressive run for the title, 5-1.
The tour would like to welcome its 14 new WPBA members, and extend its deepest gratitude to all the Board Members and players who assisted in promoting and running the event. Gulf Coast is happy to announce that Veronica “Pistol” Perez is joining its Board of Directors. Ms. Perez has hosted a number of successful events at Skinny Bob’s Billiards in Round Rock, Texas, and with her assistance, the tour looks forward to increasing its presence in Austin, and surrounding areas.
Players, friends, and fans, the next Gulf Coast Tour 9-ball event will be held at Ariana’s located at 13802 Homestead Road, Houston, Texas, on Saturday, May 14, 2016. This is a bar table event, and the tables will be open. Free practice begins at 10am, and the players’ meeting begins at 11am. There will also be a Lone Star Billiards Tour 9-ball event beginning on Saturday, sign-up 11am-1pm. For more information about the Gulf Coast Tour, please visit www.GulfCoastWomensTour.com.
Tara Williams, Amanda Lampert, Jennifer Kraber and Belinda Lee
Slick Willie’s in Katy, TX was the host site for Stop #2 on the OB Cues Ladies Tour 2015 schedule. Special thanks to Trey and his staff for welcoming 51 ladies who showed up the weekend of March 14th-15th to play in this 2-day, true double elimination, 9-ball tournament. Players from all over Texas and one player from Oklahoma were gunning for the $775 first place prize in this event and lots of laughs, camaraderie and action was had by all.
9th-12th finishers were Natalie Mans, Jennifer Yo, Lorna McEwan, and Celeste Espinosa. This was Jennifer, Celeste and Lorna’s highest finish to date. Great job ladies! 7th-8th went to Kim Pierce and Natalie Esparza (in her first OB event!); 5th-6th places went to Terry Petrosino and Kawania Watson. 4th place was Belinda Lee and 3rd place went to Amanda Lampert.
Tara Williams made her way through Saturday with wins over Toni Esteves (7-0), Ricki Lee Casper (7-5), Karren Sui (7-2), and Natalie Mans (7-0). On Sunday, she continued her undefeated run and took the hot seat with wins over Belinda Lee (7-3) and Amanda Lampert (7-4).
Jennifer Kraber decided to repeat Tara’s feat from the first event – losing her first round match 7-6 to Julie Stephenson, she then won nine straight matches on the one loss side to meet Tara Williams in the finals. She had four hill-hill matches in her road to finals with wins on Saturday over Janna Preston (7-6), Tracie Voelkering (7-0), Monica Anderson (7-6), and Rebecca Arcangeli (7-6). On Sunday morning, she continued to take down players winning out over Natalie Mans (7-2), Natalie Esparza (7-5), Terry Petrosino (7-3), Belinda Lee (7-3), and finally Amanda Lampert (7-2) to secure her spot in the finals.
With Tara and Jennifer in the finals again, it setup a rematch from the first event of 2015. Tara quickly got ahead in the match 3-0, but Jennifer started her climb back with a break and run in the 4th rack, then scraped out the next two games with strong play to tie the match at 3-3. Tara quickly turned the match momentum back around with a few key safes and managed to finish out the finals in one set with a final score of 7-3. Congratulations to both ladies for another great tournament!
Special recognition and thanks to OB Cues our main tournament sponsor. If you want to get serious about your game, check out OB Cues at www.obcues.com
Also many thanks and love to all our families, fans, supporters—we greatly appreciate each and every one of you. Also to the many, many ladies/players/friends who traveled from near and far; we loved seeing you all again and greatly appreciate you making the journey to play on the OB Cues Ladies Tour. We look forward to seeing everyone once again at Stop #3 – Click’s Billiards in San Antonio, Texas, May 2-3rd weekend.
Good Pool, Good Friends, Good Times – we are the OB Cues Ladies Tour!!!!!
