Kim Housman, Kaylee McIntosh, Jeannie Seaver and Stephanie Mitchell
Last year was Kaylee McIntosh’s best (recorded) earnings year since she first appeared in the AZ Billiards database in 2017. What she earned in 2022 was the result of appearing in a number of events (11) in which she was enough of a factor to earn a payout. She did not, however, win any of those events. On Saturday, March 25, she went undefeated on the Tiger Florida Tour’s third 2023 stop, posting her second victory on the 2023 tour (she won the season opener) and before that, since October of 2021, when she came from the loss side to win the 13th Annual “Cues for the Cure” event to raise money on behalf of breast cancer awareness. The $1,000-added March 25 event drew 21 entrants to Brewlands North in Lakeland, FL.
Employing an increasingly popular format (modified double elimination), which advances competitors to a single-elimination phase, McIntosh moved through the winners’ side, downing Danielle Fee 7-1, Nicolle Cuellar 7-4 and survived a double hill match against her mother, Debbie McIntosh to arrive at what would normally have been a winners’ side semifinal against Stephanie Mitchell. The modified format turned it into a final qualifying round for advancement to single elimination from the winners’ side.
Jeannie Seaver, in the meantime, got by Jillian Harris 7-1, her sister, Vanessa 7-2, and Shanelle Lorraine 7-2 to draw Kim Housman in the other qualifying round for advancement. Seaver defeated Housman 7-1, while McIntosh won the first of her two against Mitchell 7-4.
On the loss side, Helene Caukin and Marge Soash were maneuvering themselves into position to become one of the single-elimination’s final four. Caukin had been sent to the loss side by Debbie McIntosh and then eliminated Emily Chang 5-2, and both Gia Fiore and Shanelle Lorraine 5-3, to pick up Barnes. Soash, who’d been sent over by Mitchell, battled to double hill against Fee to draw Miranda Orange.
Caukin and Barnes got into a double hill battle which eventually advanced Caukin, while Soash was busy eliminating Orange 5-3. Mitchell joined the loss side and defeated Caukin 5-0, while Housman defeated Soash, double hill.
Now, what would, in a double elimination bracket, be the hot seat match and quarterfinals became the single elimination semifinals and finals. McIntosh downed Housman 7-4, advancing to the finals, while by the same score, Mitchell defeated Seaver to join McIntosh in their rematch.
Given the drama of double hill matches and competitors bouncing from the loss side to a semifinal, the title match was somewhat anti-climactic. McIntosh claimed the title 7-3 over Mitchell.
Tour director Mimi McAndrews thanked the ownership and staff at Brewlands North for their hospitality, along with title sponsor Tiger Products. The next stop on the Tiger Florida Tour, which has had to be changed due to a conflicting WPBA event, will be announced on the tour’s Facebook page soon.
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