Owen and Martinez March through U.S. Open Straight Pool

Posted by admin as Billiard Tour News - Pool Tour News

Owen and Martinez March through U.S. Open Straight PoolWinners’ final set, four will return in 14.1 as 10-ball joins one-loss play at Qlympics

by Paul Berg, InsidePOOL Magazine Staff
In unbeaten fashion, Gabe Owen and Rafael Martinez-Chavez have taken command of the U.S. Open 14.1 Straight Pool Championship at the Clarion Conference Center in Louisville, KY. Joining further one-loss bracket play with matches that will determine the other half of the final four, gladiators with eyes on the final five in U.S. Open 10-ball Championship have also begun play on the Diamond tables at the Qlympics. One match determining a fifth-place tie in the latter event will wait until tomorrow, as both participants have posted $250 for a special six-man 10-ball ring game tonight to round out the cue-sporting festivities.
Owen ended the undefeated performance of Huidji See in both events with a sound 150-38 victory this afternoon. Martinez would have a harder-fought victory over Jason Miller, the Dayton, OH, all-around great coming back from an 85-65 deficit. With a run of 49 balls, Miller took a 122-86 lead, but with a chance to close the door later up 140-113, a surprising miss relegated Miller to spectator status. Martinez cleared the remaining eight balls and found one to split the rack apart with. With an amazing recovery of position, a full-cue jump with draw to a slammed combination to clear up traffic along the foot rail, Martinez extended his run to 22 balls with a great break shot to the last 15 he would need. He cleared those calmly to complete the 150-140 victory, 37 and out.
There are still matters to settle on the B-side of the chart, but everyone left has made the money. Californian Jim Mendoza came up a match short, falling to the charge of John “Mr. 403” Schmidt, who took a strong early lead with a run of 65 and closed a 150-46 victory with another break of 55 and out. The 2003 Legends of Straight Pool winner Schmidt is currently in a match with Miller that will leave the loser in a tie for fifth place and bring the winner back tomorrow to face either See or Danny Harriman.
Harriman traded the lead with Shannon Murphy throughout his previous match, neither player able to break into a third consecutive rack with any great result as the match reached the latter stages. In the end, a Murphy miss of a tricky back-cut after a funny break ball left Harriman 30 and out for a 150-124 win. Having left one half of the 10-ball winners’ bracket final pairing in a tie for seventh place, Harriman will try to stop the other half in fifth, See a formidable foe with a second-place finish in this year’s World Straight Pool Championship.
Owen has been busy in both tournaments this week and attempts to keep his 10-ball hopes alive against young Jason Klatt of Winnipeg, the loser stuck just outside the payout window with a tie for seventh place, and the winner moving on to face Martinez later tonight. In the other match determining a seventh-place finish, Dee Adkins and Joonas Ohtonen played a little early to make the 7:30 start time of TheActionReport’s interesting 10-ball ring game tonight, which both will participate for $250 a man. Ohtonen held on to a 10-6 lead for an 11-10 victory.
Louis Ulrich will play Ohtonen in the tournament tomorrow morning but is also in action with a shot at a $2,000 winner-take-all pot, with six entrants and $500 kindly added by Greg Sullivan of Diamond Billiards Products. While the race-to-100 10-ball showdown between Shane Van Boening and Earl Strickland that starts tomorrow night will be pay-per-view, this evening’s offering can be viewed for free on the web. Rounding out the field in that race to 13 for the cash will be Murphy, Chris Bartram, and Adam Behnke. Check back with InsidePOOLmag.com later tonight for an update on those proceedings, as well as results from the remainder of U.S. Open events play from the Qlympics.

LaPorte Takes Top Honors in Illinois

Posted by admin as Billiard Tour News - ACS All American Tour

LaPorte Takes Top Honors in IllinoisMcDermott All-Around Tour / Galesburg, IL

by InsidePOOL Staff
The thirteenth stop of the 2007/2008 McDermott All-American Tour was hosted by Billiards on Main in Galesburg, IL, Saturday, November 10. The $500-added event drew 26 players in a double-elimination 8-ball format on 7-foot bar boxes.
Don Neckel ran undefeated to the finals. In the hot seat match, Neckel slipped past Mike LaPorte 5-3. Earlier in the A-bracket semifinals, Neckel tripped Scott Laird 5-3, while LaPorte eclipsed Bob McGrath 4-4. In the B-side bracket Brad Ogborn ousted Mike Herrera at seventh place, while Joe Vacca eliminated Randy Tenley at the same placement.
In the loser’s quarterfinals Laird toppled Vacca, while Ogborn upended McGrath. In the semifinals, Ogborn eliminated Laird, but Brad Ogborn was, in turn, eliminated himself in the B-side finals by Mike LaPorte 4-2. The tournament finals featured a rematch of LaPorte versus Neckel, with LaPorte having to win two sets to claim the title. LaPorte was up to the challenge, as he turned back Neckel 4-4 and 4-2.