Check us out at www.obcuestour.com or Facebook/obcuestour
Forty-seven players showed up the weekend of January 24-25th to play in the first stop of 2015 on the OB Cues Ladies Tour. It was a combination of both new and regular players, with some players playing for the first time in over a year. It was a fun and exciting event with the new players getting a taste of their first OB Cues Ladies Tour event. There were plenty of raffles, good times, and most importantly, chocolate to be had at this event. For 2015, some new changes were announced during the players meeting – the payouts will be reduced from ½ to 1/3 of the field to 1/3 to ¼ of the field for all future events. Additionally, the previous free entry raffled to players at the event is now a bounty aka “Tough Luck Draw”– the player to draw the previous year’s Tour Champion, gets their entry fee returned. In this event, board member Tracie Voelkering drew Tara Williams in the first round. She opted to raffle her entry, as she has a free spot already for serving on the board and thus the free entry was won by Courtney Evans ($30 tournament entry). Tracie went on to defeat Tara 7-6 in her first match, knocking the tour champ to the one loss side early.
9th-12th finishers were Angie Payne, Jennifer Pavlovick, Snowy Belt, and Angela Garza. Great job ladies! 7th-8th went to Shayla Neris and Michelle Cortez; 5th-6th places went to Janna Preston and Michelle Yim. 4th place was Amanda Lampert and 3rd place went to Orietta Strickland.
It was a long road to the finals for Tara after her first round defeat. She won nine straight matches on the one loss side to meet Jennifer Kraber in the finals. The first set was a close match-up as both players displayed their skills on the table with both run-outs and safety play. Tara managed to pull ahead the first set to win 7-4 and force one final set for the win. In the second set, Tara built on the momentum of the first set and ran away with the match, defeating Jennifer 7-1 in the finals. It was an excellent match-up and it definitely showed how these players finished in their respective first and second positions last year in the tour rankings.
Special recognition and thanks to OB Cues our main tournament sponsor. If you want to get serious about your game, check out OB Cues at www.obcues.com
Also many thanks and love to all our families, fans, supporters—we greatly appreciate each and every one of you. Also to the many, many ladies/ player/friends who traveled from near and far; we loved seeing you all again and greatly appreciate you making the journey to play on the OB Cues Ladies Tour. We look forward to seeing everyone once again at Stop #2 – Slick Willie’s at Katy, Texas, March 14th-15th weekend.
Good Pool, Good Friends, Good Times – we are the OB Cues Ladies Tour!!!!!
Check us out at www.obcuestour.com or Facebook/obcuestour
Charlie Bryant (Photo courtesy of Michael Moon Photography)
In only its second run, the Space City Open proved even more successful this year drawing twice the players and nearly doubling its inaugural purse, paying out right at $40,000. The amount of talent that encompassed this four-day billiard event was unsurpassed, a breathtaking demonstration of ability, enthralling countless fans and at-home viewers tuned in to the live, internet broadcast. To that point, in a display of astounding skill and reserve, Charlie “Hillbilly” Bryant defended his open 9-ball title against Jeremy “JJ” Jones, blitzing Jones from the one-loss side 9-0, 7-0. Renowned player Justin Hall took no prisoners on his path to winning the elite, One Pocket division with a final win over counterpart Joey Gray, 4-3. Former U.S. Open Champion Jeremy Jones went undefeated in the new, 9-ball banks division conquering famed Richie “Richie Rich” Richeson in the final, 3-1, to clench his first-ever 9-Ball banks title. Ming Ng rebounded from the one loss side in the ladies 9-ball division, cresting Kim Pierce, 7-4, 5-1, in the final, to join an illustrious group of Space City Open title holders.
On December 5th-8th, 2013, Space City Open followers braved unseasonably cold temperatures due to a powerful, slow-moving storm that brought ice, snow, and bitter cold to North Texas, the same system prompting 1,650 U.S. flight cancellations and leaving tens of thousands of people without power. The weather deterred very few, if any, from attending the annual event held at host and sponsor room, Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar in Houston, Texas. Other businesses behind the brawn of this year’s Space City Open included OnSitePool.com, APA of North Harris County, and GreatAmericanCues.com. Zachary Goldsmith of OnSitePool.com provided the impeccable 4-day live stream and professional event photos were captured by Michael Moon Photography. This year the Space City Open embraced its newest sponsors, HanshewCustomCues.com and OzoneBilliards.com. Ron Geyer Cue Repair, Joe Salazar Connoisseur of Custom Cues, and Great American Cues, were on-site, along with officiating referee, Derrell Montgomery of Conroe, Texas.
