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Ussery comes from the loss side to win win VA State 10-Ball Championships

(l to r): Reymart Lim, TD Tiger Baker & BJ Ussery

Taylor becomes only 4th woman since 2013 to win VA State Women’s 10-Ball title
 
It’s a little early to start making predictions or get too much of a ‘read’ on a tour’s point standings (at least those that run on a calendar year schedule), but the Action Pool Tour’s second stop provided some intriguing information. It wasn’t so much about who’s in the top spots at this point, but who, among last year’s top players are apparently starting out a little slow. Stop #2 on the Action Pool Tour – the 2020 VA State 10-Ball Open Championships – drew 73 entrants to Diamond Billiards in Midlothian, VA on the weekend of February 15-16. Six of last year’s top 10 players in the tour’s final standings competed in this event. Two finished out of the money, including the event’s defending champion, RJ Carmona. Three, including last year’s tour champion, Chris Bruner, finished in the first money round. Reymart Lim, who finished in 4th place overall last year and won this year’s season opener was this event’s runner-up. In his first appearance on the tour in seven years, BJ Ussery came from the loss side to earn a finals rematch against Lim, which he won to claim the event title.
 
Meanwhile, the 2020 VA State Women’s 10-Ball Championships drew 16 women to the same location. As they did last year, Liz Taylor and Janet Atwell battled twice to claim this title. The results of those two battles were a reverse of last year’s; Atwell, winning the first and Taylor, winning the final (more on this a bit later).
 
Ussery’s appearance on the Action Pool Tour is a reflection of his desire to play generally stronger opponents than those he tends to face on regional handicapped tours. The last time he’d appeared on the APT, he’d finished 7th in the inaugural (2013) VA State 10-Ball Championships.
 
“I’m hoping to play in more of these (APT events) this year,” said Ussery. “I want to play against better players and compete in the some of the bigger events, like the US Open or the Super Billiards Expo.”
 
Any time at table, ultimately, is good time at table, but playing in a handicap system, no matter which one it is, carries a downside. According to Ussery, it’s less about the game and more about human nature.
 
“I get so used to giving up a handicap,” Ussery explained, “that when I get into a non-handicap game, it’s hard for me to bear down.”
 
His opening matches tended to demonstrate this. Ussery opened with an 8-6 win over Reggie Jackson, had a strong 8-1 victory over Jonathan Syphanthavong, and then gave up five against Shorty Davis. He had to win a deciding, 15th game in his fourth match, against Justin Martin. Nathan Childress chalked up six against him next, but Ussery prevailed and advanced to his first meeting against Reymart Lim, in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Lim had downed Barry Mashburn, RJ Carmona, Larry Kressel and shut out Greg Sabins (last year’s #12 in the point standings) to reach Ussery. Shane Wolford and Eric Moore (the APT’s 2016 Tour Champion) squared off in the other one.
 
By identical 8-1 scores, Lim and Wolford advanced to the hot seat match over Ussery and Moore. Lim and Wolford then locked up in a double hill fight that eventually sent Wolford to the semifinals and left Lim in the hot seat.
 
Ussery opened up on the loss side against Mike Davis, who was working on a five-match winning streak that was about to end and had included recent wins over Kelly Farrar 7-3 and Justin Martin 7-2. Moore picked up Scott Roberts, who’d been shut out by Greg Sabins in the second round and was working on his own seven-match, loss-side streak that included a successful 7-5 rematch against Sabins and a 7-5 victory over Nathan Childress, which led to Moore.
 
Ussery ended Davis’ streak 7-3 and in the quarterfinals, faced Roberts, who’d defeated Moore 7-4. Ussery ended Roberts’ streak and Wolford’s short visit to the loss side in the semifinals, both 7-5.
 
Going into the final match, Ussery was mindful not only of the earlier matchup, in which Lim had allowed him only a single rack, but previous matchups, as well. They’d faced each other on a number of occasions over the years, and playing against him, Ussery knew what the difference was.
 
“I knew he was a good player when we’d met before,” said Ussery, “but I knew then, that part of the reason he was beating me was that he’d been putting in the time.”
 
“These days,” Ussery added, “I’m as prepared as anybody.”
 
Ussery spoiled Lim’s bid for a second straight win on the APT. He defeated him 10-8 to claim his first APT title.
 
Taylor spoils Atwell’s bid for a third straight, sixth overall VA State 10-Ball Woman’s title.
 
