(l to r): Bobby Martin (owner), Tommy Kennedy, Stephen Richmond, Rick Martin (owner)
Tommy Kennedy went undefeated through an extraordinarily short field of 10 entrants who competed in the J. Pechauer SE Open 9-Ball Tour’s $1,000-added Bob and Brad Martin Memorial Tournament held on Labor Day weekend, August 31-September 1 at The Miscue Lounge in Fort Myers, FL.
“We had a small turnout,” said Kennedy in a Facebook post, “but not a lack of talent.”
Kennedy battled twice against Stephen Richmond to claim the title. Kennedy had sent Eric Huddleston to the loss side 9-3 in one winners’ side semifinal, as Richmond was sending Willie McBride west in the other one. In their first of two, they battled to double hill before Kennedy prevailed to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Huddleston drew and defeated Eric Gouder 7-3 and advanced to the quarterfinals. He was joined by McBride, who had picked up Keith Lennox and sent him home 7-4.
McBride took the quarterfinal match 7-4 over Huddleston and had his brief loss-side trip halted by Richmond 7-4 in the semifinals.
The race was extended to 11 for the finals rematch. Kennedy completed his undefeated run with an 11-6 victory to claim the event title.
Kennedy thanked Bobby and Rick Martin, co-owners of the Miscue Lounge for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor J. Pechauer Cues, Simonis Cloth, Mueller Recreational Products and tournamentsnearme.com. The next stop on the J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for the weekend of September 21-22, will be hosted by Mr. Cues II in Atlanta, GA.
(l to r): Tommy Kennedy, Stephen Richmond & Anthony Meglino
Anthony Meglino chalked up his best earnings year, to date, in 2017, winning stops on the Sunshine State Pro Am, J. Pechauer Southeast 9-Ball and 8andOut Florida Amateur One Pocket Tours. He was among the top 10 finishers in nine other stops on the Sunshine State Pro Am and SE 9-Ball Tour, and cashed in the Derby City Classic’s (DCC) One Pocket and 9-Ball Banks Division. He opened his 2018 campaign at the tables with runner-up finishes in the DCC One Pocket Mini (to go along with a 19th in the One Pocket and 28th in 9-Ball Banks), and the February 10-11 stop on the Sunshine State Pro Am. He chalked up his first (recorded) win of the year on Saturday, February 24, going undefeated through a field of 62 on the AllOut Pool Tour. The event was hosted by Shooter’s Billiards in Port St. Lucie, FL.
After being awarded an opening round bye (one of two; the other went to Andy Breslin), Meglino started out by giving up only a single rack through his first 15 games; that one, to Javier Chirino, before he (Meglino) shut out Danny Christian. Kris Clark gave him a run for his money in a double hill, winners’ side quarterfinal, but Meglino prevailed to meet James Sandaler in one winners’ side semifinal. Douglas Tittle, in the meantime, who’d defeated Meglino’s eventual finals opponent, Stephen Richmond in a winners’ side quarterfinal match, faced Kenny Willis in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Meglino went back to the quicker route, giving up only a single rack to Sandaler to get into the hot seat match. He was joined by Tittle, who’d sent Willis west 7-5. Meglino doled out another lone rack to Tittle and claimed the hot seat. Going into the finals, Meglino boasted a 35-10 game record.
On the loss side, Sandaler ran into Richmond, who’d defeated Mark Coats and Gaston Leblanc, both 6-4. Willis drew Tommy Kennedy, who’d been defeated by John Ditoro in the event’s opening round, and was in the midst of a seven-match, loss-side winning streak that would propel him as far as the quarterfinals. Kennedy had most recently shut out Chris Gentile and given up a single rack to Jason Sheerman, to pick up Willis.
Richmond downed Sandaler 6-3, and in the quarterfinals, met up with Kennedy, who’d eliminated Willis 6-2. Sandaler put an end to TK’s loss-side run 6-4 in the quarterfinals and then, earned his re-match against Meglino with a 6-2 win over Tittle.
Sandaler gave Meglino a run for his money in the finals, chalking up more racks against him than all (but one) of his opponents combined, but it wasn’t enough. Meglino concluded his undefeated run 9-5, having, throughout the course of the event, chalked up (just shy of) three out of every four games he played.