Results:
1st Mike LaPorte
2nd Don Neckel
3rd Brad Ogborn
4th Scott Laird
5th Bob McGrath
Joe Vacca
7th Mike Herrera
Randy Tenley

J. Pechauer to Become Title Sponsor of ACS All American Tour

Posted by admin as Billiard Tour News - ACS All American Tour

J. Pechauer to Become Title Sponsor of ACS All American Tour
As one of the benefits to the sport and to ACS members, the American CueSports Alliance (ACS) has been producing the All American Tour for three years now. McDermott Handcrafted Cues has been the title sponsor for the Tour since its inception, but the ACS is delighted to announce a new title sponsor for the Tour – J. Pechauer Custom Cues – to become effective on December 1, 2007.
Scott Douglas, National Sales Director at Pechauer, noted, “J. Pechauer Custom Cues sponsors other regional Tours around the country, but we were excited to have the opportunity to gain broader exposure for our cues through a well-known national Tour such as the ACS All American Tour.” John Kittilstad, National Sales Director at McDermott, added, “McDermott Handcrafted Cues enjoyed sponsoring the Tour, and we were pleased with the results. We are now moving in other directions, and we would expect that the J. Pechauer Company will benefit from its sponsorship of the Tour as we did.”
Championship Billiard Fabric and Nick Varner Signature Cases will continue to partner with the Tour as well, and the Tour title will now be: ACS presents the J. Pechauer All American Tour! The Tour will continue to feature weekend events around the country open to any amateur player, with the highest-placing ACS member in each event gaining a free singles entry into the ACS National Championships, June 7-14, 2008, at the Riviera Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The ACS is a non-profit, national organization dedicated to heightening the interest and awareness of cue sports through the support and sanctioning of organized competition throughout the United States.

Legacy Billiards Announces Ground Breaking

Posted by admin as Billiards Industry News - Information

Legacy Billiards Announces Ground Breaking
Legacy Billiards, a division of Exact Commerce, announces the ground breaking of its new 100,000 Sq. Ft. facility on 851 Progress Road in Collierville, Tennessee.
Located on 12 acres in the new Progress Road Business Park, Phase I of the building program will be 100,000 square feet of office and high cube warehousing including a 10,000 Sq. Ft showroom for displaying all of our room collections. Phase II of the building program scheduled for 2011 will allow for an additional 140,000 square feet of warehousing.
Legacy Billiards has experienced tremendous growth since we started back in 2002 and this past October was our biggest sales month ever. In an economy where other companies are shrinking or closing their doors, Legacy Billiards is continuing to grow. This new state of the art facility will put an exclamation point on that fact.

PAT Examiner Course Announced for December in San Francisco

Posted by admin as Billiard Tour News - Pool Tour News

PAT Examiner Course Announced for December in San Francisco
American CueSports Alliance (ACS) Level 4 Professional Billiard Coach Joseph Mejia, and Master Coach at the San Francisco Billiard Academy, will be conducting a PAT Examiner course in San Francisco, December 10 and 11, 2007. The course is open to individuals with professional billiard training experience. Cost of the two-day course is $450 (does not include cost of manuals), and attendees can qualify to become certified PAT Examiners. Joseph is North America’s Level 5 PAT Examiner – a position established by the PAT Company in Europe (Germany) for one authorized individual per continent.
It is recommended attendees fly into San Francisco International Airport by Sunday, December 9th and depart by no earlier than Wednesday, December 12th. The host hotel is a short airport shuttle ride to Bay Landing Hotel in Burlingame, California. Attendees on both Monday and Tuesday mornings will be transferred to the nearby billiard training facility via local shuttle service provided by the host.
To reserve your spot now, contact Joseph Mejia at the San Francisco Billiard Academy at 650-873-4658. Bay Landing Hotel reservations ($99 + tax/night incl. continental breakfast) may be made at 650-259-9000. Use the code “2364” and/or mention the San Francisco Billiard Academy when making your reservations to receive the special rate
The Playing Ability Test, better known as PAT, was devised by internationally-recognized coaches in Europe over the past three years. The system has been endorsed by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) as a credible internationally standardized program for objectively identifying the overall abilities of students so that areas needing improvement may be pinpointed. Students may compare their performance ratings with other students around the globe through the PAT website at www.pat-billiard.com (http://www.pat-billiard.com). Currently there are over one hundred PAT Examiners in numerous countries. PAT Examiners may derive another source of income when administering “PAT” to both individuals and groups. The American CueSports Alliance (Tel. 1-888-662-1705) is the exclusive publisher for PAT Manuals translated into English in North America. PAT Manuals – Volumes 1, 2 and 3 are available at retail price through the ACS and Bebob Publishing (Tel. 734-462-9500).
Many North American-based ACS Instructor/Coaches are already accredited PAT Examiners. ACS Instructor/Coaches who are also PAT Examiners may purchase any quantity of PAT Manuals at wholesale pricing from ACS. Course participants may desire to order the manuals in advance of attending the course and familiarize themselves with the particulars.
The ACS is a non-profit, national organization dedicated to heightening the interest and awareness of cue sports through the support and sanctioning of organized competition throughout the United States.