[photo id=51605|align=right]Since 2013, there have been four women who’ve claimed the VA State Women’s 10-Ball title. Tracie Majors won it in 2014 and Meredith Lynch captured the title in 2017. Janet Atwell has claimed the title five times; once in its inaugural year (2013) and then, back-to-back, twice (’15,’16, ’18, ’19). Last year, Atwell was defeated by Liz Taylor, double hill, in the hot seat match and came back to down Taylor 8-2 in the finals to claim her second straight and fifth overall title.  This year, at the event that drew 16 entrants (one more than last year), they reversed things. Taylor was defeated in the hot seat match and came back to defeat Atwell in the finals and claim the 2020 women’s title.
 
It took them each three matches to meet for the first time in the hot seat match. Atwell got by Nicole King, Tina Nash and, in a winners’ side semifinal, shut out Hayleigh Marion. Taylor defeated Soo Emmett, Christy Norris and, in her winners’ side semifinal, survived a double hill match against Lisa Cossette. Atwell claimed the hot seat 6-1.
 
Taylor’s return faced a stiff challenge from Deeqa Nur, who’d been defeated in the opening round of play by Cheryl Sporleder and came back through five opponents to draw Taylor in the semifinals. Nur battled to double hill against two of those opponents. She picked up Hayleigh Marion, coming over from the winners’ side semifinal and defeated her, just ahead of downing Lisa Cossette in a double hill quarterfinal. Taylor spoiled the strong, loss-side bid 5-3 in the semifinals.
 
And so it was, that for the second year in a row, Liz Taylor and Janet Atwell battled for the State of Virginia’s Women’s 10-Ball title. In a reversal of fortunes, Taylor gave up only one rack to Atwell in claiming the event title 8-1.
 
Tour directors Kris Wylie and Tiger Baker thanked the ownership and staff at Diamond Billiards for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Full Stroke Billiards Apparel and Haselman & Hunt, D.D.S., P.C. Family Dentistry. The next stop on the Action Pool Tour, scheduled for March 28-29, will be a Double Points event – The East Coast Landscaping Bar Box Bash – to be hosted by Peninsula Billiards in Newport News, VA.

Carmona comes back from semifinals to win 7th Annual VA State 10-Ball Championships

(l to r): TD Tiger Baker, Scott Haas & RJ Carmona

Atwell comes back from semifinals to claim her 5th VA State 10-Ball title
 
In the seven-year history of the Virginia State 10-Ball Championships, there have been seven different winners in the event’s Open Division. The most recent winner at the 7th Annual event was RJ Carmona. In that same time frame, there have only been three women who have claimed the title – Tracie Majors (2014), Meredith Lynch (2017) and Janet Atwell, who won the inaugural event in 2013, and claimed the title in successive years, twice; 2015, 2016, 2018, and this past weekend, February 16-17, 2019. Both competitors at this year’s championships, held under the auspices of the Action Pool Tour and hosted by Diamond Billiards in Midlothian, VA, made it to their respective hot seat matches, and lost. They both came back to meet and defeat their hot seat opponent and claim the event title.
 
The Open division of the annual event drew 48 entrants, and only one former champion (Eric Moore, 2016). The Women’s Championship drew 15 entrants, including four-time and defending champion, Atwell. The Open event drew 9 of the top 10 finishers from the APT season opener in January, including that event’s winner (Reymart Lim).
 
Carmona opened his bid for the 2019 title with a shutout over Christopher Wilburn and then, battled to double hill against Del Sim before advancing. He downed Reymart Lim 8-6 and met up with Scott Roberts in a winners’ side semifinal. Carmona’s hot seat and finals opponent, Scott Haas, got by Danny Mastermaker, double hill, in the opening round and went on to defeat Shane Buchanan 8-5, before getting locked up in a second double hill battle against David Hairfield. Haas won that one to advance to a winners’ side semifinal against Brian Bryant.
 
Haas got into the hot seat match with an 8-4 win over Bryant. Carmona joined him after sending Roberts to the loss side 8-2. Haas claimed the hot seat 8-5 over Carmona and waited on his return.
 
