by Lea Andrews

Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer, who last won the Carolina Open in 2004, reclaimed his throne by making an undefeated run through a strong field. The $1,800-added 10-ball event, held October 8-10, drew 28 players to Fast Eddie’s Sports Bar in Goldsboro, NC.

Archer took down Cliff Joyner 9-3 to meet Shawn “Big Bubba” Putnam in the hot seat match. Putnam had been the man to beat since arriving in Goldsboro after topping the Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour season finale, the Carolina Open warm-up 9-ball event, and the main one pocket event. Putnam, who’d just blown through Dave Grau 9-1, got that score flipped on him against Archer, and he moved west to try to fight his way back.

On the left side of the bracket, Adam Pendley, who’d fallen to Archer 9-4 in the first round, continued steadily through the field. After Keith Bennett forfeited to him for medical reasons, Pendley moved on to Cary Dunn, who’d just put Earl Strickland in ninth 9-7. Holding Dunn to five games, Pendley moved on to Grau. Meanwhile, Michael Fuller was making his own move, getting by Jeff Abernathy 9-5 to face Larry “The Truth” Nevel, who’d just ousted Shane Winters 9-6. Managing just three games against, Nevel landed in seventh, while Fuller moved on to Joyner. Getting past Grau 9-7 and Joyner 9-4, Pendley and Fuller met up in the quarterfinals. There, it was Pendley who came out on top 9-4 to face Putnam in the semifinals, where he held Putnam to five games to earn his spot in the finals.

Archer, who last won the Carolina Open in 2004, reclaimed his throne by making an undefeated run through a strong field.

In the final match, a single race to 15, Archer got out to an early 6-1 lead. But when Archer missed the 7 ball in the eighth rack, Pendley began making a move, coming out on top of a few safety battles in the next few games to pull within one of Archer 6-5. From there it was a dogfight, with the players trading racks until the score seesawed to 12-11 in Archer’s favor. Two key errors by Pendley put Archer on the hill, and in the final rack, Archer played safe after the break. Though he was left with a jump shot, Pendley hit it but didn’t make it, leaving “The Scorpion” to negotiate what was left on the table to become a two-time Carolina Open winner.

Results:
1st Johnny Archer $1,800
2nd Adam Pendley $1,000
3rd Shawn Putnam $500
4th Michael Fuller $300
5th Dave Grau $100
Cliff Joyner
7th Larry Nevel $50
Cary Dunn

by Lea Andrews

A late bid from Donna Bendiksen didn’t keep New England powerhouse Stacie Bourbeau from claiming the cash at the Maine State Ladies’ 9-Ball Championship. The $110-added event drew 13 ladies to TJ’s Classic Billiards in Waterville, ME.

After blowing by Pauline McGrath 7-0, Bourbeau met Bendiksen for the first time in the hot seat match. Bendiksen, who’d just breezed by Pauline Ostro 7-2, managed five games against Borbeau and moved west to vie for the rematch.

On the left side of the bracket, Taylor Reynolds was trying to carve her own path to the finals, getting by Patty Jackson 5-2 and Monica McMahan 5-3 before meeting up with McGrath. Meanwhile, tournament director and room owner Amanda Judkins notched wins over Jessica Hartwick 5-2 and Sandy Mizda 5-3 to meet up with Ostro. When Reynolds put McGrath in fifth 5-3 and Ostro did the same to Judkins 5-4, the quarterfinal match was set up, and it was Reynolds who earned the spot in the semifinals 5-3. Against Bendiksen, though, Reynolds managed only three games, giving Bendiksen her rematch with Bourbeau.

A late bid from Donna Bendiksen didn’t keep New England powerhouse Stacie Bourbeau from claiming the cash at the Maine State Ladies’ 9-Ball Championship.

In the first set of the true double-elimination final match, Bendiksen gave Bourbeau very few chances, storming ahead and staying there to push the second set 7-4. In the second set, though, it was Bourbeau who took control and didn’t let up, earning first with a quick and efficient 5-1 win.

Results:
1st Stacie Bourbeau $350
2nd Donna Bendiksen $225
3rd Taylor Reynolds $130
4th Pauline Ostro $55

by Tim Dunkley

Reanne Evans has extended her remarkable unbeaten run on the women’s snooker circuit to 46 matches with victory in the East Anglian Championship.