The 9-ball division drew 90 players competing over two days for almost $20,000 in purse money.
Tournament upsets included Justin Whitehead over Justin Hall, 9-5, Bob Guzik over Gabe Owen, 9-6, and Danny Roland over Cliff Joyner, 9-7. Joyner went on to eliminate Hall, John Lentini, 7-3, and Chase Rudder, 7-5, before being discharged by Bryant, 7-4. Bennett bested Port Arthur’s Randy Davidson, 7-4, and in turn was ousted by Richeson, 7-1. Joey Barnes won an impressive 7 straight matches including wins over Whitehead, 7-6, and Owen, 7-5, after losing his second round to Woodward, 9-7. Kentucky’s Robert “The Snowman” Frost won 6 in a row after losing his first round to James Davis Jr., 9-4. Frost suffered a final loss at the hands of Woodward, 7-1, who went on to eliminate James Davis Jr., 7-5, Joey Barnes, and Joey Gray, 7-2, while Bryant claimed Guzik, 7-1, Richeson,7-2, and Ochoa, 7-4, earning himself a face to face with Woodward.
The caliber of play in the open 9-ball division easily rivaled that of any top, men’s event where one mistake can cost you the set. Players strung numerous racks, closing out sets, and sometimes shutting out their opponents. The final four players were no exception. On the east side, Jones and Saez made their way through their respective brackets with impressive numbers. Although both players seemed at the top of their game, the resident Jones pulled ahead of Saez resulting in a final score of 9-5. On the flip side, Bryant appeared unstoppable as he teed off for his eighth, straight match against a young, impressive, Woodward. In the first game, a missed opportunity by Woodward remanded him to his seat for the remainder of the set. These turn of events staged an all too familiar scene between Texas players Jones and Bryant. The crowd zeroed in on the two, pool powerhouses and watched intensely as Bryant jumped to a 4-0 lead. Following a brief, safety exchange, Bryant secured the fifth game. From that point on, Jones never made it back to the table. In the second set, Jones reached the table only once, in the third game. Bryant played flawlessly, stringing the first two racks and closing with the last four.
The 32 player One Pocket field featured an all-star cast with phenomenal talent going head to head in a test of wills and stamina. On the final four winners’ side, Joey Gray and Joey Barnes crossed paths while Robb Saez went head to head with Justin Hall. Gray’s wake of destruction included Cliff Joyner, David Parker, and Sylver Ochoa, as Hall defeated Richie Richeson, defending champion Jeremy Jones, and Skyler Woodward, none of which made it past 2 games. Upsets included Robert Frost over Gabe Owen, 4-1, and Roy Payton over Billy Sharp, 3-2. Owen eliminated Payton, and in turn, was sent home by Joyner. Barnes dealt Charlie Bryant a third round blow, 4-3, who then vanquished Joyner from the one loss side, 3-1. Ochoa overcame Jones, 3-2, and followed with Bryant, 3-0. After his first round loss, Richeson came back with 5 straight matches including wins over Frost and Woodward. Back on the east side, Gray dismissed Barnes, 4-3, and Hall reigned over Saez, 4-2, yielding a television worthy, hot seat match-up. On the one loss side, final four action saw Ochoa eliminate Saez, 3-2, and Richeson win his sixth, consecutive match against Barnes, 3-2. During the hot seat match, with two, true professionals at the helm, the moves were tight and controlled. Relentless in his pursuit, a disciplined Hall derailed Gray, 4-2. On the one loss side, Ochoa stopped Richeson in his tracks, 3-1, only to be eliminated by a resilient Gray, 3-0. During the final match, Gray appeared eager to take control, but Hall was persistent. Tied at 3, it was down to the wire with both players fighting for every, last ball. In similar fashion, Hall overcame Gray, 4-3, winning his first Space City Open One Pocket title.