(l to r): Mike Zingale, Nick Applebee, Steven Richmond, Miguel Batista, and Tony Crosby
In the summer of 2017, Stephen Richmond competed in two events at which he finished as runner-up; to Donny Mills in a June stop on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour, and to Tommy Kennedy in an August stop on the J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour. In both events, Richmond got into the hot seat, only to be defeated in the finals. On the weekend of February 3-4, competing in the Florida Pool Tour’s $5,000-added, 2018 Florida State Amateur 9-Ball Championships, that drew 122 entrants to Zingale’s Billiards Room & Sports Bar in Tallahassee, FL, Richmond opted for a different route. He advanced to the hot seat match, but was defeated by Miguel Batista. He returned from the semifinals to defeat Batista, and claim the event title; his first, according to our available records, since he won a stop on the Pure X Cues All American Tour in April of 2013.
Richmond and Batista got into their first of two matches, battling for the hot seat, following identical 7-5 victories in the winners’ side semifinals; Richmond, over Denny Singletary, and Batista, over Steve Foster. They then proceeded to battle each other to a 7-5 finish that sent Richmond to the semifinals.
On the loss side, Singletary and Foster ran immediately into their second straight losses. Singletary went down in a double hill fight against Nick Applebee, who’d previously defeated Wesley White 5-1 and Matt Bulfin, also double hill. Foster was defeated 5-1 by Mike Delawder, who’d eliminated Jason Wells 5-3 and Rod Rentz 5-1 to reach him.
In what was described by tour officials as an “intense hill/hill (quarterfinal) match,” Applebee and Delawder fought back and forth for the right to meet Richmond in the semifinals. Applebee prevailed, only to be downed by an apparently determined Richmond 5-1.
In an extended race-to-9 final, Richmond and Batista came within a game of yet another double hill match. Richmond, though, pulled out in front to win it 9-7 and claim the event title.
A Second Chance event drew a full field of 64 entrants. It was won by Jeff Jordan.
Tour representatives thanked Mike Zingale and his staff for their hospitality at their brand new location (1147 Apalachee Parkway), as well as sponsors Simonis, Aramith, Stroke-It-Wear, Crosby’s Billiards and Darts, and XL Press Co. The next stop on the Florida Pool Tour, the 2018 Florida State Open 10-Ball Championship, scheduled for March 3-4, will once again be hosted by Zingale’s.
Tommy Kennedy and Obbie Cirilo claimed respective titles in a two-event weekend – January 13-14 – on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour. Kennedy won five matches on the loss side to meet and defeat host location owner, Jose Del Rio in Sunday’s 10-Ball Invitational, while Cirilo, who went undefeated, and Mubarak Sulaiman split the top two prizes in Saturday’s 9-Ball Open to avoid a final match that would have commenced in the vicinity of 3 a.m., Sunday morning. The $1,000-added 9-Ball Open event drew 57 entrants, while the $300-added 10-Ball Invitational drew 17 entrants to Stroker’s Bar and Grill in Palm Harbor, FL.
Cirilo and Sulaiman would have met twice in the 9-Ball Open, had they both not opted out of playing a second, final match. Cirilo opened his undefeated run by giving up only two racks over his first two matches; one each to Bill Bloom and Kyle Bova, before Tommy Kennedy put up a fight in a winners’ side quarterfinal. Cirilo won that match 7-5 and drew Bobby Garza in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Sulaiman won his first three matches by an average score of 7-5, which included a double hill win over Donny Mills in the third round, and advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Steve Knoll.
Sulaiman downed Knoll 7-5, and in the hot seat match, faced Cirilo, who’d sent Garza to the loss side 7-4. Cirilo chalked up what proved to be his last win (7-5) over Sulaiman, and sat in the hot seat, essentially waiting for the decision to opt out of a final match.
On the loss side, Knoll picked up Kennedy, while Garza drew Robert Batson, who’d lost a double hill fight against Knoll in the second round, and was in the midst of a six-match, loss-side winning streak that was about to come to an end.
