Rossman Ends Kennedy’s Streak

By Bill Rosenberger

J.R. Rossman did what no o­ne else could o­n the last three J. Pechauer Southeast 9-Ball Tour stops.  He knocked off Tommy Kennedy in the finals.

The event, held February 19 at K-O Corral Billiard Club in Enterprise, AL, drew 33 players, all vying for a win, but Kennedy continued his strong play, going undefeated and reaching the hot seat against Rossman.  After Kennedy ran out for the 9-5 victory, he was o­ne match away from a fourth straight victory.

In the o­ne-loss side, T.F. Whittington and Jon Tedder were dueling in out, with Whittington earning the 9-5 win and advancing to the semifinals against Rossman.  For the third straight match, 9-5 was the score, but the outcome was different for both players.  Rossman came out o­n top, sending Whittington home with a third-place finish.

In the final match, Kennedy was seeking to keep his winning streak alive, while Rossman was looking to take down the tournament director.  But early o­n, it looked like Kennedy was going to walk across the finish line, as he went up 6-1.  In Game 8, though, the momentum changed hands.  Kennedy jumped the 2 ball and made it, but he hit the 7 ball with the bridge, giving Rossman a chance to get back into the match.  And he came back strong, tying Kennedy and then racing past him to earn a comeback victory 11-9.

Results:

1st J.R. Rossman $600

2nd Tommy Kennedy $440

3rd T.F. Whittington $340

4th Jon Tedder $240

5th Ashley Butler, Joey Tucker $140