In 2014, in Phoenix, AZ, China's Jia Li defeated Janet Atwell to become the WPBA's Regional Tour Champion for the first time. In 2015, in Herndon, VA, it was Betty Lea who played runner-up to Li's second championship. On the weekend of January 7-10, 2016 at Zingale's in Tallahassee, FL, it was Christy Dickerson, who, though she would defeat Li to claim the hot seat, fell in the finals to hand Li her third straight RTC title.
The $11,000 prize fund drew a full field of 64 entrants, drawn from 13 regional tours around the country; roughly, five from each region, with some over-under exceptions. Eight round robin brackets, yielding four winners per bracket, cut the field in half, into a double elimination bracket of 32.
Through 25 winners' side games in the opening three rounds, Jia Li gave up only four racks, and three of those to her opening round opponent, Kim Pierce. Dickerson came to the winners' side semifinals, having carved a somewhat more arduous path - 35 games, with an aggregate score of 21-14. The two faced each other, while teenager Taylor Hansen (31 games, 21-10, including a 7-2 win over Belinda Calhoun) and Gail Eaton (32 games, 21-11) met up in the other winners' side semifinal.
Eaton sent the youngster Hansen to the loss side 7-3, as Li and Dickerson, in their first meeting, fought to double hill. Dickerson prevailed, claiming the hot seat as Eaton headed for the semifinals.
Over on the loss side, Stephanie Mitchell, who hadn't competed in an RTC since she bought Corner Pockets in Largo, FL in 2010, was working on a modest loss-side streak that began when Dickerson had defeated her 7-3 in a winners' side quarterfinal. Mitchell's opening loss-side victory over Nicole Albergaria was her toughest, coming down to a single game. She then downed Michell Monk 7-1 to pick up Hanson. Jia Li, in the meantime, was hooking up with Jeannie Seaver, who'd eliminated Calhoun 7-5 and given up only a single rack to Roe Guanero.
Hansen ended Mitchell's weekend 7-2, as Li was busy with a double hill match that she eventually won over Seaver. Li then downed Hansen 7-3 in the quarterfinals, and spoiled Eaton's chances at a re-match against Dickerson, with a 7-3 victory in the semifinals.
Li chalked up her third straight RTC title with a single set 9-3 win in the finals.
