Espinosa and Sanders Break Out on Lone Star Tour –
(by Kim White-Newsom, Lone Star Tour, Aug. 29, 2015) – Round Rock’s (Texas) own Justin Espinosa (pictured) came close to achieving something only one other amateur division pool player in the history of the Lone Star Tour has ever achieved; winning both divisions at the same event. Espinosa emerged victorious in the amateur 9-ball division, closing out an overtime set against Jimmy Krone, 4-1.
Brian Sanders (on right in photo) came from behind to defeat the young Espinosa (on left in photo) two sets in the open 9-ball division final, 7-4, 5-4. These were first-time wins for both competitors at the Lone Star Tour 6th Annual 9-Ball Event and Texas Open Warm-Up, held at Skinny Bob’s Billiards, August 22nd-23rd, 2015, which drew more than 90 players, breaking the room’s own 2013-14 tour attendance records, and paying out close to $7,000 in prize money.
The hospitable and ever-so-gracious Skinny Bob’s Billiards, home of the prestigious and longest-running billiard event in Texas, the “Texas Open”, along with tour presenter Poison by Predator Cues CLICK HERE and sponsors Delta-13 Rack CLICK HERE, Ozone Billiards CLICK HERE, and the APA of North Harris County CLICK HERE , facilitated another monster event for Round Rock, Texas, whose pool community seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. Bob’s added a very generous $1,000 to the Lone Star Event and $435 to the Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Tour 9-Ball event, held on Sunday. Owners John and Sue Cielo couldn’t have been more pleased with the turnout, and the great Poison products they received in lieu of their generosity.
Open Finishes: 1 Brian Sanders $550/$620; 2 Justin Espinosa $390/$410; 3 James Davis, Jr. $210/$200; 4 James Davis, Sr. $90/$90; 5/6 Mickey Verenski, David Henson $45 ea; 7/8 John Wright, Victor Belmares $35 ea
Amateur Finishes 1 Justin Espinosa $620/$500; 2 Jimmy Krone $450/$375; 3 John Wright $260/$125; 4 Chad Henson $140/$80; 5/6 John Eagle, Mark Cardenas $60/$60 ea; 7/8 Mickey Verenski, Ralph Foy $45 ea; 9/12 John Palmore, Gerald Holland, Matt Wong, Steve Kilgore $25 ea.
The Tour would like to encourage everyone who loves to play pool and compete in a friendly atmosphere, to attend a Lone Star Tour event. The next stop is October 10th-11th, at Bogies Billiards & Sports Bar (3040 FM 1960) in Houston, Texas, and hosts a Gulf Coast Tour side-by-side event on Saturday, October 10th. On September 12th-13th, the Gulf Coast Tour will stage its first $1,000 added, stand-alone women’s 10-ball event and WPBA Masters Qualifier, also hosted by Bogies Billiards & Sports Bar, players’ meeting beginning at 11:00a.m. The famed Space City Open IV will be held December 3rd-6th, 2015, also hosted by Bogies. To download the event flyer and pre-register for open 9-ball, one-pocket, 9-ball banks, and ladies 9-ball, CLICK HERE.
The WPBA sanctioned Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Tour and the Space City Open are sister companies of the Lone Star Billiards Tour (est. 2009). For more details of this event and information about event hosting and sponsorship, please contact Kimberly Newsome at 713.825.1411 or email [email protected].