Knoll eliminated Kennedy 5-3, as Garza ended Batson’s loss-side streak 5-2. Knoll downed Garza 5-3 in the quarterfinals, and then, by the same score, was eliminated by Sulaiman in the semifinals. That, as the saying goes, was all she wrote, as Cirilo and Sulaiman agreed to a split of the top two prizes.
Trenton White and Kodi Allen split $40 as the top two junior finishers in the 9-Ball Open event.
[photo id=48644|align=right]Kennedy wins five on the loss side to meet and defeat DelRio in 10-Ball Invitational finals
Tommy Kennedy played two more matches on the loss side of the 10-Ball Invitational than he had in the previous day’s 9-Ball Open. Those extra two matches put him into the finals, where he downed Jose Del Rio to claim the event title.
Kennedy was defeated 7-2 by Stephen Richmond in the second round of the 10-Ball event, which advanced Richmond to a winners’ side semifinal against Jason Richko. Del Rio drew Dale Stanley in the other winners’ side semifinal. Del Rio survived a double hill battle against Stanley to advance to the hot seat match. He was joined by Richko, who’d sent Richmond west 7-4. Del Rio and Richko battled to a 13th deciding game before Del Rio claimed the hot seat, and waited on the return of Kennedy.
On the loss side, Kennedy opened his trek back to the finals with victories over Tim Parisian and Onur Berber, which set him up to face Stanley. Richmond drew 9-Ball Open winner, Mubarak Sulaiman, who’d gotten by one of the event’s three top-finishing juniors/women (who split $90), Kodi Allen and Donny Mills to reach him.
Kennedy shut Stanley out and in the quarterfinals, faced Sulaiman, who’d eliminated Richmond 6-2. Kennedy then spoiled Sulaiman’s bid for a second runner-up (and possibly more) finish with a 6-4 win in those quarterfinals.
Kennedy gave up only a single rack to Richko in the semifinals and then, with momentum wind at his back, had the audacity to down his host – Stroker’s owner Del Rio – 9-2 in the finals to claim the 10-Ball event title.
Tour directors Janene Phillips and Bobby Garza awarded $90 (total) to the two junior and single female top finisher in the 10-Ball Invitational (Carrie Vetrono, the female, and for the second time, Kodi Allen and Trenton White as the juniors). They thanked Del Rio and his Stroker’s staff for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Kamui, Jacksonville Roofing USA, InsidePool.tv, AZBilliards and Play the Game Clothing Co. The next stop on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour, scheduled for the February 10, will be hosted by Waldo’s Billiards in Daytona Beach, FL.
(l to r): Tommy Kennedy, Donny Mills & James Roberts
By the time Stop #8 on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour had whittled down to its final three competitors, it was nearly 4 a.m. on Sunday, October 8. Tommy Kennedy was in the hot seat, while Donny Mills had just concluded his quarterfinal victory over Benji Buckley, setting him (Mills) up to face James Roberts in the semifinal match. It didn’t happen. The three agreed to a three-way split of the relevant dough, awarding the undefeated Kennedy the event title. The $1,000-added event drew 57 entrants to Stroker’s Billiards in Palm Harbor, FL.
The event itself was something of a fluke. The weekend of October 7-8 was originally set aside by the Sunshine Pro Am Tour to organize a “First Coast Classic,” intended for members of local leagues (APA, BCA, etc.), to be hosted by Park Avenue Billiards in Jacksonville, FL. As the scheduled event drew closer, so did Hurricane Irma, and in the wake of that storm’s results, which included the continuing widespread absence of electricity, the tour postponed the First Coast Classic, to a yet-to-be-determined date in 2018. In the meantime, the tour decided to organize a regular tour stop, and did so in about nine days. Jose Del Rio, owner of Stroker’s Billiards in Palm Harbor agreed to host it, and a strong list of competitors, including Kennedy, Roberts and Mills (among others) signed on to compete.
Once Kennedy had sent Pierre Palmieri to the loss side 7-2 in one winners’ side semifinal and Roberts had sent Justin “Red” Jenkins over 7-5 in the other one, Kennedy and Roberts squared off to fight for the hot seat. It went double hill before Kennedy finished what would prove to be his last match.