A 3-0 win over Portsmouth ’s Emma Bonney in the final at Cambridge Snooker Centre on Saturday, October 10, wrapped up the 23-year-old’s 19th World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association (WLBSA) ranking title.

Reanne Evans has extended her remarkable unbeaten run on the women’s snooker circuit to 46 matches with victory in the East Anglian Championship.

The defending champion, who did not drop a frame all day, compiled a 51 in a 3-0 victory against Newcastle’s Pam Wood and eased past world number four Katie Henrick, from Kent, by the same score in the semifinals.

Since a 3-2 defeat by Maria Catalano in the Connie Gough finals in Luton on March 1, 2008, Evans, from Dudley, has collected the winners’ trophy in the last ten WLBSA singles events she has entered with a record of 146 frames for and only 17 against.

Derby schoolgirl Hannah Jones defeated eight-time German national champion Natascha Niermann 2-1 in the Plate semifinals and outgunned world number five Eva Palmius 2-1 in the finals.

If—and it’s a big if—the three-time IBSF world champion and five-time WLBSA world champion can find a sponsor in time, she will be in Hyderabad, India, for the 2009 IBSF World Championships.

The East Anglian Championship was the second of six ranking events on the WLBSA 2009-2010 tour.

Derby schoolgirl Hannah Jones defeated eight-time German national champion Natascha Niermann 2-1 in the Plate semifinals and outgunned world number five Eva Palmius 2-1 in the finals.

The 13-year-old also picked up the junior title, accounting for Swindon ’s Jodie Symes, 15, 2-0 in the final.
Palmius, from Isleham, Cambs, defeated Eastbourne ’s Martina Lumsden 2-0 in the seniors’ final.

WLBSA provisional snooker rankings 2009/10:

by InsidePOOL Staff

Gary Murgia topped the 35-player field that came out to play October 10 on the Tri-State Tour, taking home first place over Steve Thomas. The tour was hosted by Comet Billiards in Parsippany, NJ, and offered a $500-added prize purse.

While Murgia eked out a 7-6 nail-biter over Jason Hunt to advance to the hot seat match, his opponent there, Thomas, cruised to a 6-3 win over Ted Lapadula. In the hot seat match, it was all Murgia, as he sent Thomas to the one-loss side of the chart 7-4.

Also on the west side, Hunt and Lapadula were soon sent packing, as Ben Sadowski ousted Hunt 7-5 and Emerson Verano took care of Lapadula 7-5. Verano and Sadowski then met up in the quarterfinal match, and it was a tight race, with Verano emerging the 7-6 victor.

Gary Murgia topped the 35-player field that came out to play October 10 on the Tri-State Tour, taking home first place over Steve Thomas.

Verano was soon given walking papers of his own, though, as he faced off against Thomas, who wanted his rematch with Murgia and won the close match against Verano 7-5. His momentum was stopped short in the finals, however, when a well-rested Murgia was able to claim the first-place prize 7-4.

Results:
1st Gary Murgia $700
2nd Steve Thomas $450
3rd Emerson Verano $270
4th Ben Sadowski $165
5th Ted Lapadula $100
Jason Hunt
7th Raj Vannala $75
Dave Fitzpatrick

by Lea Andrews

Shawn “Big Bubba” Putnam, who warmed up for the Carolina Open by running through the Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour season finale October 3-4, made a repeat performance in the one-pocket division of the 2009 Carolina Open October 7-8. The $600-added event brought a power-packed field of 12 to Fast Eddie’s Sports Bar in Goldsboro, NC.

Putnam suffered a bit of a setback on the winners’ side final four when he came up against Larry Price, who edged him out 3-2 to move onto the hot seat match. While Putnam went west, Price went up against Larry Nevel, who’d gotten past Cliff Joyner 3-2. Unable to mark up a single game, it was Price who moved to the other side.

On the one-loss side, Earl Strickland put Cary Dunn in seventh 3-1 to face Joyner, while Sam Monday did the same to Ray Vines 3-0 to face Putnam. Monday then found himself on the wrong side of another 3-0 set, while Strickland managed just one game against Joyner. In the quarterfinal match, Putnam got down 2-0 to Joyner but managed to make it 2-2. In the fifth game, Putnam got up 6-1, two balls away from victory, when his opponent began mounting a comeback. Joyner got the count in that rack to 7-6, but it was Putnam who closed it out 8-7 to take the set 3-2. In the semifinals, Putnam got his revenge against Price 3-1 to face Nevel in the finals, a single race to 3. The two were fairly even to start, knotting up at three games apiece, but Putnam notched up two in a row to earn the title.