On the loss side, Bryant picked up APT veteran/pro player Brandon Shuff, who’d lost a second- round match to Reymart Lim (double hill) and was in the midst of a seven-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him as far as the quarterfinals. He’d most recently eliminated Shorty Davis 7-3 and winner of the APT season opener, Reymart Lim 7-2. Scott Roberts drew Chris Bruner, who’d lost his second-round match to John Newton, and like Shuff, was on an extended loss-side streak (eight matches) that would take him to the seminfinals. He’d most recently defeated David Hairfield 7-5 and Danny Mastermaker 7-4.
 
Shuff and Bruner advanced to the quarterfinals with seven loss-side wins each, once Shuff had eliminated Bryant 7-5 and Bruner had defeated Roberts 7-3. Bruner broke the loss-side match tie with a 7-5 win over Shuff and with some momentum on his side, battled to double hill against Carmona in the semifinals. Carmona, though, finished it for a second shot at Haas in the hot seat.
 
Whatever happened in the Carmona/Haas finals, Reymart Lim was going to retain his top spot on the tour’s (two event) points-leader board, and RJ Carmona would hold on to his #2 spot. Haas, competing in his first 2019 APT stop, would enter the points-leader board at either #18, if he won, or #20, if he lost. Carmona completed his 2019 VA State 10-Ball Championship run with a 10-8 victory over Haas.
 
Atwell goes 3-1 to claim her fifth VA State 10-Ball Ladies title
 
It’s never easy, but short fields make for short runs to event titles. Janet Atwell played four matches and won three of them to claim her fifth VA State 10-Ball title. It was her first appearance on the APT in 2019 and her victory allowed her to enter the tour’s points-leader board at #83 (points are awarded based on a player’s finish and a formula related to the total number of entrants).
 
Atwell was awarded an opening round bye and then defeated Buffy Jolie 7-4 to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal against Marianne Merrill. Liz Taylor, in the meantime, got by Cheryl Pritchard 7-2 and Tina Castillo 7-4 to arrive at her winners’ side semifinal match against Linda Shea (tour director of the J. Pechauer Northeast Women’s Tour).
 
Atwell and Taylor advanced to the hot seat match with identical 7-4 victories over Merrill and Shea. Taylor claimed the hot seat in a double hill win.
 
On the loss side, Shea picked up Lisa Cossette, who’d defeated Kim McKenna and Nicole King, both 6-4, to reach her. Merrill drew Cheryl Sporleder, who’d defeated Dorothy Strater 6-1 and Bethany Sykes 6-4. Shea and Sporleder advanced to the quarterfinals, having given up only three racks between them in 15 games; Shea gave up two to Cossette and Sporleder gave up one to Merrill.
 
Shea gave up none at all to Sporleder in those quarterfinals, only to get locked up in what was most likely a predictable double hill fight between her and Atwell in the semifinals. Atwell prevailed and then in the finals rematch, downed Taylor 8-2 to claim the VA State 10-Ball Ladies title.
 
A Second Chance tournament drew 18 entrants. Greg Sabins and Robert Farmer worked their way through the field and battled in both the hot seat and finals. Farmer claimed the hot seat in a double hill fight, but Sabins came back from a shutout over Graham Swinson in the semifinals to shut Farmer out in the finals and claim the Second Chance top prize of $160. Farmer took home $100 as runner-up. Swinson finished third ($75), Cheryl Sporleder finished in fourth place ($50). Jamie Bess and Andrew Stephan each took home $30 for the 5th place tie.
 
Tour directors Kris Wylie and Tiger Baker thanked the ownership and staff at Diamond Billiards, as well as sponsors Diamond Billiard Products, Viking Cues, Predator, Tiger, Kamui Tips, Ozone Billiards, Simonis Cloth, and George Hammerbacher Advanced Pool Instructor. The next stop on the 2019 Action Pool Tour, scheduled for March 23-24, will be the East Coast Landscaping Bar Box Bash and will be hosted by Peninsula Billiards in Newport News, VA.

Atwell reclaims VA State 10-Ball title

Janet Atwell

Illness precluded her participation in the 2014 VA State 10-Ball Championships to defend the title she'd won in the inaugural event in 2013, but Janet Atwell returned this year, and went undefeated through a field of 22 to reclaim the title, won last year by Tracie Majors. The event was hosted by Diamond Billiards in Midlothian, VA on the weekend of February 7-8.
 
Victories over Cheryl Sporleder, Nicole Fleming and Dawn Buchanan put Atwell in a winners' side semifinal versus Meredith Lynch. Jacki Duggan, in the meantime, following victories over Pauline Mattes and Tracey Collins, faced Falon Newton. Lynch and Newton both put up double hill fights, but Atwell and Duggan prevailed to square off for the first time in the hot seat match. Atwell shut Duggan out and waited in the hot seat for her return.
 
