Karen Corr has yet to lose a match on the 2016 J. Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour. She's competed in three of the tour's five 2016 stops so far, and gone undefeated in all three, with a 17-0 match record. She chalked up the third win on the weekend of June 25-26 at a $1,500-added ($500 from Coins of the Realm) event that drew 32 entrants to Champion Billiards in Frederick, MD.
Though the battle for the hot seat would feature a marquee matchup between Corr and Janet Atwell, who, in Corr's absence at a tour stop in May, won the event, it proved to be Briana Miller, who challenged Corr in the finals of this one. Sent to the loss side in the opening round by Meredith Lynch, Miller went on an eight-match, loss-side winning streak that gave her a chance against Corr in the finals.
In the meantime, Corr got by Nicole King, Sueyen Rhee, and Christy Norris to face Judie Wilson in a winners' side semifinal. Atwell opened with victories over Sandy Raber, Eugenia Gyftopoulos, and Kia Sidbury (who entered the tournament as the #3-ranked player on the tour), which set her (Corr) up to face Meredith Lynch in the other winners' side semifinal.
Atwell sent Lynch to the loss side 7-4, as Corr was dispatching Wilson 7-1. Corr claimed the hot seat 7-3 over Atwell, and waited on what, likely to the surprise of many, turned out to be Miller.
On the loss side, Miller got by Sharon O'Hanlon, Nicole Fleming, Linda Shea (posting a rare tie-for-13th finish), Kia Sidbury and Dawn Fox to draw Wilson, coming over from the winners' side semifinal. Lynch drew Christy Norris, who, after being sent to the loss side by Corr in the fourth round, defeated Kathy Friend, double hill, and Gyftopoulos 7-2, to pick up Lynch.
Miller downed Wilson 7-1 and earned herself a re-match against Lynch, who'd eliminated Norris in a double hill fight. Miller then downed Lynch by the same score that Lynch had defeated her in the opening round, 7-3. By that same score, in the semifinals, Miller then thwarted Atwell's bid for a re-match against Corr.
Miller became only the second competitor to chalk up four racks against Corr (Christy Norris was the other). It was not, though, enough. Corr completed her third undefeated run on the JPNEWT and consequently moved into a tie for the tour's #1-ranking with Linda Shea.
The winner of the event, in addition to the cash payout, qualified for the next event on the North American Pool Tour in August. The first four finishers in this event had already qualified, as had Judie Wilson, who tied for fifth with Christy Norris. Norris was awarded the qualification to the August event.
One week after winning the inaugural North American Pool Tour Women's 10-Ball Invitational in Herndon, VA, Karen Corr returned to her 'day job' as the perennial victor on the J. Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour. She joined 22 entrants in a $1,000-added ($500 from Coins of the Realm) event, hosted by Triple Nines in Elkridge, MD, and went undefeated through the field to chalk up her second 2016 JPNEWT title.
Corr was challenged twice by Sueyen Rhee, who finished in the tie for fifth at the NAPT 10-Ball Invitational. They met first in this event's third winners' side round, with Corr entering the match having given up only two racks in her first two rounds; none to Dina DiGregorio, and two versus Judie Wilson. Rhee chalked up three against her, but Corr advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Linda Shea, while Kia Sidbury faced Sharon O'Hanlon.
Corr downed Shea 7-5, and in the hot seat match, faced Sidury, who'd survived a double hill battle versus O'Hanlon. Corr gave up only a single rack to Sidbury and claimed the hot seat.
On the loss side, O'Hanlon ran into Rhee, who, following her initial defeat at the hands of Corr, had defeated Heather Platter, double hill, and Melissa Jenkins 7-2. Shea drew Meredith Lynch, who'd eliminated two Nicoles; King 7-4, and Fleming, double hill. Shea and Rhee advanced to the quarterfinals, both 7-2, over Lynch and O'Hanlon.
Rhee took the quarterfinal match versus Shea 7-4 (assuring Shea her maintenance of the tour's top ranking) and then, by the same score, denied Sidbury a re-match against Corr. The finals were something of a replay of Corr and Rhee's winners' side quarterfinal match. Corr defeated Rhee a second time 7-3 to claim her second 2016 JPNEWT title.