On the loss side, Donny Mills, winner of the June 25 tour stop at the same location and recently arrived from a winners’ side quarterfinal loss to Jenkins, downed Stephen Richmond 7-4 and Anthony Meglino 7-2 to pick up Palmieri. Jenkins drew Benji Buckley, who’d survived a double hill fight versus Nathan Rose and eliminated Tony Vicari 7-4 to reach him.
Mills downed Palmieri 7-2, as Buckley was spoiling a potential Mills/Jenkins re-match by defeating Jenkins 7-4. In the last match of the tour stop, Mills advanced to the semifinal that didn’t happen, 7-4 over Buckley.
And that was that. Kennedy, Mills and Roberts (small, medium and large in the photo) agreed to a three-way split of the money, and called it a night, or early morning, as it was. In addition to the list of 16 players who were awarded prize money, the tour also awarded $20 each to the top finishing female – Vanessa Ruedas – and top junior – Codi Allen.
Tour representatives Janene Phillips and Bobby Garza thanked Jose Del Rio for hosting the last-minute event, and all of the players, who signed up in the nine days that preceded it. The next stop on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour (#9), scheduled for November 18-19, will be hosted by Capone’s in Spring Hill, FL.
(l to r) Amateur winners Bill Bloom, Miscue Lounge Owner Ricky Martin & Che Mvros
Boom goes undefeated to capture Amateur title
On Saturday, August 19, Tommy Kennedy, tour director of the J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour, chalked up his second straight victory on the tour. Following his victory a week earlier at Uncle Waldo's Billiards in Daytona Beach, in which he followed a hot seat loss with a finals victory, Kennedy and the tour visited the Miscue Lounge in Fort Myers and repeated that process in the Bob and Brad Martin Memorial Tournament. Stephen Richmond sent him to the semifinals in this most recent, $600-added event that drew a short field of 14 entrants, but Kennedy came back to win a decisive victory in the finals.
In a $400-added Amateur event that drew 34 entrants on Sunday, August 20, Bill Bloom downed separate opponents in the hot seat (Antti Matilla) and finals (Che Mrvos) to claim the amateur title.
Kennedy's path in the Open event went through Randy Epperson in a winners' side semifinal, as Richmond battled Keith Lennox. Kennedy got into the hot seat match with a 9-4 win over Epperson and was joined by Richmond, who'd sent Lennox over 9-5. Richmond claimed the hot seat and his last win of the event 9-4 over Kennedy and waited on his return.
On the loss side, Epperson picked up Antti Matilla, who'd gotten by Anthony G. and John Deek to reach him. Lennox drew Glenn Olson, who'd defeated James R. and Jimmy Clay. Lennox locked up in a double hill fight that he eventually won against Olson, and in the quarterfinals, met up with Epperson, who'd eliminated Matilla 7-2.
Epperson downed Lennox 7-3 in those quarterfinals, but was defeated, same score, by Kennedy in the semifinals. Kennedy got his second shot at Richmond and took full advantage, downing him 11-4 in the finals to claim his second straight SE Open 9-Ball title.
In the Amateur event, Bill Bloom advanced to the hot seat match with a double hill win over Chris Hall in one winners' side semifinal, while Antti Matilla defeated Billy McBride 6-4 to join him. Bloom claimed the hot seat 6-4.
On the loss side, Hall picked up Trey Jankowski, who'd just defeated Eddie Green 4-1 in the event's first money round. McBride drew Che Mrvos, who'd eliminated Eric Huddleston 4-1.
Jankowski and Mrvos advanced to the quarterfinals over Hall and McBride, by the same 4-1 score. A double hill battle in those quarterfinals advanced Mrvos to the semifinals, where he defeated Matilla 4-1 for a shot at Bloom in the hot seat. Bloom completed his undefeated run with a 9-5 victory over Mrvos in the finals.
Kennedy, as tour director, thanked the ownership and staff at Miscue Lounge, as well as title sponsor J. Pechauer Custom Cues, Mueller Recreational Products, Simonis Cloth, Billiard Buzz, and Chris and Israel Hightower (Cue Man Billiard Products).
