Stacked Billiards Field Grinds Through the First Day
Seminole Pro Tour / Hollywood, FL
by Rick Davis
The Seminole Florida Pro Tour began their billiards season finale at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL, where an 88-player field entered in search of their share of the $25,000-added prize fund.
After a blazing pace the first day eliminated all but 32 players. The final rounds were a who’s who of top national players, and the coming rounds will be just as difficult. The tour’s player of the year, Corey Deuel, is untouched on the winners’ side after taking a trio of wins going 7-1 against Adam Wheeler and Wayne Catledge then 8-6 against Mike Davis. Not far away, Gabe Owen kept himself on the winners’ side, saying, “I’ve had a good day, but it was long,” after putting in 12 hours on the tables.
On the one-loss side, player of the year runner-up Steve Moore is still alive after a second-round loss 7-3 to Charlie Bryant. Moore commented, “My first two matches were rocky. I’m using a new shaft and aiming system, so things are spiced up a little. Charlie Bryant put me on the one-loss side—he played well, but I could have played better. If I can keep it together, I should do okay.” Moore ousted a pair of opponents, both 7-2, to face WPBA Pro Monica Webb in the morning.
With top players everywhere no bracket is safe, although the winners’ bracket became especially deadly in the evening rounds. Dennis Hatch defeated Charlie Bryant 7-5 then Louis Ulrich 8-3. Hatch now faces Deuel. In the lower half of the chart Rodney Morris defeated Troy Frank 8-6 and will now play Owen, while Thorsten Hohmann ended his night by defeating Mika Immonen 8-5 and will face tour regular Nathan Rose early Saturday.
View the Seminole Florida Pro Tour Finale image gallery (/gallery2/v/Pool+Tournaments/FLProFinale/)
With players like Johnny Archer, Corey Deuel, Charlie Williams, and Steve Moore still alive, nowhere is safe, although all the players are eagerly awaiting their matches as the $11,000 top prize twinkles in their eyes.
Saturday Winners’ Side:
Deuel vs Hatch
Wiseman vs Crosby
Owen vs Morris
Hohmann vs Rose
Saturday One-loss Side:
Coats vs Richko (Winner to face Calderon)
Archer vs Broxson (Winner to face Frank)
Mills vs Bryant (Winner to face Immonen)
Kennedy vs DiToro (Winner to face Thornfeldt)
Fujiwara vs Williams (Winner to face Davis)
Kelly vs Roberts (Winner to face Ulrich)
Webb vs Moore (Winner to face Laderia)
Infantas vs Pou (Winner to face McLanahan)