Aside from the one-pocket event and the main 10-ball event, which is being held October 8-10, there were warm-up 9-ball and one pocket events. Again it was Putnam who came out undefeated at the top of the 9-ball event, which drew 27 players Monday. Putnam got past Dave Hunt 5-3 to meet Price in the hot seat match, who’d just edged out Dave Grau 5-4. Putnam’s strong 5-1 victory landed Price in the semifinals. On the one loss-side, TJ Moore notched a 5-0 win over Dustin Wiley and a 5-2 win over Marcos Candelaria to meet up with Grau, while Shane Winters got his own 5-0 win over Shawn Casey and 5-1 win over Larry Nevel to face Hunt. Moore and Winters fell 5-1 and 5-3, respectively, and earned $45 for fifth. Marking up only three games against Grau, Hunt landed in fourth with $75, while Grau moved on to plant Price in third 5-4, for which Price received $110. In the final set, a single race to 7, Grau managed to get to the hill but no further, taking home $175 while Putnam earned $300 for his big win.

Putnam, who warmed up for the Carolina Open by running through the Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour season finale October 3-4, made a repeat performance in the one-pocket division of the 2009 Carolina Open October 7-8.

One-Pocket Results:
1st Shawn Putnam $850
2nd Larry Nevel $450
3rd Larry Price $200

The Carolina Billiard Tour has secured it’s first new title sponsor since hosting its inaugural event in August 2009. KwikFire Inc., owned/operated by Kelly Fisher and Val Finnie, have teamed up with CBT Promotions, LLC, owned/operated by Kristi Carter and Kim Shaw, to form a viable partnership that will promote WPBA regional tour events in the NC, SC, and GA regions.

The new tour will be titled the KwikFire Tour. Kelly Fisher and Val Finnie are excited to showcase their custom cue line alongside, arguably, the toughest of the WPBA regional tours and the timing couldn’t be better with the recent launch of their website www.kwikfireinc.com.

Kim Shaw agrees, “It makes perfect sense to join forces with Kwikfire – Not only do they supply a great custom-made cue, but both players represent the highest quality in women’s billiards, and KwikFire already sponsors six players on the WPBA tour and two juniors, known as the ‘Kwikfire Kidz’.”

The Carolina Billiard Tour has secured it's first new title sponsor since hosting its inaugural event in August 2009.

The next KwikFire Tour event will be $2,400 added 9-Ball tournament held at the Silver Dollar Saloon in Rock Hill, SC on October 24 – 25th, 2009.

Email Kristi M. Carter for event details.
CBT Promotions, LLC
Kristi M. Carter & Kim Shaw, Co-Owners
PO Box 77202, Charlotte NC 28271
Bus: (704) 780-1536 / kcarter@carolinabilliardtour.com

KwikFire, Inc.
Kelly Fisher & Val Finnie, Co-Owners
www.kwikfireinc.com

Matchroom Sport can announce that Alex Lely of Holland is returning in his role as captain of the European team for the forthcoming PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup which takes place at the MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada from December 10 – 13.

The Flying Dutchman took over the role for the first time in Malta last year when he guided his team to a record-breaking 11-5 victory over their American opponents.

“I knew I was in a good position to be honored with the captaincy for this year’s event and I’m delighted that it is now official!” said Lely.

“There are still two months to go, but the vibes are already there. Also in Camp USA, on the forums that is, you can discern some strong American discomfort with the actual balance of power in the Mosconi Cup, but that is a good thing.

“The Mosconi Cup is like the Olympics of pool, where the elite players of two continents battle for a year’s reign. I say let things heat up, let there be big crowds for Team USA, let there be European pool hooligans, let it be the toughest battle in the history of the Cup!”

Lely will be the captain of the European team at the Mosconi Cup.

Lely, 35, no longer plays but through the late 90’s he established himself one of Europe’s top tournament players.

He took three Euro Tour titles and in 1999 he achieved a career-best victory when he won the World Pool Masters title which included wins against Francisco Bustamante and Kunihiko Takahashi, and an epic win in the championship match against Efren Reyes.

