Dave Coles (owner of the Carom Room) , Shane McMinn, Tony Chohan, Billy Thorpe and Larry Schwartz
Billy Thorpe's having a good year at the tables. Though it started slow, with a 45th place finish at Derby City's 9-Ball event in January, and a 13th place finish at the Super Billiards Expo Players' Championship a few months later, he climbed the 'finish ladder' into the top 10 of 11 events this year, including a win at the 2nd Annual Great Dismal Swamp Classic (October) at which he defeated Shane Van Boening twice. Thorpe chalked up a win on the Taom Tips Tour's third stop on the weekend of December 18-19 to put his cash-winning events at 12. He came back from an opening-round loss to win eight on the loss side, then challenge and twice defeat hot seat occupant, Shane McMinn, in the finals. The $5,000-added event drew 33 entrants to the Carom Room in Beloit, WI.
The Taom Tip's Tour continues to host a variety of the country's better known Midwest guns, along with a few representatives from other regions in the country. Case in point: Dennis Hatch and Larry Nevel in one of the winners' side semifinals in this one, with McMinn and Sean Mitchell squaring off in the other one. Hatch sent Nevel to the loss side 8-4, while McMinn downed Mitchell 8-2. McMinn claimed the hot seat over Hatch with that same score, and waited for Thorpe to complete his eight-match, loss-side winning streak.
It was Mitchell who caught Thorpe, five matches into that streak. Thorpe had most recently (wins #4 & #5) defeated Jason Klatt, double hill, and Gene Albrecht 8-6. Nevel drew Demetrius Jelatis, who'd gotten by Anthony Shea 8-6 and Zach Marquardt 8-4. Thorpe shut Mitchell out, and in the quarterfinals, faced Jelatis, who'd eliminated Nevel, though not without a double hill fight.
Thorpe then took out Jelatis 8-5, and in the semifinals, by the same score, denied Hatch a second shot and third shot at McMinn. Thorpe advanced to do so, taking both sets 8-4 to claim the event title.
Tour director Tony Chohan thanked Dave Coles and his staff at the Carom Room, as well title sponsor Taom Tips, Outsvilles Billiards Products, Diamond Billiard Products, PoolActiontv.com, Gametight Apparel, Andy cloth, and Diveney Cues. Stop #4 on the Taom Tips Tour, scheduled for January 6-8, will be a $5,000-added event, hosted by KK Billiards in Green Bay, WI
It's an occupational hazard of many pool tour scenarios; a single day tournament signs up more players than it can reasonably handle in that single day, and finds itself moving into the tournament finals as dawn approaches. In addition, players who may have traveled any distance and have decided to stay at a nearby hotel may find that the prize money offered for all but the top four cash prizes (as an example) puts them in either a 'break even' or 'losing money' situation. This can lead to the absence of a final match with the two opponents splitting the top two prizes.
Derek Fowler and Anthony Meglino, in a specific example, opted out of a final match at the Shark Billiard Tour's sixth stop, held on Saturday, May 9. The $500-added event drew 68 entrants to Diamond Billiards in Ocala, FL. Meglino and Fowler moved on to Orange Park, FL the next day to play in Tommy Kennedy's Tiger SE Open 9-Ball Tour (finishing fourth and fifth), where the final three competitors (for reasons unrelated to the number of entrants or hotel considerations) opted out the semifinals and finals, splitting the top three prizes.
Fowler and Meglino did not meet up in the tournament. Fowler had sent Steven Richmond to the loss side 8-5 in a winners' side semifinal, as Meglino was being sent over by Jimmy Milazzo 8-6 in the other one. Fowler played his final match, defeating Milazzo for the hot seat 8-5.
On the loss side, Meglino picked up Sean Mitchell, who'd survived a double hill match versus Citi Reddick and defeated James Roberts 6-3 to reach him. Richmond drew Jim Udischas, who'd also had to survive a double hill match – versus Robert Batson – and defeated Mitchell Keiser 6-4. Meglino downed Mitchell 6-4, and in the quarterfinals, faced Udischas, who'd eliminate Richmond 6-2.
Meglino completed his loss-side run with a 6-4 victory over Udischas and a double hill win over Milazzo in the semifinals, before agreeing to split the top two prizes with Fowler. As the undefeated hot seat occupant, Fowler laid claim to the event title.
Rob Melrose, Nick Applebee and Bobby Hicks opted out of the semifinal and final matches on the Tiger Southeast Open 9-Ball Tournament on Sunday, May 10, and split the top three prizes. As the undefeated hot seat occupant, Melrose claimed the $1,000-added Tiger Greater Orange Park Classic title which had drawn 26 entrants to Park Ave. Billiards in Orange Park, FL.
It was Melrose and Applebee who locked horns in the hot seat match (Applebee is tour director for the Shark Billiards Tour, which had completed a stop the day before). Melrose had sent Dennis Fowler west 7-4, as Applebee was busy defeating Sean Mitchell 7-5. Melrose played what proved to be his last match and defeated Applebee 7-4.
Mitchell and Fowler moved to the loss side and were eliminated immediately. Anthony Meglino, who'd defeated David Byler and William C, both 7-3, ousted Mitchell 7-5. Bobby Hicks, who'd survived a double hill match versus Will Carver and defeated Bobby Garza 7-5, shut Fowler out.
Hicks then chalked up the event's final win with a 7-5 victory over Meglino in the quarterfinals. The remaining three chose not to proceed and split the top three prizes.
