Deanna Foster, Tournament Assistant Sabra Beahn and Chris Fields
With all but two of the top 10 players in tour standings on hand for the season finale of the Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour on Saturday, November 13, it was something of a surprise to see Deanna Foster, ranked at #17 when the event began, go undefeated and take home the first place prize. The $1,000-added event drew 20 entrants to Stroker's Billiards in Palm Harbor, FL.
By the time the winners' side bracket had narrowed to four players, only two of the top-10-ranked players were among them; Kelly Cavanaugh (#3) and Chris Fields (#8). Foster drew Cavanaugh and Fields picked up #19-ranked Christine Brenner. Fields sent Brenner to the 5/6 matches 6-2, as Foster survived a double hill match versus Cavanaugh. Foster cruised into the hot seat with a 5-1 and waited for Fields return.
Over on the one-loss side, where top-ranked Niki Rasmussen had already been eliminated, Jamie Toennies (#10), following two straight, double hill victories over tour director Stephanie Mitchell (#4) and Jessica Barnes (#2) awaited Cavanaugh. Brenner drew a relatively unknown Christine Morlan, who, after sending Rasmussen to the one-loss side in the second round, and was herself sent west by Foster, went on a run that eventually propelled her into the semifinals. She'd defeated Valerie Dukich (#9) 5-2 in the first of the money rounds and Stacey Lantz (#37) to reach Brenner. A 5-3 win for Cavanaugh over Toennies and a shutout by Morlan over Brenner led to the quarterfinals, which Morlan won 5-3 to complete an impressive, one-loss side run.
Morlan's run ended with a 5-2 victory for Fields in the semifinals. Foster then took the only set necessary in a true double elimination final, winning 5-3, to complete an undefeated day and in the final day of the tour season, move into the 9th slot among the tour's top 10 players for the year.