He has played twice himself in the Mosconi Cup and both times he was on the losing side; firstly in 1999 at the York Hall in London, and then again in 2006 in at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Lely is highly knowledgeable, a shrewd tactician and possessor of great motivational skills but was happy to let his players take the plaudits. In fact he modestly explained away his success last year; “They’re a machine, all I had to do was push the button, make the sandwiches and rack the balls.”

This year, three of his five man team have been named and they are Niels Feijen (Holland), Germany’s Ralf Souquet and Darren Appleton of England.

“The players of Team Europe have worked hard for years to acquire their status. As for the status quo and its extension, they will be prepared and be able to dig very deep when the heat is on.

“Souquet and Feijen are just the core of any European team. They are the values of European Pool personified; professional and disciplined, headstrong and technically sound. Appleton will make his debut and is sure to stand tall in the limelight. His all-round game and temperament will be a valuable addition to the European gang.”

Live in its entirety on Sky Sports in the UK, the event features two five-man teams representing Europe and the USA doing battle in a series of singles and doubles matches. Now in its 16th year, the Americans hold a 10-5 lead with one tied match in 2006.

The remaining two European players will be named in October, while the members of the Team America will be named over the coming weeks and then at the conclusion of the US Open at the end of October as well as a public vote.

Tickets for the Mosconi Cup are available from:

http://www.ticketmaster.com/2009-Mosconi-Cup-tickets/artist/1334375

Or 1-800 745 300 or from the MGM Grand on 1-800 929 1111 or 702 891 7777.

Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@matchroom.com, +44 7785 395688

www.matchroompool.com

Notes: Matchroom Sport are one of the world’s leading producers of televised sport and are responsible for over 1,100 hours of original programming across a range of nine sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, the Mosconi Cup is one of a stable of pool events that also includes the World Cup of Pool and the World Pool Masters.

In a move to bring even more diversity of viewpoints to related issues, American CueSports Alliance (ACS) President Cecil Messer has appointed the ACS Instructor/Coach Committee for 2009-2010 to be fielded by a larger cross-section of ACS instructors from varied backgrounds, experiences and teaching skill levels with a goal to increase the services the ACS Instructor/Coach Program can offer its members, students of the sport and the sport itself. The ACS has always prided itself on offering instructor certification at reasonable standards for those individuals who desire to impart their knowledge of the sport to others. ACS Level 4 Instructor/Coach Tom Simpson will again chair this group that shares the views of some of the country’s top professional billiard instructors with those of all other levels to gain a unique perspective towards bettering the overall program. If interested in finding an ACS instructor in your area or pursuing instructor certification for yourself, contact the ACS at coach@americancuesports.org.

American CueSports Alliance (ACS) President Cecil Messer has appointed the ACS Instructor/Coach Committee for 2009-2010 to be fielded by a larger cross-section of ACS instructors.

ACS Instructor/Coach Committee:

Tom Simpson (OH) – Chairman

James Auger (TN)

James Bogner II (CO)

James Bogner Sr. (CO)

Jerry Briesath (WI)

David Calleja (WI)

Mike Fieldhammer (MN)

Mark Finkelstein (NY)

Rod Gustafson (TX)

Howard Kennedy (CA)

Don Lutz (FL)

Joseph Mejia (CA)

Cecil Messer (IN)

Tom Riccobene (NM)

KJ Williams (IL)

John Lewis (staff liaison)

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 and North America.

by Lea Andrews

Michell Monk, who came out on top against Helene Caukin in the finals of the inaugural Flamingo Billiards Tour event, found herself in familiar territory against a familiar opponent at the second stop. Monk was among the field of 16 ladies who gathered for the $250-added event at Amy’s Billiards in Stuart, FL.

Monk and Caukin first met up in round one, with Monk moving forward in the winners’ bracket while Caukin made her way through the left side. Later, after a redraw going into single elimination, four ladies from the one-loss side met up with four undefeated ladies. Niki Rasmussen, who’d just edged out Emily Wilmoth 7-6, faced Monk, while Christine Nevins, who’d gotten past Cassidy Mulligan 7-5, faced Jeannie Seaver. Robin Boggs, playing in her first tournament following a three-year hiatus, met up with room owner Amy Poulter after breezing past Christie Cloke 7-1 on the left, and Caukin blew by Sabra MacArthur-Beahn to meet Tracy McCreary.

