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
