When the former APA Amateur Champion, Amy Chen, got underway on Saturday, July 13 at a  stop on the Flamingo Tour, it looked as though it was going to be a short day for her. She faced Jeannie Seaver and failed to score a single rack. She came back on the loss side to win three in a row, and then, after a redraw, won three more to claim the event title. The $250-added event drew 27 entrants to Wally's Pool Hall in Lakeland, FL.

 

The Flamingo Tour uses a double elimination format until there are four left on each side of the bracket. In the last of the double elimination matches on the winners' side, Vanessa Seaver defeated Darlene Petrovit 7-1, Cassidy Mulligan downed Sue Roberts 7-2, while Robin Boggs and Jeannie Seaver (Vanessa's sister) sent Samantha Kikuchi and Crystal McCormick west, double hill.

 

On the loss side, Chen, after an initial bye, had gone on to defeat Cassandra Harmon and Shanelle Loraine, by a combined score of 10-1 (Harmon, winning the single rack). This set Chen up for a match against Kikuchi. Petrovit picked up Lawless, Roberts drew Jessica Barnes, and McCormick faced Chris Fields. Lawless and Chen survived double hill matches against Petrovit, and Kikuchi (who was appearing on the Flamingo Tour for the first time). McCormick downed Fields 5-3, and Barnes eliminated Roberts 5-2. 

 

With a redraw at this point, the quarterfinal matches were set; Vanessa Seaver played against Lawless, Chen took on Mulligan, Jeannie Seaver faced McCormick, and Barnes squared off against Boggs. Chen  and Lawless went double hill, before prevailing over Mulligan and Vanessa Seaver, while Jeannie Seaver defeated McCormick 7-4 and Barnes ended Boggs' day 7-3.

 

Chen won her third straight double hill match (this time, against Lawless) and earned her spot in the finals. She was joined by Barnes, who'd survived a double hill match against Jeannie Seaver.

 

Chen's return to form reached its peak in the finals, when she didn't give up a single rack against Barnes.

 

"When she (Chen) got into the quarterfinals, she really got into gear," said tour director Mimi McAndrews. "In the finals, Jessica was missing shots, and Amy was just in that gear."

 

McAndrews thanked the ownership and staff at Wally's (owner, Jim and manager, Larry), as well as staffers, Letha Needham and Erikka Halbert, who was also the recipient of a $50 prize for being the highest finisher from the host location, which entered some women into the tournament that had never played on the tour before. McAndrews also thanked sponsors Martz Cues, Boynton Billiards, and Z9 Billiard Cloth.

Boynton Beach, FL  (June 23, 2012) – There was not a more appropriate day for the third 2012 Flamingo Billiards Tour stop at Slate Billiards in Boynton Beach, Florida, than National Pink Flamingo Day! Sixteen players braved the wind and rain from tropical storm Debby to compete in the modified-double elimination format, playing down to the final four.  Two from each side redrew into a single elimination bracket. 

The first player to make it to the final four-board was Shanelle Loraine. Loraine made her way there defeating Kelly Coyle, Tour Director Mimi McAndrews, and Kelly Cavanaugh. Crystal McCormick was the second player on the final four- board, winning over Debbie Barkley, new player Juliette Waiter, and then sending Jeannie Seaver west in a much anticipated match up.  Seaver, who did not have her usual game on Saturday, came back after being down 6 -2, winning three games in a row making it 6-5. Just when it looked as if Seaver would get to the hill, a missed shot left McCormick out.

Kelly Cavanaugh, fresh off her first professional event at the WPBA US Open, was the third player to make it to the final four. Cavanaugh sent Cassidy Mulligan and Alicia DeAbreu to the west before losing to Shanelle Loraine.  Cavanaugh stayed in the event with a tough hill-hill battle against Sue Roberts. Roberts, who earlier sent Jennifer Page west, followed Page west courtesy of Seaver. Roberts then knocked out Cassidy Mulligan, to battle it out with Cavanaugh. On the hill, Roberts, with ball in hand and the 8-ball on the rail, over cut the 8-ball trying to get shape on the 9. That miss allowed Cavanaugh to take the game and the third spot on the final four-board.  

