Ken Lee and Peter Franco
The regional-tournament pool community is a kind of roller coaster ride, with attendance climbing to a peak and then, for different reasons at different times, plummeting to valleys that feature tournaments where six people show up to compete. What generally happens as the ‘ride’ levels off at a low-point and moves in the opposite direction is an influx of competitors who end up winning their first major tournaments. Case in point, Ken Lee, who returned to the tables this past weekend (May 6-7), after a 12-year absence from reporting any pool earnings whatsoever, and went undefeated to the winners’ circle at a $200-added, 34-entrant event on the Garden State Pool Tour.
Emerging from the lower of two Fargo Rate brackets at the start (525 and lower), Lee ousted Peter Franco (from the 626-675 upper bracket) twice to claim the title. The event was hosted by Players Billiards in Eatontown, NJ.
The brackets remained separated as the event progressed until there were only two competitors left in each; one from each side of the two brackets, leading to a ‘final four’ showdown.
Lee earned his slot among that final four by defeating Scott Herrin 7-3, Darryl Abernathy 7-3, Jennifer Pedutem 7-2 and Shonda Evans 7-3, leaving him as the last man standing from the winners’ side of the lower bracket. Mike Strassberg, who ended up as the lower bracket’s candidate from the loss side, had been sent over by Evans and engaged in a five-match, loss-side streak that concluded with a 5-1 victory in his rematch against Evans and his advancement to the final four.
From the lofty peaks of the upper bracket, Peter Franco gave up two racks each to Luis Jimenez, Sergio Abruzzesse and Santios Carpio before downing Henry Hernandez 5-4 (Hernandez racing to 6) to earn his final-four spot. Levie Lampaan, in the meantime, won his first three matches, including a second-round victory over TJ Casper (6-1), before being shut out by Hernandez. Lampaan opened his loss-side trip with a second 6-1 victory over Casper, defeated Naldo Troncoso 5-2 joined the final four with a double-hill (5-4) win over Hernandez.
Voila! A Final Four, which opened their round of the proceedings by pitting Lee against Franco, Strassberg vs. Lampaan. Lee defeated Franco for the first time 5-4 (Franco racing to 6). Lampaan defeated Strassberg 8-3; double hill, Strassberg racing to 4.
Battling to determine who’d face Lee in the finals, Franco and Lampaan met up in the event semifinals. Franco won it 6-3 and turned for a second and if necessary, third shot against Lee in the true double elimination format. It took just a single set, Lee winning it 5-2 to claim his first (recorded) event title.
Tour director Dave Fitzpatrick thanked the ownership and staff at Players Billiards for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Outsville, Billiard Engineering, JFlowers Cues and Cases, Kamui Tips, INtheBX Sportswear, Off The Rail Apparel and John Bender Custom Cues. The next stop on the Garden State Pool Tour, scheduled for this weekend (May 13-14) at Breakers Billiards in Clifton, NJ.
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