Amidst a blend of familiar faces and new challenges, Karen Corr faced seven opponents during the inaugural North American Pool Tour's (NAPT) 10-Ball Women's Invitational Tournament, held on the weekend of June 3-5. Those opponents averaged just over two racks against her, leading to her undefeated run through the field of 56. The $5,000-added inaugural event was hosted by Breakers Sky Lounge in Herndon, VA, and in addition to women invited from regional tours all across the country, featured a strong, familiar (for Corr) contingent from the regionally nearby J. Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour (JPNEWT), whose director, Linda Shea, coordinated this event.
The brainchild of its president, Adrianne Beach, in consort with women from the JPNEWT, the Northwest Women's Pool Association, the OB Cues Tour, the Northern Lights Tour, and the North Star Tour (to name just a few), this North Americanl Pool Tour was set up to offer women more opportunities to play; opportunities that were not being offered by the WPBA.
"We're not trying to compete with the WPBA," said Beach from Boston, the day after the event. "We just want to provide more opportunities to play. We learned a lot from the WPBA, and (competitors) can play on both.
"We think," she added, "that we're building a good system that's going to be beneficial to everyone."
According to Beach, while the first few events produced under the auspices of this North American Pool Tour will be for women, plans are already underway to include Open events that will accommodate men, as well. Beach is quite pleased with how the inaugural effort played out, including her own finish in the eight-way tie for 25th.
"I'm thrilled with the way it turned out," she said. "We got positive responses from all of the players, and didn't hear any complaints.
"There were minor issues," she added, "but there always are."
Five of the seven opponents that Corr faced over the weekend were veterans of the JPNEWT, including fellow finalist, Jia Li. Last year, when Corr was winning eight of the 11 stops on the tour, she and Jia Li matched up in a final in August. Corr had to get by her twice at this event to claim the title.
They met first in a winners' side semifinal. Corr had gotten by Nicole King, Kia Sidbury, Eugenia Gyftopolous and Canadian Sara Miller, to draw Li. The other winners' side semifinal featured two Canadians who'd competed in the finals of the Canadian Cue Sports Championships (Women's Open 9-Ball) in May; Naomi Williams and Brittany Bryant. Corr took her first against Li 7-3, and in the hot seat match, faced Williams, who'd sent Bryant to the loss side by the same score. Corr dominated the hot seat match, denying Williams so much as a single rack.
On the loss side, Li and Bryant walked into two immediate double hill matches. Li picked up Tara Williams, who'd eliminated Brianna Miller 7-2 and Atlantic Cup Challenge team member and teenager April Larson 7-5. To reach Williams, Larson had defeated and thus, eliminated Janet Atwell, double hill. Bryant, who'd been sent to the loss side by Larson in the fourth round, drew Sueyen Rhee, who'd defeated Sara Miller 7-3, and Meredith Lynch, double hill, to reach her.
Li and Bryant advanced, double hill, to the quarterfinals over Williams and Rhee. For a variety of different reasons, match progress was noticeably slowing down, particularly as the loss side opponents took the extra time that they often do, when elimination is possible, and every shot is analyzed just a tad more carefully. Comments began circulating almost immediately about the need for a shot clock.
Li took the quarterfinal match over Bryant 7-5, denying Bryant the opportunity to play her fellow Canadian in the semifinals. Li and Williams then locked up in a double hill semifinal that at midnight, officially turned the proceedings into a four-day event. And it looked, in the early going of the true double elimination final, as if it were going to get even longer.
With a $1,000 differential between winner and runner-up, Li opened the first set of the finals with three straight. Corr responded with five straight. Li closed the gap to within one, before Corr chalked up her sixth, putting her on the hill. Corr used a 3-10 combination that finished it.
The next event on the North American Pool Tour, scheduled for August 19-21, will be hosted by Shooters Bar & Billiards in Grayslake, IL, just outside of Chicago.
Jia Li and the tour director of the J. Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour (JPNEWT), Linda Shea, got together for a little reunion on the weekend of June 21-22. Last year (October in Dickson City, PA), they'd met in the finals of a JPNEWT stop, with Li coming out on top, winning her second straight stop on the tour, on her way to three in a row. Li started 2014 with a WPBA Regional Tour Championship victory in January, finished 25th in the WPBA Masters, and fifth in the Super Billiards Expo Women's Championship before running into Shea at Stop # 2 on the JPNEWT in May. Li, who'd been sent to the losers' bracket early in that event, won seven on the loss side before meeting up with Shea in the semifinals. Shea came out on the top in that one, before falling to Karen Corr in the finals (Corr won 42 of 44 games she played in that event). At this most recent event, Li and Shea met twice; once in the hot seat and again, in the finals. Li won both matches to claim the $1,000-added event title that drew 22 entrants to First Break Cafe in Sterling, VA.