On the loss side, Lynch drew Tina Scott, who'd gotten by Lai Li, double hill, and Sheri Bruner 5-2. Newton picked up Kim Whitman, who'd eliminated Sporleder, double hill and Buchanan 5-3. Whitman and Scott handed Lynch and Newton their second loss, both 5-3, and met in the quarterfinals, where Scott prevailed 5-2.
 
Duggan defeated Scott 5-2 in the semifinals, and like her male counterpart in these VA State 10-Ball Championships (Matt Krah; see separate story), entered the finals with the sting of a hot seat shutout fresh in her memory. Atwell gave up only a single rack to Duggan in the finals to claim her second VA State 10-Ball title. 

Jones chalks up nine on the loss side and two in the finals to win his first GSBT stop

Shannon Daulton, Thomas Jones, Tracie Majors, & Marty Opyd, owner of Legends Billiards

Thomas Jones had himself quite a weekend. Looking for his first win on the Great Southern Billiard Tour on the weekend of March 1-2, he found his goal almost immediately frustrated by one Chris Zayas, who fought him to double hill and then prevailed. Jones moved to the loss side and began a nine-match winning streak that would carry him all the way back to the finals, where he'd win two more against hot seat occupant, Tracie Majors. The $1,000-added event drew 62 entrants to Legends Billiards (formerly Raisin' Cain's) in Inman, SC.
 
Zayas would move on past Jones and eventually found himself in a winners' side final four match against Steve Walton. Majors, in the meantime, squared off against Marty Free. Walton hung on to win 5-4 over Zayas and met up with Majors, who sent Free to the loss side 5-3. Majors moved into the hot seat with a 5-2 win over Walton.
 
Jones, in the meantime, had chalked up four, shut out Chandler DeGusman and eliminated Josh Newman 5-5 (Newman racing to 10). This set him against Free, coming off the winners' side semifinal. Zayas picked up Wendell Thompkins, who'd gotten by Gage Edwards 9-4 and Dayne Miller 9-1. Jones chalked up another 5-5 win; this time, over Free (also racing to 10), and was denied a re-match against Zayas, when Thompkins defeated him 9-5.
 
Jones battled Thompkins to double hill in the quarterfinals before prevailing to take on Walton in the semifinals. He brought the semifinals to double hill, as well, finally advancing for a double-elimination shot against Majors in the hot seat. Jones chalked up identical 5-2 wins in both sets to claim his first GSBT title.
 
Tour director Shannon Daulton thanked Legends' new owners, Marty Opyd and April Bradley, who were hosting their first-ever tournament. He also thanked sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta-13, Ozone Billiards, Tiger Products, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Lomax Cues, and Universe Clothing for their continuing support of the tour. The next stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour is scheduled for March 9-10 at Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Bryant wins eight on the loss side, double dips Aft to take her second Music City Ladies

Brittany Bryant

Brittany Bryant lost an early round, double hill match to Liz Lovely, during the Music City Open Ladies event on the weekend of January 17-19. Bryant battled back through eight opponents on the loss side to eventually meet and double dip hot seat occupant and 2013 Amateur Women's Champion, Dana Aft, in the finals. It was Bryant's second Music City Open victory, having defeated Nicole Keeney in 2011. The $1,000-added Ladies event drew 48 entrants to JOB Billiards in Madison, TN.
 
Once she had sent Bryant to the loss side, Liz Lovely, looking for her second straight appearance in the Music City Ladies final, moved on, advancing to the winners' side final four and a match versus Aft. Grace Nakamura, in the meantime, met up with Samantha Patton in the other winners' side semifinal. Aft survived a double hill match versus Lovely, while Nakumura downed Patton 7-3. Aft got into the hot seat 7-4 over Nakamura.
 
It was Patton who drew Bryant on the loss side, already five victories into her eight-match winning streak, including elimination of Alison Hardwick 7-3 and Janeen Lee 7-4. Lovely drew Nicole Keeney, last year's Ladies winner, who'd shut out Amy Jones and eliminated Tracie Majors 7-5. Bryant defeated Patton 7-5, while a Bryant/Lovely re-match was avoided when Keeney won, double hill, over Lovely.
 
