Ming Ng and April Larson
Though it’s been said in a lot of different ways, it was Woody Allen who said it the simplest way – 90% of life is just showing up. It’s a statement that resonates in the pool world, where cumulative earnings in a given year can often be a matter of how many times you competed, rather than how many event victories you’ve chalked up. Case in point: The Grinder (aka April Larson), whose best earnings year, to date, was 2018, a year in which she cashed (as far as we know) in six events and didn’t win any of them.
Now, in 2022, Larson has cashed (again, as far as we know) in nine events and won four of them, bringing her, as of this past weekend, within about 30% of her 2018 totals. She chalked up her latest on Saturday, Sept. 24, going undefeated on the On the Ball (OTB) Ladies Tour in Texas. The $2,000-added event drew 23 entrants Big Tyme Billiards in Spring, TX.
Larson and her eventual opponent in the hot seat and finals, veteran Ming Ng, recorded exactly the same aggregate score, defeating their opponents by exactly the same individual scores (though not in the same order) to face each other in the hot seat. Larson gave up a single rack to Darcy Durham, none at all to Natalie Mans, two to Terry Petrosino and in a winners’ side semifinal, three to Carmel Luttrell for an aggregate score of 28-6 (82%). Ng’s 28-6 (82%) path went through Cheyenne Valdez (2), Eva Grigsby (1), Michelle Abernathy (0) and in the other winners’ side semifinal, Angie Payne (3). Surprising no one, The Grinder and The Empress locked up in a double hill battle for the hot seat. The Grinder prevailed, claiming the hot seat and waiting in it for Ng’s return.
Both of the opponents Luttrell and Payne faced when they arrived on the loss-side of the bracket had lost their opening match and were working on a five-match winning streak that would come to an end for one of them in the quarterfinals. Luttrell picked up Larissa Almandariz, who’d recently eliminated Michelle Abernathy and tour TD Teresa Garland, both 7-3. Payne drew Chris Fields, who’d benefited from a forfeit by Terry Petrosino and survived a double hill battle versus Natalie Rocha to reach her.
Almandariz defeated Luttrell 7-4, while Fields was busy eliminating Payne 7-5. Fields ended Almandariz’ loss-side streak 7-4 in the quarterfinals that followed. Fields’ streak came to an end when she was defeated by Ng in the semifinals 7-1.
Expectations of a second double hill battle between Larson and Ng, battling for the title, had to have been high. Didn’t happen, though. The Grinder got out in front early and went on to a 7-2 win in the finals to claim her second 2022 OTB title, and her fourth event victory on the year.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Big Tyme Billiards for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor On the Ball Company and Accu-rack. The next stop on the OTB Ladies Tour, scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 15-16, will be a $2,000-added event hosted by R House Bar & Grill in Houston, TX.
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