At the last stop on the J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour, back in June, Anthony Meglino claimed the title as the undefeated occupant of the hot seat, though neither a final nor a semifinal match was played. Tour director Tommy Kennedy had to settle for 9th place in that event, when a loss-side forfeiture left him out of the running (had the player who forfeited done so a round earlier, Kennedy would have advanced and potentially altered what happened afterwards). On the weekend of July 29-30, once again on the J. Pechauer tour, Kennedy and Meglino battled twice; in the hot seat and finals, with Kennedy winning them both to complete an undefeated run and claim the title. The $800-added event drew 38 entrants to Capone's in Spring Hill, FL.
Their first meeting, in the battle for the hot seat, occurred after Kennedy had survived a double hill struggle against Jason Richko in one of the winners' side semifinals. Kennedy was on the hill in the match and saw Richko chalk up two to force a deciding game. Meglino, in the meantime, had sent Stephen Richmond to the loss side 9-6. In something of a reversal of fortunes in the hot seat match, Meglino reached the hill first, with Kennedy two games behind. Kennedy chalked up two to force a deciding game and then won that to sit in the hot seat.
On the loss side, Richko picked up another perennial Sunshine State veteran, Tony Crosby, who'd gotten by Joe Scarborough 7-3, and Chris Gentile 7-4 to reach him. Richmond drew yet another Florida veteran in Mike Delawder, who'd defeated Ed Peterson 7-4 and Bobby Garza 7-2.
Crosby and Delawder advanced to the quarterfinals; Crosby in a double hill win over Richko, and Delawder 7-2 over Garza. Crosby downed Delawder in the quarterfinal 9-5, only to be shut down 9-6 by Meglino in the semifinal match.
In the finals, Kennedy and Meglino played the same number of games that they'd played in the hot seat match, only this time, the race was to 11. Instead of winning just 53% of the games, as he had in the hot seat match, Kennedy chalked up 65% of them, resulting in an 11-6 win that allowed him to claim the event title.
As tour director, Kennedy thanked the ownership and staff at Capone's, as well as sponsors J. Pechauer Custom Cues, Simonis Cloth, Mueller Recreational Products, and Chris and Israel Hightower of Cue Man Billiard Products. The next stop on the J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for Saturday, August 12, will be a $1,000-added event hosted by Uncle Waldo's in Daytona Beach, FL.
James Adams finished 2014 with a third place finish in the Florida State Amateur 9-Ball Championships in December, at Zingale's in Tallahassee, FL. Sent to the loss side by the eventual winner, Jeff Abernathy, he made it back to the semifinals, before Justin Gilsinan denied him a second shot at Abernathy.
Two months later, at Stroker's in Palm Harbor, Adams got into the hot seat of the Florida Pool Tour's 2015 season opener. Jason Sheerman, though, capping a 10-match, loss-side run, defeated him in the finals. That same weekend, Adams signed on to a concurrently-run Super 16 Open event, and for the second time, found himself in the hot seat match. Tommy Kennedy sent him to the semifinals, where in a double hill match, he defeated Raymond Linares for a second shot at Kennedy. At 6-6, Kennedy pulled ahead to hand Adams his second straight runner-up finish.
"Failure," he told Billiards Digest in an interview a short time later, "is part of the process of success."
Eight months later, on the weekend of October 24-25, back at Zingale's, which was hosting the $4,000-added, 2015 Florida State Amateur 9-Ball Championships for the fourth time, Adams put it all together and proved the point. He went undefeated through a field of 89, winning his first title, and completing that long trip on the short 3rd-2nd-2nd-1st ladder.
For the third time in just under a year, Adams made it to the hot seat match. He sent Dennis Strickland to the loss side 7-4 in a winners' side semifinal, as Mike Delawder sent Brandon Beatty over 7-3 in the other one. Adams claimed the hot seat 7-4 over Delawder and waited on the return of Kyle Bova, whom he'd defeated once already in a winners' side quarterfinal.
On the loss side, Bova defeated Bobby Hicks and J.R. Rossman, both 6-4, to draw Beatty. Strickland picked up Stephen Richmond, who'd gotten by Jose Del Rio 7-3 and Lee Sanders 6-5. Bova and Richmond advanced to the quarterfinals, both 6-4, over Rossman and Sanders.