Bryant then gave up only a single rack in her quarterfinal win over Keeney, and dropped Nakamura into third place 7-5. Displaying evidence of a 'woman on a mission,' Bryant gave up only two racks over 16 games; one each in a two-set final, to claim the event title.
 

Kielar goes undefeated to capture 2nd Annual VA State 10-Ball Championships; Majors wins Women’s event

Shaun Wilkie and Adam Kielar

Adam Kielar rode a match-by-match roller coaster through seven opponents during the 2nd Annual VA State 10-Ball Championships held on the weekend of January 11-12, and ended the ride with the event title. In a concurrently-run women's event, Tracie Majors faced five opponents and like Kielar finished undefeated to claim the event title. The dual events, held under the auspices of the Action Pool Tour and hosted by Diamond Billiards in Midlothian, VA, drew 80 entrants; 64 to the Open, and 16 to the women's tournament.
 
Kielar started his trip to the state championship winners' circle with a shutout over Alex Travino, and then as the winners' bracket narrowed, started to face increased competition. Paul Cogle chalked up three racks against him, Alan Duty got within two at 8-6 and in a winners' side final eight battle, Kenny Miller forced him into a double hill deciding game. He survived to face Shaun Wilkie, as Brian Deska squared off against Greg Taylor in the other winners' side semifinal. 
 
Fresh off his double hill struggle, Kielar gave up only a single rack to Wilkie and in the hot seat match, met Deska, who'd just survived his own double hill troubles against Taylor. Kielar gave up only three in the match against Deska, which left him in the hot seat, awaiting what turned out to be the return of Wilkie.
 
Wilkie had moved over to meet Reymart Lim, who'd defeated Eric Moore, double hill, and Chris Bruner 6-4. Taylor drew Kenny Miller, who, after his defeat at the hands of Kielar went on to drop Cody Phillips 6-2 and defeat Danny Mastermaker, double hill. Wilkie got by Lim 6-2, as Miller was busy chalking up his second straight double hill win; this time, against Taylor.
 
Wilkie gave up only two racks against Miller in the quarterfinals, and gave up only one to Brian Deska in the semifinals. Kielar, though, was not to be denied. He took the final match 10-4 to claim the VA State 10-Ball Championship title.
 
On the women's side, Tracie Majors charted a similar up and down course to the finals. She gave up two racks in an opening round match against Michele Jones, four against Jacki Duggan, and then had to fight a double hill deciding match against Tina Scott in a winners' side semifinal. In the hot seat match, Majors met Sheri Bruner, who'd sent Shanna Lewis to the loss side 8-2. She defeated Bruner 8-3 and sat in the hot seat, awaiting the only opponent who'd given her a double hill hard time, Tina Scott.
 
Scott had moved over to pick up Gwen Townsend, who'd gotten by Sarah Thomas 6-2 and Daisy Blancafor 6-4. Meanwhile, Shanna Lewis drew Cheryl Pritchard, who'd defeated Pauline Mattes and Jacki Duggan, both 6-4. Scott and Prtichard both survived double hill matches against Townsend and Pritchard to face each other in the quarterfinals, where Scott advanced 6-2 to meet Bruner in the semifinals.
 
Scott prevailed over Bruner in another double hill match to earn a re-match against Majors in the finals. Majors completed her undefeated run with a 10-5 win over Scott to claim the VA State Women's 10-Ball Championship.
 
These VA State 10-Ball Championships were the first event of the 2014 Action Pool Tour season, but the last official event to be overseen by Tour Director Ozzy Reynolds, who will move to Las Vegas in February to accept a position as a manager of Cue Sports International. He will continue to maintain administrative oversight of the Action Pool Tour, as Stephen Quan, long-time assistant, will handle tournament responsibilities going forward.
 
"I have 100% confidence that (Steve) will do a fantastic job," said Reynolds, "mainly because he's been doing everything anyway. We'd get it all set up and I'd go out and play, while he did everything else."
 
Reynolds is still a little stunned by this turn of events in his life.
 
"I'm excited for the opportunity," he said. "I never in a million years ever saw (a position like this with CSI) as an option, so I'm still pinching myself a little."
 
"I didn't realize that the tour would have the success that it's had, and would catapult my name into a position to even have this opportunity," he added. "The most rewarding part of the experience for me has been the wonderful people that I've met and interacted with over these past few years. It's one of the reasons that I wasn't upset about being eliminated early in this tournament (tied for 33rd), because it afforded me the opportunity to spend some quality time with the people I've been associated with. I anticipate maintaining relationships with many of these people."