Putting Rasmussen into the four-way tie for fifth 7-1, Monk moved on to Seaver, who’d done the same to Nevins 7-2. Meanwhile, Boggs held Poulter to four games to face Caukin, who’d held McCreary to just three games. Monk and Seaver, the only undefeated players left, battled it out to hill-hill, and with a very strong 7-1 win over Boggs, Caukin joined Monk in the finals once again with the same outcome. After the score tied up at two games apiece, Monk moved ahead steadily, reaching the hill 6-2. Caukin took the next game to make it 6-3, and in the alternate-break format, Monk dropped the 6 and the 7 on the break in the final rack and played safe on the 1. When Caukin couldn’t get to the 1, Monk took ball in hand to run to a 4-9 combination, which she pocketed to remain the only winner on the Flamingo Tour.

Michell Monk, who came out on top against Helene Caukin in the finals of the inaugural Flamingo Billiards Tour event, found herself in familiar territory against a familiar opponent at the second stop.

Results:
1st Michell Monk $365
2nd Helene Caukin $225
3rd Robin Boggs $100
Jeannie Seaver
5th Amy Poulter $65
Niki Rasmussen
Tracy McCreary
Christine Nevins

There’s no shortage of young talent right now in Normal, IL, as nearly 100 junior players from across the country are gathered in the Bone Student Center at Illinois State University for the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) 21st Annual Junior Nationals. The event, which runs July 23-26, is being run by BEF Executive Director and WPBA player Laura Smith, along with her fellow WPBA player and BEF Program Development Director Dawn Hopkins.

Several of the 46 players in the 19-and-under Boys Division posted strong first round wins, a couple of which were shutouts. Michael Rudd of Knoxville, TN, blew past Michael Stowe of Oakforest, IL, 9-0, while Matthew “Dillon” Whaley of Beulaville, NC, did the same to Bryan Walters of Knoxville, TN. Also advancing with strong wins are Greensburg, KY’s two-time Junior Nationals 14-and-under Champion Landon Shuffett, who sent Rowlett, TX’s Trey McMullen west 9-1, and Springfield, OH’s Luke Cason, who won 9-1 over Gerald Gale of Albuquerque, NM.

The 32-entrant 14-and-under Boys Division also had more than its fair share first-round shutouts: Zach Leonard (Lexington, NC) over James Cremens, III (Ayer, MA), Brendan Crockett (Bell Canyon, CA) over Gabe Grissom (Wilmington, NC), Bryce Lepak (Winter Springs, FL) over Logan Leidecker (Salem, KY), Landon Cason (Springfield, OH) over Hunter Bartlett (Traverse City, MI), Cole Weikert (Salem, OH) over Jake Wright (Albuquerque, NM), and Jackson “Smoky” Jeffreys (Raleigh, NC) over Drew Clark (Massillion, OH). Following up last weekend’s Tri-State Tour win with a first round Junior Nationals win is Dover, NJ’s Jonathan Castillo, who sent Gallup, NM’s Sheldon Barber to the left side of the bracket 7-5.

There’s no shortage of young talent right now in Normal, IL, as nearly 100 junior players from across the country are gathered in the Bone Student Center at Illinois State University for the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) 21st Annual Junior Nationals.

Girls 19 and Under tournament brackets

Boy’s 14 and Under tournament brackets

Boy’s 19 and Under tournament brackets

2009 BEF Junior National Players List

In the 12-entrant 19-and-under Girls Division, Centerville, OH’s Liz Lovely, who performed well in this month’s inaugural WPBA Satellite Tour’s event, opened up with a 7-0 win over Carol Davis of Morehead City, NC. Nicole Jaynes of Albuquerque, NM, also shut out her opponent, Tiffany Leonard of Richlands, NC. Meanwhile, Evansville, IN’s Chelsea Hardwick, who knocked out pros Tiffany Nelson-Crain and Sarah Rousey at the Satellite Tour event, posted a 7-1 win over Caitlyn Shuping of Richardson, TX.
The two girls in the 14-and-under division, Briana Miller of Allentown, PA, and Taylor Reynolds of Waterville, ME, will play three races to seven over Saturday and Sunday.