The 2004 WPBA Midwest Classic got underway on Thursday with a full field of 64 players along with a 65th player in the form of mother nature.
Play was stopped for 30 minutes on Thursday when the tornado sirens went off at the Par-A-Dice Hotel & Casino in Peoria, IL. When it was determined that there was no threat of tornados, play was resumed but some players were still visibly shaken. Jenny Lee, for one, missed a 3 ball run with ball in hand immediately following the tornado scare.
Another player that had to avoid a scare was hometown favorite Sarah Rousey. Rousey drew Melissa Morris in a match between the two youngest players on tour. Playing in her hometown, Rousey had a large cheering section, not to mention two TV crews following the match. Early in the match, Rousey played great and took a big lead. Morris did not get on to the tour without being able to play though, and she quickly narrowed the gap to get back to 8-8. Morris came up empty on the break in the deciding game, but Rousey did not have a shot. To make matters worse, a safety attempt by Rousey ended with a cue-ball scratch and ball-in-hand for Morris. Morris ran down to a tough 8-ball and made the ball but got difficult shape on the 9. A miss on the 9-ball left Rousey with a bank and she brought the house down when she split the pocket with the bank-shot.
Complete brackets for this event are available on the WPBA website at www.wpba.com
Photo courtesy of the WPBA - www.wpba.com