Bulfin spoils loss-side bid by Marrier to take SE Open stop

Claude Marrier had won five straight on the loss side for the right to meet Matt Bulfin in the finals of the July 28-29 stop on the Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour. He also came back from an early 6-1 Bulfin lead in those finals to reach the hill, three games ahead. Bulfin, though, fought back to win the final four games, capturing the event title, and finishing undefeated to take his second straight victory on the SE Open 9-Ball Tour. The $1,000-added event drew 36 entrants to Pockets in Dothan, AL.

From among the winners’ side final four, Bulfin met up with David Hennessy, as tour director Tommy Kennedy squared off against Stoney Stone. Bulfin got into the hot seat match with a 9-7 win over Hennessy, as Stone battled to double hill, before prevailing over Kennedy. Stone fought Bulfin to double hill, as well, but Bulfin had the final say to sit in the hot seat awaiting Marrier’s return. 

Sent west by David Hennessy, from among the winners’ side final eight, Marrier got his five-match march back to the finals underway with a 7-4 victory over Arthur Huynh, and then shut out Mike Townsend, who had just completed a double hill win over his father, Scotty Townsend, in what Kennedy said was the first time the two had met on his tour. Marrier advanced to pick up Kennedy. Hennessy drew J.R. Rossman, who’d gotten by Tracie Majors 7-3 and picked up a forfeit win over Detroit Griffin. Rossman spoiled a potential Hennessy/Marrier rematch by defeating Hennessy, double hill, as Marrier survived his own double hill battle against Kennedy.

Marrier went on to defeat Rossman in the quarterfinals 9-4. He then spoiled Stone’s bid to get back to the finals for a re-match versus Bulfin with a 9-3 win in the semifinals.

Bulfin took a commanding 6-1 lead in the race-to-11 finals, but watched as Marrier won eight straight for a 9-6 lead of his own. Bulfin narrowed the margin by a single game, before Marrier came back to reach the hill first. Bulfin fought back, and at 10-9, Marrier made a kick shot on the 8-ball that hung in the hole. Bulfin made the shot, and though left tough on the 9-ball, completed the rack to knot things at double hill. Bulfin then broke and ran to snatch his victory from the proverbial jaws of defeat.

Kennedy wins Open, Singletary wins Amateur event on SE Open 9-Ball Tour

Tommy Kennedy

Tommy Kennedy came from the loss side of an Open event on his own Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour on Saturday, April 14, and defeated hot seat occupant, Denny Singletary, in the finals. Singletary would go on, the next day, to win the tour stop’s Amateur event. The $1,000-added events ($500 each), hosted by Zingale’s Billiards in Tallahassee, FL drew 25 (Open) and 19 (Amateur) entrants.

While the Open event featured Kennedy’s return from the loss side to win, the Amateur event featured some headline matchups, outside the realm of its top winners. First among these was a 5th/6th place match between room owner Mike Zingale and his father, Jim. The other story was about 11-year-old Landon Harris, who, though finishing in the four-way tie for 9th, turned a few heads with back-to-back, double hill victories against much older opponents (Brandon Posey and Dylan Clark).

The seeds for the Zingale family match in the Amateur event were sown among the winners’ side final four, when son, Mike, was sent west by Singletary 6-3. J.R. Rossman, in the meantime, who had been eliminated by Kennedy in the Open event the day before, faced and defeated Huyen (pronounced “win”) Cam 6-1. In the hot seat match, Singletary and Rossman battled to double hill before Rossman prevailed to deny Singletary his second hot seat occupancy of the weekend.

Cam moved to the loss side and picked up Joe Davis, while Mike Zingale ran into his father, Jim. Davis defeated Cam 5-2, and the younger Zingale defeated the elder Zingale by the same score. Davis then dropped the younger Zingale into fourth place in a double hill match, only to be dropped himself into third place by Singletary, whose 5-1 victory put him into the finals for the second time. He won it this time, defeating Rossman 9-4 to capture the Amateur title.

It was a set of three, 7-5 victories among the final four winners that left Singletary in the hot seat in the Open event on Saturday. Kennedy was sent west by Jimmy Garza, Singletary sent Stoney Stone over, and finally, in the hot seat battle, Singletary sent Garza to the semifinals.