US Amateur Billiards Champions Crowned

Posted by admin as Pool Leagues - APA

US Amateur Billiards Champions Crowned
Winners of Men’s Division and Women’s Division Advance to ‘08 Pro Event
The top amateur players in the country came to Mr. Cues II in Atlanta in early November to compete for the coveted U.S. Amateur Championship title.
The finals of the Women’s Division pitted Tina Larsen of Palatine, Ill., against hometown favorite Betty Sessions.
Larsen and Sessions traded wins the first two games of the 8-ball set before Larsen was able to open a slight 3-1 lead. Sessions managed a win in the fifth game to pull within one. Larsen closed out the 8-ball set with a win and a 4-2 lead.
Larsen won the first game of the 9-ball set and appeared well on her way to victory with a 5-2 lead. But Sessions showed the kind of adversity that had secured her a 3rd Place finish in 2006 and led her undefeated to the finals this year. She scored three consecutive wins to even the match at 5-5.
But it was Larsen’s turn to put on a clinic in adversity. With many in the local crowd rooting for Sessions, it was Larsen taking the next three games, putting her on-the-hill.
Sessions wasn’t about to give up without a fight though, winning the fourteenth game, and pulling within two.
But in the fifteenth and final game, Larsen secured the game and the match. She becomes the first two-time U.S. Amateur Women’s Champion and now moves on to compete in a 2008 WPBA Classic Tour event.
“To come through such an outstanding field of players twice is truly amazing and it feels incredible,” said Larsen of accomplishing the feat.
The Men’s Division featured Jason Richko of Trinity, Fla., versus former U.S. Amateur Champion Robert Hall of Huntsville, Ala. The match began in the 8-ball set with Hall getting on the board first. Richko quickly countered and evened the match 1-1 in the second game.
Hall continued to build a lead over his opponent, winning the next two games, but Richko wasn’t backing down, again matching his counterpart with two consecutive victories of his own. The pair traded wins in the seventh and eighth games of the match, and switched to the 9-ball set tied at four games apiece.
Once in the 9-ball set, Richko set the tone with a break-and-run to take his first lead of the match. Behind his exceptional break, Richko managed to take the next four games, barely giving Hall a chance at the table. When Hall did finally make it to the table, he didn’t have much to shoot at, thanks to Richko’s defensive play.
“Pro player Tony Crosby came out with a new break cue a few weeks ago called the Sniper II, and it really helped with my break and my jumps. I had been using a soft break for most of the tournament, but it went dry on me, so I went harder in my last few matches and it worked out well,” said Richko.
A missed combination shot on the 9-ball by Richko, and a miscue in the 14th game, gave Hall the game and a glimmer of hope. After Richko failed to make a shot on the 8-ball in the 15th game, Hall again capitalized on the mistake, winning that game and the next, and cutting the deficit to two, 9-7.
Richko would simply not be denied though, winning the next game to put him on-the-hill. Needing only one more game for the match and the title, Richko punctuate his victory with a 9-on-the-snap.
Afterwards, Richko credited Frank Touloumis, who had coached him early on in his career, and Bob Savidio, who has worked with him this past year.
“I played last year and finished 25th, so Bob has really been helping me focus on the mental side of the game,” added Richko.
He now moves on to compete in the 2008 U.S. Open.
The 2007 U.S. Amateur Championship, produced and conducted by the American Poolplayers Association (APA), was held at Mr. Cues II in Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 2-4. Preliminary qualifying rounds were held throughout the country in mid-Sept., with more than 1,500 players attempting to qualify.
Larsen and Richko competed with the nation’s most highly skilled amateur players who were all vying for the U.S. Amateur Champion title. The Men’s Division consisted of 127-players, while the Women’s Division featured 25 players. As Champions, Larsen and Richko will return next year to defend their coveted titles.
Both Sessions and Hall finished as the Runners-up. Finishing in 3rd Place in the Men’s Division was Gary Neal of Spartanburg, S.C. In 4th Place was Rusty Jackson III of Allensville, Ky. Tying for 5th Place in the Men’s Division is Brian Belobradic of Whitby, Ontario, Canada and Eddie Little of Salisbury, N.C. Defending champion Michell Monk of Palm Bay, Fla. rounded out the top finishers in the Women’s Division with a 3rd Place finish.
The U.S. Amateur Championship is a double elimination tournament that offers the nation’s top amateur players the opportunity to showcase their skills through a combination of 8-ball and 9-ball matches, in the only APA event that does not use The Equalizer® handicap system.
The APA, based in Lake Saint Louis, Mo., sanctions the world’s largest amateur pool league, known as the APA Pool League throughout the United States, and as the Canadian Pool League in Canada. More than 260,000 members compete in weekly 8-ball and 9­ball league play. The APA is generally recognized as the Governing Body of Amateur Pool, having established the official rules, championships, formats and handicap systems for the sport of amateur billiards.
The APA produces three major tournaments each year—the APA National Team Championships, the APA National Singles Championships and the U.S. Amateur Championship—that, together, pay out nearly $1.5 Million in cash and prizes annually!
The APA and its championships are sponsored by Cuetec Cues, Aramith Billiard Balls, Valley Teflon Ultra cloth by Championship, and Valley Tables.