Li and Shea advanced to meet in the hot seat match after scoring identical 7-3 victories over Cheryl Sporleder (Shea) and Meredith Lynch (Li). In their first of two, Li gave up only a single rack and sat in the hot seat waiting for Shea to get back from the semifinals.
On the loss side, Sporleder moved over to pick up Kathy Friend, who'd defeated Tina Scott 7-5 and Ji-Hyun Park 7-2, to reach her. Lynch drew Sueyen Rhee, who'd gotten by Nicole Nester 7-2 and Lai Li 7-1. Lynch got right back to winning work with a 7-5 victory over Rhee, as Friend was handing Sporleder her second straight loss 7-2.
Lynch defeated Friend in a grueling, hill-hill quarterfinal match, only to be defeated by Shea 7-5 in the semifinals. Jia Li completed her undefeated run through the field with a second victory over Shea in the finals 7-3.
A number of regulars on the NorthEast Women's Tour took advantage of the absence of regular WPBA players to turn in their best finishes ever in the final event on the NEWT Tour this season. Players turning in career best finishes were Kathy Friend (4th), Kathleen Crabill (5th) and Malea Haake (7th).
The tournament was won by Linda Shea with a 9-4 victory over Gail Boyd in the finals. Shea went undefeated through the field including a 7-5 win over her frequent rival, Sueyen Rhee. Rhee went on to lose to Gail Boyd in the semi-final match by the same 7-5 score.
The win was worth $650 for Shea while Boyd won $445 for second. Rhee and Friend filled out the top 4 spots.
The Planet-Pool tour was at Centennial Billiards in Ellicott City, MD to witness Brian O'Donnell win his second event of the season. O'Donnell went undefeated but won a very close final match against Joe Wright from Baltimore 9-8. O'Donnell collected $800 for first with Wright taking $400 for second.
The ladies division saw Linda Shea again defeat Sueyen Rhee in the finals for her 5th win in the 7 events she has played in. Shea collected $400 with Rhee taking $200 for second.
In previous tournament results, the Planet Pool Tour held their annual US Open warmup event at The Breaktime Sports Grill & Pub in Salisbury Maryland and it was Scotty Townsend taking the winners side and then fighting off a determined Brian O'Donnell in the true double elimination finals for the win. O'Donnell took the finals to two matches with a 9-1 win over Townsend but Townsend was able to beat O'Donnell by the same 9-1 score in the second match of the finals for the win. The win was worth $1000 for Townsend while O'Donnell took $600 for second. Darren Everett and Ryan McCreesh filled out the top 4 spots.
The ladies division saw Sueyen Rhee's run of three tournament wins in a row stopped by Linda Shea who scored her 4th win this season. The win earned Shea $350 while second place earned Rhee $175.
Max Eberle came back from the one loss side to avenge his only loss to Shaun Wilkie at the Planet Pool Tour stop at Champions in Shirlington, Va. Eberle lost to Wilkie in the winners bracket finals but then defeated Chris Loar to set up the rematch where he broke through with the win over Wilkie and the first place prize of $800. Wilkie pocketed $400 for second. Loar and Jim Henson filled the top 4 spots. The win was Eberle's first of the year.
Meanwhile, on the ladies side, Sueyen Rhee made it two tournament wins in a row as she defeated Donna Rooney in the finals. Rhee had also send Rooney to the one loss side earlier in the event. Rhee collected $250 for the win and Rooney took home $150 for second. It was Rooney's best finish of the season.
Brian O'Donnell won his second Planet Pool Tour event of the season with a victory over Danny 'Kid Delicious' Basavich in the finals at Fast Eddie's in Alexandria, Virginia. The victory earned O'Donnell $1000 in prize money while Basavich settled for $500.
The ladies division saw Sueyen Rhee win her first event of the season with a victory over Colleen Shoop in the finals. Rhee collected $400 while Shoop settled for $200.
The Planet-Pool tour held their 4th event of the season at Breaktime Sports Grill & Pub in Salisbury, MD and Danny Green notched his first won of the season with an undefeated run through the tournament. Jerry Slivka won 5 matches in a row on the one loss side to set up the final match but was unable to get by Green in the finals. Kevin West and John Moody Sr. filled out the top 4 spots.
The women's division turned out the same as the last stop as Linda Haywood Shea went undefeated and knocked off Sueyen Rhee in the finals for the tournament win.
