Playing out of Shooters Billiards in Olathe, Kansas, the Midwest 9-Ball Tour drew a full field of top guns to their latest event. This time around, the tour hosted a $1000 added one-pocket event and a $4000 total added bar table nine-ball open and ladies division.
The one-pocket division came to a close prior to the nine-ball matches and ultimately, Joey Gray from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma came out on top. Gray missed taking the hot-seat match due to play by Adam Smith of Detroit, Michigan 3-1; then was forced west to fend for himself on the one-loss side where he met Chip Compton in the semis (3-1) then proceeded into the finals where he was able to avenge his earlier loss to Smith. Gray took the first set 3-2, with the second being 3-1.
The ladies division kicked off with seventeen players and their portion of the added money which was $600. WPBA player Melissa Little ended up getting the best of the field with her win in the hot-seat over Wendy Kent 7-5, then in the finals over Julia Gabriel 7-1. Gabriel worked her way through the one-loss side to meet Kent in the semis, where she dominated the set 7-2 prior to her loss to Little.
The open division pulled a huge draw – ninety-four players came out to support the tour in all. With a field like that, to take the victory in the end, you work pretty darned hard and Beau Runningen did just that. Ultimately taking the hot-seat match over Chip Compton 9-8, he waited out the chance to snap off the tournament undefeated. Compton however, was not willing to let him just walk away with the win as he beat regional favorite Shane McMinn in the semis by the same tight score (9-8) to have another chance at Runningen in the finals. The finals proved to be a fight for Runningen as Compton snagged the first set 9-5, but the second set ended up going to the eventual champ – Runningen 9-4.
The tour has just added a couple of new events to its schedule as noted below – for more information visit the www.9balltour.com:
Magoo's Billiards
Tulsa, OK
November 1 - 2, 2008
918-663-3364
$2,500 added
Entry $60 (includes green fees)(entry deadline 11am Saturday)
Bar Table 9Ball Tournament (open/ladies divisions)
Shooters Billiards
Wichita, KS
November 28 - 30, 2008
316-262-0072
$2,000 added
Entry $50 (entry deadline 2pm Friday)
Bar Table 9Ball Tournament
Rated 3-12
Shooters Billiards
Olathe, KS
December 3 - 7, 2008
913-780-5740
$6,000 added
$1000 added One-pocket Tournament, Entry $100 (entry deadline 8pm Wednesday)
$5000 added Bar Table 10Ball Ring Tournament, Entry $3000 (entry deadline 11am Friday)
Results (one-pocket):
1st Joey Gray, Oklahoma City, OK $770
2nd Adam Smith, Detroit, MI $500
3rd Chip Compton, Oklahoma City, OK $375
4th Beau Runningen, Falcon Heights, MN $275
5th/6th Mark Haddad, Denver, CO/Danny Hill, Kansas City, KS $160 each
7th/8th Tony Zierman, Burnsville, MN/Danny Harriman, Lee's Summit, MO $100 each
Results (women's division):
1st Melissa Little $500
2nd Julie Gabriel $350
3rd Wendy Kent $240
4th Lisa Berc $105
Results (open division):
1st Beau Runningen $2100
2nd Chip Compton $1600
3rd Shane McMinn $900
4th Andy Quinn $600
5th/6th Daniel Neldner/Mike Banks, Jr. $300
7th/8th Adam Smith/Steve Rector $200
9th-12th David Matlock/Kurt Sabin/Darren Everett/Chuck Raulston $150
13th-16th Mark Haddad/Joey Gray/Tony Hilla/K.C. Massey $125
17th-24th Phil Tindrell/Mike Bennett/Chad Moore/Chris Patterson/David Jordan/Travis Gallup/Lupe Pena/Chad Vilmont $100
