Tom Bosscher Takes Mini and Juan Garcia Wins Main Event at MPT Event

The Michigan Player's Tour held its latest event and saw yet another good turnout at Anazeh Sands East on November 21st, 22nd and 23rd in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  While the professional pool players sometimes found lingering on the tour were busy in North Carolina, the stop still had its share of local talent come out to play.  There were a number of new faces which is always a treat as the word is finally getting out what the tour is trying to do for the players.

On Friday evening, a mini tournament took place, which ultimately ended finishing up on Saturday morning before the main event.  The mini had forty-five players on the chart including the usual suspects, but Tom Bosscher took charge this time around with a bye to get started and wins over Richie Richeson 7-5, Brandon Knowling 7-5, Dirk Vanderploeg 7-4, Lee Lambaria 7-2, and in the hot-seat Jeremy Seaman 7-6.  In the finals, a very determined Bart Good took the first set of the true double elimination final 7-3, but Bosscher pushed back in the second to steal the mini 7-5.

The main event got underway on Saturday at noon with twenty-seven players battling it out for the top spot.  The second place finisher in the mini had a great run again, taking third in the main event just behind Kirkwood and Garcia.  Bart Goode started his run with a Bye, but then took down Dan Bell 9-1, Shannon Murphy 9-8, and Lee Lambaria 9-5.  His two losses came late in the game from Juan Garcia 9-5 and Jason Kirkwood 9-2.

Juan Garcia and Jason Kirkwood rounded out the top of the field.  Garcia went undefeated throughout the tournament with wins over Chad Howe 9-6, Nate Teeple 9-0, Lupe Rosa 9-5, Jeremy Seaman 9-8, Bart Goode 9-5 in the hot-seat mtach, and Jason Kirkwood 9-6 in the finals.  Kirkwood had to be running out of steam by the time he reached the finals as he had quite a long trek after a close beating in the second round against Jeremy Seaman 9-8.  All in total, he had nine wins for the event, with only two other opponents reaching more than four games (Curtis Thornton 9-5 and Juan Garcia 9-6).

Honorable mention goes out to Jeremy Seaman for winning the winner-take-all ten-ball ring game held Saturday evening!

Next up for the tour, the season finale at Break Room in Grand Rapids, Michigan (616-454-0899), on December 19th-21st.  The weekend will not only have a main event, but will hold a Friday evening challenge match with top players between 5pm-7pm, entry $10 (races to two, 9ball), and Friday mini-tournament (7pm) at a $30 entry.

For more information visit the tour website at www.freewebs.com/miplayerstour/index.htm, or email miplayerstour@aol.com.