Kennedy moved over and picked up Rossman, while Stone drew Arthur Hynh. Kennedy and Stone picked up where they’d left off, defeating Rossman 6-2 and Hynh 6-4, and turning to face each other in the quarterfinals. Kennedy finished Stone’s day 6-4, and then in a ‘vengeance is sweet’ moment completely shut out the man who’d sent him to the loss side (Garza) in the semifinals. He completed his three-match, loss-side winning streak with a 9-6 win in the finals that secured the event title.

Ashleigh Harrel picked up $50 as the top female finisher in the Open event, and John Amiss picked up $50, as well, as the oldest player in the event. The elder Zingale won a $50 prize for being the oldest player in the Amateur event. Two women – Tracie Majors and Jessica Fincher – split a $50 prize as top finishers in the Amateur tourney, while 11-year-old Landon Harris picked up $25 as the top finishing junior.

Tour director Tommy Kennedy thanked Mike Zingale and his staff for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Tiger Products, Mueller Recreational Products, David Adams, Ed Cabrera, Simonis Cloth, Cliff Manning of Manning Custom Cues, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, and Harris Cue Company. 

Open Event Payouts | Amateur Event Payouts

Royal and Stone take FL Capitol

Chad Royal and Jason Bowen

Zingales Billiards hosted the latest Poison Tour event with 75 players showing up over the weekend.

Saturday’s event would see some players dodging a few tornados with the weather conditions in Fl taking a turn for the worst. One man was making his own storm in the pool room would be Chad Royal.

Royal would cruise his way to the hotseat with strong wins over Clint Nichols 7-2, Michael Zingale 7-3, Jason Moran 7-4, Jason Bowen 7-5 and then a strong win over Robert Van Slyke 7-4 to capture the hotseat. Nick Applebee was looking dangerous on the one loss side after taking a first round loss to Howie Gordon he would record strong wins over Lee Caldwell 5-2, Jakie Bell 5-0, Duane Bourgeoix 5-3, Michael Zingale 5-0, Jacob Pressacco 5-4, Mark Shimelman 5-3 before taking his 2nd loss on the day to Jason Bowen 5-3 to leave Applebee with a 5th place finish. Bowen would then go on to receive a forfeit over Howie Gordon which he followed up with a strong 5-1 win over Robert Van Slyke to set up a rematch final with Chad Royal.  Royal had one thing in mind and that was the winners crown as he played a very strong final to beat Jason Bowen 7-2 to take his first Poison Amateur tour title.

Congratulation to 9th-12th place finishers Jacob Pressacco, Denny Singletary, Kurt Hardeman and Clint Nichols all received a paid entry into Sundays open event.

Payouts
1st, Chad Royal $700
2nd, Jason Bowen $400
3rd, Robert Van Slyke $300
4th, Howie Gordon $200
5th-6th, Nick Applebee, Arthur Huynh $100
7th-8th, Mark Shimelman, Jason Moran $75

The $1000 Added open 10-ball event would a draw a full 32 man field.  Cliff Joyner made his way to the hotseat with strong wins over James Roberts 7-2, Lamarr Daughtry 7-5, Brandon Beatty 7-3, Stoney Stone 7-2 and then David Hennessy 7-2 to capture the hosteat.  

Home town boy Stoney Stone would prove why he is a local favorite by making his way back through the field with wins over Tracie Majors 5-1, Jason Bowen 5-2 and then a 5-3 win over David Hennessy to set up a final with Cliff Joyner. Stoney would have to defeat Joyner in a race to 7 to force a 1 rack sudden death shoot out and he did just that, taking the first race to 7 with a strong 7-2 win.

The 1 rack shootout would see Joyner win the lag and take the break this would be his last shot as scratch would give ball in had to Stoney and that all he needed to run out the balls to take down the Poison Tour title.

The tour would like to thank room owner Michael Zingale and his staff for hosting a great event, also all the players that showed up over the weekend with such tough weather conditions. Also Poison Cues our Title Sponsors for supplying the best cues on the market.

Our next event will be at Capone’s March 31st-April 1st, we look forward to seeing you there.

Payouts
1st Stoney Stone $600
2nd, Cliff Joyner $400
3rd, David Hennessy $300
4th, Jason Bowen $200
5th-6th, James Roberts Tracie Majors $100
7th-8th, David Walters, Chad Royal $60