To kick off its 2006 the KBP Central Florida Amateur 9-Ball Tour held its first event of the season on January 15, 2006 at Bankshots Billiards in Ocala, Florida with a field of 59 players. For a while there it looked like Richie Oren or Steve Foster would be in the battle for the hot seat but as competition goes so doe s a few changes with young gun Josh Lewis and John Tatum going for the hot seat match. The match up on the hot seat match had both players playing their hearts out but the biggest surprise was a fantastic 3-9 combo shot that neither player nor the spectators expected to go but that was the shot that cinched the match for Lewis at 7-6 making him King of the Hill.
To start the day off there were many surprises. Helene Caukin, one of the four women who entered the event sent Tim Daniel to the B Side in the first round. Once Daniel got on the B-side he began to really get into the game and put out players Justin Kelly, Rick Elliott, and Joe Turner. At this point it looked like Daniel was headed for a comeback but he met his match when he played against Steve Foster who took the match at 5-2.
Louis Altes after his win against Helene Caukin lost his 3rd match of the day to Richie Oren in a 7-1 match. Struggling on the losers side Altes sent Bryan Pinkley, Mike Moxley and Tony Vicari home but it was Steve Foster who was sent to the B-side by Doug Cruz that left Altes to 7th place. Foster's list of wins included other players like Art Rogers, Richard 'English Richard' Murray, Louis Altes, Richie Oren, Brett Lykins and John Tatum to put him coming back for the final match against Josh Lewis. Lewis had worked his way on the winner's side sending players Oren and Tatum to the B-side to match up with Foster.
The final race to 9 match was set to be a long one with Lewis coming through the winners bracket and Foster coming from the one loss side. Foster was set to make a come back but it was Lewis who forged ahead giving Foster a chance to get only one game and taking the win at 9-1.
1st Josh Lewis $600
2nd Steve Foster $450
3rd John Tatum $180
4th Brett Lykins $150
5th/6th Richie Oren, Travis Moore $100
7th/8th Louis Altes, Matt Bauries $60
9th/12th Richard Murray, Tony Vicari, Elvis Rodriguez, Douglas Cruz $40
Next stop is January 29, 2006 at Stroker's Billiards, 30901 US 19 N, Palm Harbor, Florida. KBP will also be presenting the 2006 Tiger Ladies Amateur Tour at Stroker's the day before on January 28, 2006.
