When the former APA Amateur Champion, Amy Chen, got underway on Saturday, July 13 at a stop on the Flamingo Tour, it looked as though it was going to be a short day for her. She faced Jeannie Seaver and failed to score a single rack. She came back on the loss side to win three in a row, and then, after a redraw, won three more to claim the event title. The $250-added event drew 27 entrants to Wally's Pool Hall in Lakeland, FL.
The Flamingo Tour uses a double elimination format until there are four left on each side of the bracket. In the last of the double elimination matches on the winners' side, Vanessa Seaver defeated Darlene Petrovit 7-1, Cassidy Mulligan downed Sue Roberts 7-2, while Robin Boggs and Jeannie Seaver (Vanessa's sister) sent Samantha Kikuchi and Crystal McCormick west, double hill.
On the loss side, Chen, after an initial bye, had gone on to defeat Cassandra Harmon and Shanelle Loraine, by a combined score of 10-1 (Harmon, winning the single rack). This set Chen up for a match against Kikuchi. Petrovit picked up Lawless, Roberts drew Jessica Barnes, and McCormick faced Chris Fields. Lawless and Chen survived double hill matches against Petrovit, and Kikuchi (who was appearing on the Flamingo Tour for the first time). McCormick downed Fields 5-3, and Barnes eliminated Roberts 5-2.
With a redraw at this point, the quarterfinal matches were set; Vanessa Seaver played against Lawless, Chen took on Mulligan, Jeannie Seaver faced McCormick, and Barnes squared off against Boggs. Chen and Lawless went double hill, before prevailing over Mulligan and Vanessa Seaver, while Jeannie Seaver defeated McCormick 7-4 and Barnes ended Boggs' day 7-3.
Chen won her third straight double hill match (this time, against Lawless) and earned her spot in the finals. She was joined by Barnes, who'd survived a double hill match against Jeannie Seaver.
Chen's return to form reached its peak in the finals, when she didn't give up a single rack against Barnes.
"When she (Chen) got into the quarterfinals, she really got into gear," said tour director Mimi McAndrews. "In the finals, Jessica was missing shots, and Amy was just in that gear."
McAndrews thanked the ownership and staff at Wally's (owner, Jim and manager, Larry), as well as staffers, Letha Needham and Erikka Halbert, who was also the recipient of a $50 prize for being the highest finisher from the host location, which entered some women into the tournament that had never played on the tour before. McAndrews also thanked sponsors Martz Cues, Boynton Billiards, and Z9 Billiard Cloth.