Bova earned a second shot at Adams in the hot seat with two more 6-4 wins; over Richmond in the quarterfinals, and Delawder in the semifinals. Adams, though, defeated Bova a second time, 9-6 in the finals, to claim the 2015 Florida State Amateur 9-Ball Championship title.
In a $1,000-added, 54-entrant Second Chance tournament, Derek Fowler defeated David Uwate (13th in the main event) in the finals. Nathan Rose finished third, and Michael Laney finished fourth.
In about three weeks (November 21-22), Capone's in Spring Hill, FL will host the $5,000-added (with full field of 32) Super 32 Open 10-Ball Championships. Two months later (January 16-17, 2016), The Florida Pool Tour will be back at Zingale's for the $5,000-added Florida State Open 10-Ball event.
By looking at him, you wouldn’t think Dave Ross could mix it up with the young guns here in the south, but Dave had some ideas of his own this weekend. At 79 years old (just might be a Guinness World Record) Ross put on a clinic for everyone to see. Brilliant shots, perfect execution and the steel of a hardened road player made up the formula that worked for Ross. All the while he was as classy and nice as can be. Florida Pool Tour hosted it’s 5th stop this season at Boulevard Billiards in Ocala, FL drawing 42 entrants this weekend in the Amateur 9-Ball event and 32 players in the Open 10-ball event. On Saturday players present were some of the best talent in the region. Jim Sandaler, Raymond Linares, Nathan Rose, George Saunders, Stephen Richmond were just a few of the names to watch for as the event progressed. In the Open Event, heavy hitters Tommy Kennedy, Tony Crosby, Anthony Meglino, Adam Wheeler and company were motivated to play.
Saunders would make a charge through Dave Ross and secure an early win against Mike Delawder 7-2. Quiet, strong shooter Mitch Breedlove would fall to Saunders as well 7-4, setting up a match with local player John Wayne (no not the cowboy). Again Saunders would put together a solid set 7-3. Next Saunders would put a stop to Daniel Plumber’s campaign hill-hill. If one hill/hill match wasn’t enough to please the railbirds, Saunders plays Jim Sandaler for the hotseat, down to the wire and then snaps a 9-ball off the break in the top left corner pocket to put a stamp on it and call the hotseat his.
Sandaler working out an attack on the field would start with a bye first round and rest up to play Robert Batson, dispatching him 7-4. Next would be a hill/hill thriller with Moe Fattah, Sandaler escaping to press on. Local player Darrin Wasiewicz would have a nice showing for 3 rounds and tough action losing to Jim in the 4th round 7-1. Jim would go on to play against Nathan Rose with him (Rose) giving up 1 rack for this event. A well matched battled settles at 7-5 in Sandaler’s favor. Sandaler back on the east side would square up with Saunders. The two would trade racks leaveing it all on the table going 6-4. Then Sandaler found a groove to put the set away, forcing the Sudden Death 1 Rack Shootout. A couple of early misses by both would setup a formidable runout pattern for Saunders, ultimately cleaning up the rack to claim his title as Amateur 9-ball Champion.
On to the Open 10-ball event with quite a few great match ups to start the first round. A couple of notable matches were, Mike Lear sneaking by James Adams 6-5 with a set of tough safety play. Nathan Rose would fall to Anthony Meglino and Tony Crosby took Adam Wheeler to the cleaners 6-1. The Final Four on the winners side would be Meglino, Sandaler, Ross, and DeLawder. Anthony Meglino put up back to back wins at 6-1 over John Hucheson and Mike Lear. Sandaler sent Tommy Kennedy out west to look for movitation. Boulevard room owner Don Kreischer would look to make a name for himself putting up wins over Jessica Barnes and Robert Batson. Dave Ross let everyone know he came to play this time. At 79 years old he marches right over Marcie Wheeler, Bill Stroup, Don Kreischer, before reeling in a comeback set against Mike DeLawder. DeLawder up 5-2 just couldnt stop Ross. Ross would pick up Sandaler and play for the hotseat, Sandaler pulling out a 6-3 win over Ross would capture the hotseat here this time.
