Austin’s Jennifer Yo did it the hard way, coming through the one loss side to defeat Brittany Williams in the finals, and secure her second Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour title. In February of this year, Yo captured the first tournament of her career on the Gulf Coast Tour, and her second win more than establishes her position among the most talented, female players, spanning Texas and Louisiana.
On May 27th-28th, 2017, the Gulf Coast Tour held its 6th stop of the year at one of its newest venues, CK Billiards in Dallas, Texas. Room manager, Jamie Charbonneau, and tour sponsors Cyclop Pool Balls www.facebook.com/CyclopPoolBalls, Ozone Billiards www.OzoneBilliards.com, APA of North Harris County www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty, Jimmy Jenkins Realty, and www.OutsvillBilliards.com, facilitated a successful tournament which featured a two-day 9-ball event, non-smoking venue, and a generous $1,000 added to the prize fund. Players from all over Texas and Louisiana, representing Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Weatherford, San Marcos, Pflugerville, Boerne, and Shreveport, including Dallas locals, converged on the pool room to enjoy a weekend of comradery and competition.
Match play commenced at noon on Saturday, and brought back the final six players on Sunday. In only her second appearance on tour, hailing from Hallsville, Texas, Brittany Williams came out firing, ousting San Antonio’s Megan Hardin, 7-1, Dallas’ Aryana Lynch, 7-2, and Veronica “Pistol” Perez, 7-3, while Kim “Texas Heat” Pierce took down newcomer Ellen Robinson, 7-4, Gail “Thunder” Roles, 7-2, and Cindy Cole, 7-4. Jennifer Yo was on a roll, securing wins over Sophia Lopez, 7-1, Angie Payne, 7-5, and Jennifer Dooley, 7-4, while recent event winner, Kawania Watson, overcame Sherry Gear, 7-3, and Shreveport’s Tina Williams, 7-6. As the winners’ side final four unfolded, the one loss side was in full swing, with 14-year old Lynch eliminating Shreveport’s Doria Rhone, 5-1, newcomer Stacy Tucker, 5-1, Dooley, 5-3, and T. Williams, 5-0, to reach the final six. After suffering a loss to B. Williams in the third round, Perez came back with wins over Payne, 5-4, and Cole, 5-0, also reaching the final six, and the money. Back on the east side, Williams slid by Pierce, 7-6, and Watson defeated Yo, 7-4, pitting Williams and Watson for the hot seat. Watson fought an impressive battle, but when the smoke cleared, it was Williams by a game, 7-6. On the west side, Yo came back to life, ending Perez, 5-3, while Pierce overwhelmed Lynch, 5-1. Yo went on to defeat Pierce, 5-4, and redeemed herself against Watson, 5-1, marking her third win on the one loss side. The final match featured an undefeated Williams, vying for her first-ever tour victory, and Yo, going for win number two, as the first set of the true double elimination final got underway. Yo took the first set, 7-4, but Williams wasn’t down for the count. The second set was a real crowd pleaser, and although Williams fought diligently, Yo came with it, hill-hill, ending the second set, 5-4. Congratulations to Jennifer Yo on her second title, and Brittany Williams on her highest finish to date, on the Gulf Coast Tour.
The Gulf Coast Tour welcomes its newest members, Stacy Tucker (Dallas, TX), Doria Rhone (Shreveport, LA), Chris Fields (Weatherford, TX), Amy Reece (Dallas, TX), Cindy Cole (Dallas, TX), Keingchay Phoutthavong (Dallas, TX), and Ellen Robinson (San Marcos, TX).
Ellen Robinson took home her very first “W”, going undefeated to win the Gulf Coast Tour’s first-ever, second chance 9-ball tournament! Aryana Lynch and Veronica Perez achieved their highest finishes to date, 5th-6th, while Cindy Cole exceeded her personal best, finishing 7th-8th. Congratulations to all those who are making history and reaching milestones, on the Gulf Coast Tour.
The Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour is open to amateur players of all ages and skill levels. The next Gulf Coast Tour 9-ball event will be held on June 10th, at Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar, 3040 FM 1960, in Houston, Texas. This event will be $500 added with 32 players, played on 9’ tables, with Cyclop Pool Balls. Free practice begins at 10am, and the mandatory players’ meeting begins at 11am. For more information about the WPBA sanctioned, Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour, visit GulfCoastWomensTour.com. Follow us on Facebook @gulfcoasttour1 and Twitter @gulfcoasttour.
The WPBA (Women’s Professional Billiard Association) is the governing body of women’s professional billiards, and the longest running, professional billiard organization, in the United States. The Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour is a sanctioned, WPBA Regional Tour, part of the grass roots system, feeding new talent into the WPBA Pro Billiards Tour. WPBA Regional Tour Player dues, in the amount of $25 per year, are paid directly to the WPBA, and help fund programs for professional and regional tour players, support the WPBA’s mission to produce world-class events, and grow the sport of pocket billiards by increasing its visibility as a respected and true, professional sport.
