Gabe Owen, who was ranked #10 on our Money Leaderboard in 2008, came to the Midwest 9-Ball Tour's three events on the weekend of February 20-23, ranked at #362 (at the end of 2013). He chalked up his first major victory since winning the Houston Open in 2010 with a come-from-the-loss-side victory in the $1,000-added One Pocket event, run in conjunction with a 9-ball Open and 9-Ball Ladies tournament (separate story), which drew 31 entrants to Shooter's in Olathe, KS.
Owen was among the winners' side final four in the event, when he ran into John Gabriel. Bruce Bellington squared off against Joey Gray in the other winners' side semifinal. Gabriel sent Owen to the losers' bracket, as Bellington sent Gray over; both 3-2. Gabriel got into the hot seat 3-2, as well.
On the loss side, Owen's three-match trip back to the finals began with Mark Haddad, who'd gotten by Shane McMinn 3-2, and Anthony Garcia 3-1. Gray drew Mark Jarvis, who'd defeated L.V. Abernathy and Tommy Tokoph, both 3-1. Owen defeated Haddad 3-2, as Gray was shutting out Jarvis.
Owen took the quarterfinal match 3-2 over Gray and then shut out Bruce Bellington for a shot at Gabriel in the hot seat. Owen reversed the results of his previous two matches by shutting Gabriel out in the opening set of the finals. Gabriel fought back to double hill in the second set, but Owen prevailed to claim the One-Pocket title.
