Josh Kondo
You just never know with pool, do you? All the experience in the world can come up against virtually none at all and lose. And did, over this past holiday weekend when Griff’s held its 6th Annual Turkey Shootout in Las Vegas.
Josh Kondo has two recorded cash payouts on his AZBilliards database/resumé, both in Vegas and both in February over the past two years; 9th in the Andy Mercer Memorial in 2022 and 13th at the Swanee Memorial this past February. That was the beginning, middle and ongoing Kondo pool story until this past weekend (Nov. 25-26), when he signed on for the $1,000-added Turkey Shootout that drew 52 entrants to Griff’s. Kondo came from the loss side to double-dip hot seat occupant Ian Costello and claim the event title.
Kondo made it to the hot seat match before running into Costello, whose AZBilliards database/resumé goes all the way back to the creation of AZBilliards; 1998, one quarter of a century ago, to be precise, when he finished 4th at stop #26 on the BCA All American Tour. Five years later, Costello had his best recorded earnings year, cashing in 16 events, 12 of them on the Joss Tour, including a third-place finish in which he defeated Mike Zuglan in the quarterfinals. A regular at both the Andy Mercer and Swanee Memorials over the years, Costello finished 7th at the Griff’s 2021 Turkey Shootout.
Kondo and Costello had similar race-to-6 trips to the hot seat match. Costello gave up 10 racks over 40 games in five matches (75% game-winning percentage). Kondo did just a little better, winning all but nine of his 39 games in five matches (77%). Kondo sent Simon Lee, Ma Loures Deterala and Kevin O’Leary to the loss side, all 6-1, before Orlando Gonzaga chalked up four against him in a winners’ side quarterfinal. Kondo advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Jeff Whitehead. Costello started his trip to the hot seat match with a 6-4 win over Jason Pader and followed that with a shutout over Joseph Crugnale. Another 6-1 victory, over Carlos Baston, and a 6-3 winners’ side quarterfinal win over Ronnie Wiseman (1) put Costello into a winners’ side semifinal against James Johnson.
Costello sent Johnson over, Kondo sent Whitehead over, both 6-2. In their first of three, Costello flashed his ‘experience’ card and gave up just a single rack to Kondo and claimed the hot seat.
Lurking on the loss side was another Class of 1998 competitor, Ronnie Wiseman, who, a week earlier at Griff’s, finished 4th behind Evan Lunda, Billy Thorpe and Tony Chohan in the US Open One Pocket Championships. Wiseman had followed his winners’ side quarterfinal loss to Costello with victories over Shane Holmquist 5-3 and Rick Glasscock 5-1 to pick up Whitehead, coming over from the winners’ side semifinal. Johnson drew Tommy Baker, who’d lost his winners’ side quarterfinal to Whitehead, downed Ray Filiano 5-2 and shut out Orlando Gonzaga to reach Johnson.
Baker was denied the opportunity for a rematch versus Whitehead when Johnson defeated Baker 5-1. Whitehead didn’t make it to the quarterfinals either. Wiseman eliminated him 5-3.
Wiseman was getting up a head of steam moving into the quarterfinals, which ended at about the same time as the hot seat match did. As Josh Kondo moved over to the semifinals, he was no doubt mindful of the fact that Wiseman came to the match on the heels of a quarterfinal shutout over Johnson. It didn’t appear to phase him in the least. Kondo took the semifinal match 5-1 over Wiseman and turned his attention to Costello, in the hot seat, awaiting his arrival.
On the Costello side of the ledger going into the finals were 25 years of experience and a previous victory over his finals opponent in which he’d given up only a single rack. On the Kondo side was a developing sense of confidence that had driven him through the field and into the hot seat match in the first place and then stayed with him through the loss and the almost-immediately-afterwards dominating semifinal performance against Wiseman.
Condo took the opening set 6-2, adding more confidence weight to his side of the ledger and a touch of strong determination to Costello’s side. In a second set with a reduced race to 5, Costello’s determination helped it become a closer contest. They got within a game of double hill before Kondo pulled out ahead to win the second set 5-3 and claim title to Griff’s 6th Annual Turkey Shoot.
In addition to the 12 competitors who cashed in the event, three other competitors were awarded $100 for being the top finisher in three categories. Thirteen-year-old Savannah Easton won the prize as the Top Female (13th). Ray Filiano picked up the award for top finisher with a Fargo Rate between 500-599 (9th/12th), while Ron Chunpinsky won as the top finisher (17th) with a Fargo Rate of 499 or under.
Tour director and head of Kovacs Pool Productions, Tim Kovacs thanked Brandon Burch and his Griff’s staff for their hospitality, along with sponsors Biggelbachs.com (Carissa and Steve for the cue donation to the raffle, won by Todd Fielitz), JB.Cases.com, Table 34 Restaurant, Hustlin’ USA Clothing, Joe’s Cue Repair, Golden State Billiards and Outsville Accu-Rack.
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