The last spot on the final four was filled by Seaver.  After defeating Robin Boggs and Sue Roberts, and then losing to McCormick, Seaver matched up again with Boggs.  Missing a crucial 9-ball that would have put Boggs on the hill, Seaver pocketed the 9 and took the last place on the final four board.

In the redraw Cavanaugh squared off against McCormick, who had been playing almost flawlessly all day. Seaver drew Loraine.  Both McCormick and Seaver won handily and advanced to the finals. Although Seaver’s game was off, and she had earlier lost to McCormick, McCormick couldn’t keep the momentum going and wasn’t able to take advantage of Seaver’s missed shots. Seaver went on to win the match and the third Flamingo Billiards Tour stop.

Many thanks to room owners Mike Bradford and Joe Sistarelli at Slate Billiards (www.slatebilliards.com), for being great hosts, and to Boynton Billiards for their continued support of the FBT.

The Flamingo Billiards Tour is a WPBA-recognized Regional Tour, and is a stepping stone to the Women’s Professional Billiard Association for women who want to play professionally.

The next stop is August 25, 2012, location to be announced. For more information, visit http://www.flamingobilliardstour.com/.

West Palm Beach, FL (June 9, 2012) – Jennifer Page and Debbie Barkley made it through the round robin format to the finals of the second FBT Mini-Tour event of 2012, held at Grover’s Billiards in West Palm Beach, Florida on Saturday, June 9, 2012.  In this handicapped event, the players played each player a set of 3 games, one 8-ball and two 9-ball.

Robin Boggs and Sue Roberts played strong, as did Alicia DeAbreau and Susan Martin.  The games were played on bar boxes, and the scores were very close.  Page and Barkley ended up with 11 games each. The final match was a race to five, with the winner of the lag picking the race or the game, 8-ball or 9-ball.  The match started with 8-ball, and Barkley took the lead 2-1. However, Page came back and took the lead in 9-ball.  But for Barkley’s scratch on the 8-ball it likely would have been a hill-hill match, but Page won the next game and the match.  In addition to cash, Page wins a paid entry to the Flamingo Billiard Tour stop at Slate Billiards in Boynton Beach, Florida on June 23, 2012.

Many thanks to Grover’s room owner Jason Jenkins for supporting the Flamingo Billiards Mini-Tour, and thanks to all the players who came out to play.

Boynton Beach, FL (Feb. 11, 2012) –Nicolle Martino of Stuart, Florida, won her first tournament at the Flamingo Billiards Tour 8-Ball/9-Ball Mini-Tour handicapped event on Saturday at Slate Billiards in Boynton Beach, Florida.  This event featured a new format.  Martino and the other players competed for a slot on the four-person, single elimination bracket. The four spots were filled from three single elimination brackets.  

Martino made it to the final four by winning the first bracket. Nicolle had to fight through Debbie Barkley, Christie Cloke and Marge Soash to make it to the finals.  Sue Roberts filled the second spot of the final four, winning the second bracket by defeating newcomer Jennie Samuels, Christie Cloke and Janis Sessions. Robin Boggs and newcomer Caress Ketcham took the final two of four spots, with Boggs defeating newcomer Sally Quilty and then going to the hill with Cloke.  Ketcham won over Soash and Samuels. 

The final four pitted Martino against Ketcham and Roberts against Boggs.  Martino and Boggs, both playing strong all day, made it to the finals with Martino eventually winning the match.

Many thanks to Mike Bradford and Joe Sistarelli, owners of Slate Billiards for their support of the Flamingo Billiards Mini Tour.

Results:

1st      Nicolle Martino    $45 and paid entry into the Flamingo Billiards Regional Tour 

2nd     Robin Boggs   $25

3rd/4th      Caress Ketcham and Sue Roberts $10

The Flamingo Billiards Tour is a WPBA-recognized Regional Tour, a stepping stone to the WPBA. The FBT Mini-Tour gives local women amateur players the opportunity to compete against the stronger FBT players, and a chance to win a free entry into a FBT event.