Zingales Billiards hosted the latest Poison Tour event with 75 players showing up over the weekend.

Saturday’s event would see some players dodging a few tornados with the weather conditions in Fl taking a turn for the worst. One man was making his own storm in the pool room would be Chad Royal.

Royal would cruise his way to the hotseat with strong wins over Clint Nichols 7-2, Michael Zingale 7-3, Jason Moran 7-4, Jason Bowen 7-5 and then a strong win over Robert Van Slyke 7-4 to capture the hotseat. Nick Applebee was looking dangerous on the one loss side after taking a first round loss to Howie Gordon he would record strong wins over Lee Caldwell 5-2, Jakie Bell 5-0, Duane Bourgeoix 5-3, Michael Zingale 5-0, Jacob Pressacco 5-4, Mark Shimelman 5-3 before taking his 2nd loss on the day to Jason Bowen 5-3 to leave Applebee with a 5th place finish. Bowen would then go on to receive a forfeit over Howie Gordon which he followed up with a strong 5-1 win over Robert Van Slyke to set up a rematch final with Chad Royal.  Royal had one thing in mind and that was the winners crown as he played a very strong final to beat Jason Bowen 7-2 to take his first Poison Amateur tour title.

Congratulation to 9th-12th place finishers Jacob Pressacco, Denny Singletary, Kurt Hardeman and Clint Nichols all received a paid entry into Sundays open event.

Payouts

1st, Chad Royal $700

2nd, Jason Bowen $400

3rd, Robert Van Slyke $300

4th, Howie Gordon $200

5th-6th, Nick Applebee, Arthur Huynh $100

7th-8th, Mark Shimelman, Jason Moran $75

The $1000 Added open 10-ball event would a draw a full 32 man field.  Cliff Joyner made his way to the hotseat with strong wins over James Roberts 7-2, Lamarr Daughtry 7-5, Brandon Beatty 7-3, Stoney Stone 7-2 and then David Hennessy 7-2 to capture the hosteat.  

Home town boy Stoney Stone would prove why he is a local favorite by making his way back through the field with wins over Tracie Majors 5-1, Jason Bowen 5-2 and then a 5-3 win over David Hennessy to set up a final with Cliff Joyner. Stoney would have to defeat Joyner in a race to 7 to force a 1 rack sudden death shoot out and he did just that, taking the first race to 7 with a strong 7-2 win.

The 1 rack shootout would see Joyner win the lag and take the break this would be his last shot as scratch would give ball in had to Stoney and that all he needed to run out the balls to take down the Poison Tour title.

The tour would like to thank room owner Michael Zingale and his staff for hosting a great event, also all the players that showed up over the weekend with such tough weather conditions. Also Poison Cues our Title Sponsors for supplying the best cues on the market.

Our next event will be at Capone’s March 31st-April 1st, we look forward to seeing you there.

Payouts

1st Stoney Stone $600

2nd, Cliff Joyner $400

3rd, David Hennessy $300

4th, Jason Bowen $200

5th-6th, James Roberts Tracie Majors $100

7th-8th, David Walters, Chad Royal $60

At the end of four rounds of play at the Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour stop on the weekend of February 25-26, Johnny Archer had yet to give up a single rack. He gave up 11 over the next 27 games – four in the battle for the hot seat and seven in the finals – to capture the $1,000-added event that had drawn 34 entrants to a new (and future) venue for the tour, Danny’s Billiards in Baxley, GA.

Tour director Tommy Kennedy sat this one out, which might otherwise have led to a re-match against Archer. The week prior, Archer had defeated Kennedy in the finals of the Andy Grubs Memorial Event at Starcade Billiards in Fort Walton Beach, FL. 

With 34 players filling out a 64-player bracket, most of the first round action entailed ‘byes.’ Archer opened play with shutouts over Mike Matsie, Tom Godwin and J.R. Rossman, which moved him among the winners’ side final four to face Bret Hawes. Rod Rentz, in the meantime, faced Chad Royal. Archer chalked up his fourth straight shutout, over Hawes, to move into the hot seat match versus Rentz, who’d sent Royal west 7-3. Archer gave up his first four racks in a 7-4 win over Rentz, which left him in the hot seat, awaiting John Swope, who would win seven straight on the loss side to meet him in the finals.

On the loss side, with two victories behind him, Swope defeated Gregg Sheffield and Billy Ray, both 7-3, to pick up Hawes. Royal drew Jay Wideman (singled out by Kennedy for what was described as an “outstanding performance”), who won a double hill match over Mark Taber to move into the money rounds, and then won a second double hill battle against J.R. Rossman to meet Royal.

Royal ended Wideman’s bid 7-5 and moved into the quarterfinals versus Swope, who’d downed Hawes 7-4. Swope then defeated Royal by the same 7-4 score and downed Rentz 7-5 in the semifinals.

If Hallmark hasn’t created a sympathy card for a pool player who’s won seven matches on the loss side and then has to face “The Scorpion,” Johnny Archer, in the finals of an event, they should. Swope put up a fight in the extended, race-to-9 finals, but Archer prevailed 9-7 to capture the title.

Prizes were awarded to the top junior, lady and senior player on the tour stop. Mikey Watson picked up the $25 prize for top junior, Lindsay Hunkele took home $25 as the top female, and P.C. Oliver, who finished just out of the money, won $50 as the top-finishing senior.

Tour Director Tommy Kennedy thanked Danny Stell and his staff at Danny’s Billiards for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Tiger Products, Mueller Sporting Goods, David Adams, Simonis Cloth, Cliff Manning of Manning Custom Cues, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, and Robert Harris Custom Cues.