Loretta Lindgren and Teresa Garland
Loretta Lindgren came out firing at this past weekend’s Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Tour 9-ball Event held May 16th at Ariana’s in Houston, Texas. Lindgren fought her way through a distinguished field of 26 women to capture her first-ever, regional tour victory. Ariana’s, along with tour sponsors Delta-13 Rack www.delta-13.com, and the APA of North Harris County www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty, facilitated another successful event for the ladies of the Gulf Coast Tour, with 26 players in attendance competing for over $1,000 in prize money! In business for over 33 years, the former "Rose Country Club", newly reopened and renamed, "Ariana's", added a generous $500 to the event, and owners Minh and Bill Hammond couldn’t have been more pleased with the turnout. Rose Country Club was leased for a period of time when the couple felt they were ready to retire from the bar business, but retirement didn't last long! Following the lease period, the old Rose Country was closed for a brief time for cleaning and repairs and debuted earlier this year as the all-new, "Ariana's", once again under the direction of the Hammond’s.
On May 16th, 2015, Loretta Lindgren claimed the third stop on this year’s Gulf Coast Tour. Lindgren captured wins over Terri Resendez, 7-3, Diana Cardona, 7-4, Ricki Casper, 7-4, and Liz Mitchel, 7-0, while “Texas Heat” Kim Pierce also made her way through the winners’ side, besting Sara Bork, Jo Losoya, Teresa Garland, 7-5, and Tam Trinh, 7-3. In the hot seat match, Lindgren stole the show, defeating Pierce, 7-3. In the final 8 on the one loss side, it was Casper over Crystal Young, and Esparza over Vasquez, 7-6. Toni Esteves eliminated Bork, 7-4, and it was Garland over Francis Marron by the same score. Casper went on to oust Esparza and Trinh, 7-2, 7-3, while Garland made quick work of Esteves and Mitchel, 7-1, 7-2. Garland overcome Casper, 7-5, and took her revenge on Pierce, 7-2. The finals were a fight to the bitter end. Directly off a four-game winning streak, Garland came out of the gate firing. Her aggressiveness proved difficult for Lindgren the first set, and following a couple of unforced errors, Garland seized the set, 7-5. In overtime, Lindgren found her composition, and even though it was a tight race, she pulled ahead to win the second set of the true, double elimination final, 7-4.
Gulf Coast Tour Director, Kimberly Newsome, was pleased with the turnout. “Our numbers are steadily increasing on the Gulf Coast Tour which is conducive to bigger payouts for our one-day events. In order to grow, we’re fielding brand new players which will enhance our tour, and boost the profile of women’s professional billiards. There is strength in numbers and cohesiveness, and I believe that’s why the Women’s Professional Billiard Association will celebrate its 40th Anniversary in 2016.” The Gulf Coast Tour is one of (13) WPBA Regional Tours across the U.S. For information on producing a regional tour in your area, contact Christy Birk/WPBA, office1@wpba.com.
Players, friends, and fans, please note, the June 20th Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Tour Event has been rescheduled for September 12TH-13TH at Bogies Billiards (3040 FM 1960 E) due to a conflict with the OB Cues Ladies Tour. This will be a very special event where $1,000 will be added to the prize fund, and it will be the Gulf Coast’s first $1,000 added, 2-day event. It will be 10-ball, professional rules, played on 8’ tables. A separate press release on this new development is forthcoming.
The next Gulf Coast Tour 9-Ball Event will be held at Skinny Bob’s Billiards in Round Rock, Texas, on Sunday, August 23rd. This event will be $500 added based on 32 players, and played on 9’ tables. For more information about the Gulf Coast Tour, please visit www.wpba.com or “Like” us at Facebook/GulfCoastTour.
