The Fast Eddie's Olhausen 9 Ball Tour sponsored by Schuler Legacy Cues held its fifth event of the year, April 30 and May 1st at the South Gulf Freeway location in Houston, TX.
As usual, the competition was fierce and sometimes surprising as 82 players in two divisions came to show how it's done.
Top picks, with no surprise, were Charlie 'Hillbilly' Bryant, Gabe Owen, David Gutierrez, Jeremy Jones, Sylver Ochoa, Robert Newkirk, Erman Bullard and Tommy Milburn.
Finishing 13-16th were Sonny Bosshamer, James Davis Jr., Travis Stamper and John Speelman.
Cashing in the 9-12th positions were Bill Fuller, Erman Bullard, Jeremy Jones and Aaron Salinas.
Settling for the 7-8th placements were Charles McKinley and Tommy Milburn. Both played well.
Doug Young and Scott Kephart filled the 5-6th positions. These talented straight shooters played very well.
Manny Guerra of San Antonio hasn't gotten out to the tournament scene for a while but has been playing a lot lately and it shows. As his weekend progressed, many were asking, 'Who is this guy'? Manny finished an impressive 4th place.
Kenny Greer of Austin captured 3rd place and performed solidly. Kenny's quiet demeanor enables him to slip around quietly and sometimes be overlooked. One had better be aware as the man can play.
Houston's Charlie 'Hillbilly' Bryant started his run with wins over Brian Rosenbaum, 9-1, Stan Fry, 9-5, Sylver Ochoa, 9-6, and Kenny Greer, 9-5. In the match with Manny Guerra, Manny held an 8-3 lead by forcing many errors when the wheel came off and the score was tied 8-8 with Hillbilly breaking and making 2 balls on the break. However, he was hooked on the 2 ball with the 3 and 7 creating a big pocket at the opposite corner. He pushed out to a kick and Manny took the bait. He mishit the 2 ball enabling Hillbilly to get out on the hill.
Gabe Owen, the current U. S. Open champion, is playing very well. He began with wins over Chris White, 9-2, James Davis Jr., 9-4, Charles McKinley, 9-2, and Doug Young, 9-1, before taking on Hillbilly for the hot seat.
During the match for the hot seat, both players seemed determined, as Hillbilly demanded center stage and Gabe seemed more focused on the cash. Gabe won, 9-6, sending Hillbilly to play Kenny Greer to get back to the finals. Hillbilly won 7-4 setting the stage for the finals.
Both players seemed a bit unsettled as there were unforced errors and a few daggers were flying between the players. Gabe missed fewer times and won by a score of 9-6.
A big thanks to Olhausen Billiards, Schuler Legacy Cues, Mystick Cues, Cue Sales & Service, Teodora's, Tommy Milburn, Fast Eddie's, Lucian (GM-Houston) and your staff for your support.
Complete Results:
1st Gabe Owen $3510
2nd Charlie Bryant $2400
3rd Kenny Greer $1650
4th Manny Guerra $1050
5th/6th Scott Kephart, Doug Young $540
7th/8th Charles McKinley, Tommy Milburn $330
9th/12th Erman Bullard, Bill Fuller, Aaron Salinas, Jeremy Jones $120
13th/16th Sonny Bosshamer, James Davis Jr., John Speelman, Travis Stamper $80