On the one-loss side Meglino who lost prior to Sandaler, would post a win over Don Kreischer, setting up a shot at Tommy Kennedy, taking the match down to the wire, Kennedy misses a tight safe to let Meglino out with a chance at the one-loss side final. Tommy Kennedy marched on a winning streak of 6 in a row. Dispatching Chris Lucas 5-0, Robert Batson 5-3, Travis Croft 5-0, Mike Lear 5-0, Nathan Rose 5-3, Mike DeLawder 5-3 and finally losing to Meglino hill/hill.
Meglino would get to Dave Ross and take that to a hill/hill thriller with Ross capitalizing on mistakes by Meglino, who appeared to have gotten inside of his own head.
Jumping back over to the winner side, it was Ross vs Sandaler. If Ross could win the first set he would force a Sudden Death 1 Rack Shootout. Ross did just that, taking advantage yet again of mistakes by his opponent. Winning the lag, Sandaler broke strong and got hooked on the 1-ball. Attemped a thin cut to play safe and missed. Ross stepped up to a pretty tough 1/10 combo into the side pocket and put it away. Cheers abound and nothing but happiness over took the entire room. 79 years old, besting some of the best talent in the country. Who does that? Dave Ross does, with class.
Our next event is the Florida State Amateur 9-Ball Championship hosted by Zingales in Tallahassee, FL. With 100+ players in the draw year over year, this is bound to be a fantastic event. Click HERE for more information.
Florida Pool Tour would like to thank XPC: Xtreme Pool Challenge www.xtremepoolchallenge.com for the amazing effort and superb quality stream for the entire event. Boulevard Billiards for stepping up to give these players a chance and for being excellent hosts. The staff and food service was impeccable. Most of all we thank you the players, for without your support we wouldn’t be the best regional tour around.
Tony Crosby went undefeated during the $1,000-added Open portion of the June 21-22 stop on his own Poison Tour. The event drew 32 entrants to Capone’s in Spring Hill, FL. Pierre Palmieri went undefeated in a concurrently-run, $1,000-added Amateur event, which drew 64 entrants, and featured a number of players who participated in the Open.
Crosby, in fact, faced the Amateur winner, Palmieri in a winners’ side semifinal in the Open event. Palmieri reached the hill in that match without Crosby having chalked up a single rack. Crosby came back to win six straight and advance to the hot seat match against Albert Baker, who’d defeated Mike Delawder 6-1 (Delawder would finish third in both events). Crosby went on to defeat Baker 6-3 to gain the Open hot seat.
On the loss side in the Open, Delawder met up with Ray Linares, who’d gotten by Mike Lear and Justin Gilsinan, both 5-1. Palmieri drew Donnie Mills, who’d defeated George Saunders 5-4 and Chris Gentile 5-1 (Gentile, who was runner-up in the Amateur event, had sent Mills to the loss side in the opening round of play). Delawder defeated Linares 5-1 and in the quarterfinals, met up with Mills, who’d eliminated the winner of the Amateur event, Palmieri 5-3.
Delawder survived a double hill fight over Mills in the quarterfinals, but fell to Baker 5-3 in the semifinals. Crosby completed his undefeated run in the Open event with a 7-5 win over Baker to capture the event title.
In the Amateur event, it was Palmieri and Delawder who battled for the hot seat. Palmieri had sent Jason Richko west 6-4, as Delawder was busy sending Jose Del Rio over 6-5. Palmieri got into the hot seat 6-2 over Delawder and waited on what turned out to be the return of Chris Gentile.
On the loss side, Richko ran into Stephen Richmond, who’d survived a double hill battle versus Justin Gilsinan, and eliminated Ray Linares 5-1. It was Del Rio who had the misfortune of running into Gentile, who’d been sent to the losers’ bracket by Linares, and had already chalked up six wins on the loss side, including, most recently, Mark Wathen 6-4, and Albert Baker (runner-up in the Open) 5-3.
Gentile got by Del Rio 5-4 and in the quarterfinal match, faced Richko, who’d defeated Rchmond 5-2. Gentile then gave Delawder his second, third place finish of the weekend, with a 5-2 win in the semifinals. Palmieri, though, hung on to win the final match 6-5 over Gentile.
