WPBA Masters at Soaring Eagle Casino January 26-29

World's Top Women Pool Players to Compete in 2012 Season Opener

MT. PLEASANT, MI - The Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort will again host the best female billiard players in the world January 26-29, 2012, when the Women's Professional Billiard Association WPBA Masters 9-Ball Championship kicks off the 2012 Women's Pro Billiard Tour season.
 
Preliminary rounds begin Thursday, January 26, through Saturday, January 28 with 40 top players and 8 WPBA Regional Tour representatives. There will be two sessions each day in double elimination play. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, January 29 beginning at 1 p.m., when the final four players remaining will compete for the title of 2012 WPBA Masters Champion. These three final-round one-hour matches will be taped by ESPN for future television broadcasts. Tickets are available via startickets.com.
 
Back to defend her title will be European and World Champion Jasmin Ouschan. Other top players scheduled to compete include #1 ranked Ga Young Kim, coming off a win at the 2011 Tour Championships and "The Black Widow" Jeanette Lee; along with Hall of Fame players Allison Fisher, Ewa Mataya Laurance (a former Lansing, MI resident) and Grand Ledge, Michigan's Vicki Paski (also named this year to the greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame). Photo and autograph opportunities will be available throughout the week.The event kicks off January 25th at 7pm with a Pro-Am Charity Event benefiting the Angel Tree Foundation.
 
Alongside the WPBA Masters will be the Soaring Eagle Open III, featuring amateur singles 8-Ball and 9-Ball tournaments in men and women's divisions, with $10,000 in added prize money. This event will begin on Thursday, January 26 and continue through Sunday, January 29, 2012. Visit www.soaringeagleopen.com for more information.

About the Women's Professional Billiard Association (WPBA)

The WPBA was established in 1976 as the Women's Professional Billiard Alliance, and will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2011 as the oldest pro player organization in the sport. The WPBA sanctions and produces the Women's Pro Billiard Tour, which features ESPN-televised events with the world's greatest women players. Visit www.wpba.com for more. The WPBA Classic Tour is sponsored by the American Poolplayers Association, Diamond Billiards, Iwan Simonis, Cuetec Cues, Delta 13, Pooldawg, Mueller Recreational Products and Aramith.
 
About the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort

The Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort is the Midwest's premier AAA Four Diamond gaming and hospitality destination offering top-name entertainment year-round, award-winning dining, high stakes bingo and a full-service spa. For more information, visit www.soaringeagleopen.com/