The new, 9-ball banks division (originally limited to 16) drew 25 entrants on Thursday afternoon, kicking off Space City Open. Jeremy Jones made his way to the hot seat with wins over Joey Barnes, 3-1, and Cliff Joyner, 3-1, while Tom Mooney defeated James Davis Jr., 3-2, and Chase Rudder, 3-0. After a third round loss to Rudder, Robert Frost terminated Joey Gray, 3-0, and Joyner, 3-0, while Richie Richeson was on a roll, again, winning 4 consecutive matches after a first round loss to Justin Whitehead, 3-1. Frost made number 6 on Richeson’s hit list. The hot seat match saw Jones defeat Mooney, 3-2, who was subsequently eliminated by Richeson, 3-1. Richeson’s raid lasted 7 straight matches, but no more. Jones commanded the final set, besting Richeson, 3-1.
Rounding out the event, 21 women battled it out on Sunday for the ladies 9-ball title. After decimating the field, players Teresa Garland and Kim Pierce overwhelmed Heather Bryant and Ricki Casper, 7-3, 7-4, respectively, to face-off for the ladies hot seat. Ming Ng took a first round hit from Belinda Lee, 7-6, who in turn lost the following round to Bryant, 7-6. Framing up the one loss side final four was Nayla Hoak who took an early 7-3 hit from Garland, and Lorna McEwan, bested by Bryant in the same round, 7-2. Ng went on to defeat Lee, 5-1, and Bryant, 5-3, culminating 5 straight match wins. Hoak beat McEwan, 5-3, but fell to Casper, 5-4. The seemingly indomitable Pierce defeated Garland for the hot seat, 7-3, while Ng made Casper her sixth victim, 5-4. Ng eliminated Garland, 5-3, staging a premier match between two of the division’s finest players. You could cut the tension with a knife as both players traded innings, and racks. Ng dealt Pierce a blow, winning the first set, 7-4. Finding it difficult to regroup, Pierce lost the second set, 5-1.
The 2014 Space City Open is already scheduled for December 4th-7th. Venue owner David Richardson, who recovered all 29 tables prior to the event, vows to make each year better than the last. Tournament directors John and Kim Newsome were ecstatic over player turnout and payouts, sharing this final sentiment. “For those who came out to the Space City Open, especially those who drove a long way to support the event, thanks for making the tournament a huge success. For those who missed it, we hope to see you next year!”
San Antonio’s Gail Eaton went undefeated at the Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Tour Championships held this past Saturday, November 16th, 2013 at Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar in Houston, Texas. Eaton blew threw a tough field of 16 competitors, including Natalie Mans in the final match, 7-2. Her trek to the winners’ circle included wins over Loretta Lindgren, 7-4, Cindy Cole, 7-3, and Kim Pierce, 7-3. Mans was determined to take home her first title but was cut short by Eaton who took home her second win this year on the Gulf Coast Tour.
Mans was in perfect form for her Gulf Coast Tour debut defeating newcomer Lorna McEwan, 7-3, Gail Roles, 7-3, and Mindy Williams, 7-4. She faced off with Eaton, a former WPBA professional player and game veteran, for the hot seat. The young, straight shooter exuded confidence and determination with each shot. At the table or in their chairs, both players were cool, calm, and collected, competing in true champion style. Eaton overpowered Mans and glided to a hot seat win, 7-2. On the one-loss side’s final four, McEwan was eliminated by Lindgren, 7-6, while Houston’s Belinda Lee, who suffered a second round loss at the hands of Pierce, 7-3, went on to eliminate Cole, 7-3, and Williams, 7-2. Mans made quick work of Lee, 7-3, earning herself a shot at redemption. It was a hard-fought final match, but unfortunately, Mans fell short by the same score, 7-2. Congratulations to Gail Eaton who captured her second 2013 Gulf Coast Tour victory as well as the title of 2013 Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Tour Champion.
The tour would like to thank sponsors Delta-13 Rack www.delta-13.com and the APA of North Harris County www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty in addition to Gulf Coast venues Bogies Billiards and Games www.bogiesbilliards.com Skinny Bob’s Billiards www.skinnybobs.com, and Emerald Billiards www.EmeraldBilliards.com. The 2014 Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Tour schedule is coming soon! For the most up-to-date information, visit www.facebook.com/GulfCoastTour.
