South Padre Island Great for Winter Billiards Getaway

By Carl Oswald

There's o­nly o­ne reason for pool players to gather at South Padre Island in late January, and it's not for the warm air, sandy beaches, and crystal clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico. o­n January 26-30, the Third Annual International 9-Ball Championships were held at the South Padre Island Convention Center in the southernmost corner of Texas.

Players from all over the globe flocked to the convention center to attempt to win some of the $21,000 in prize money.  Many were Texas players, like Amanda Lampert, Sylver Ochoa, and Charlie Mora, but some came from as far away and Virginia, Colorado, Michigan, and even Taiwan. 

The weekend kicked off o­n Wednesday with the Winter Texan 8-Ball Championship and its three divisions of play.  By Thursday night, Marlu Bishop (ladies), Dave Manson (open), and Mike Ahrendt (senior) were all crowned as 8-ball champions in their respective divisions.  Janet Pawlowski finished second in the ladies division, while Bob Perry and Gary Norman finished second in the open and senior divisions, respectively.

When Friday arrived, the 9-ball players joined many of the 8-ball players who were competing in both events to complete the final count of 117 competitors.  Each division featured the best of the best, and, surprisingly enough, all three winners came from the Lone Star State. 

The open play started in the evening with such a talented field that no o­ne could speculate o­n a clear-cut favorite.  By Sunday, o­nly four players remained in the open division, including Jui Lung Chen and David Gutierrez.  In the first match, Chen battled Erman Bullard in the o­ne-loss side, while Gutierrez faced Shane Harvey for the hot seat.

Both Gutierrez and Chen handled their opponents, leaving Chen to battle Harvey in the semifinals.  Harvey and Chen matched each other game for game, but Chen's late run earned him an 11-8 victory.  The final match between Chen and Gutierrez was set, and it would be a match to remember.

Before the open division concluded, the ladies got their shot in the spotlight.  Amanda Lampert was going for her third straight South Padre title, while Sophie Lopez and Kim Pierce had other ideas.  However, it might have been easier to stop the hot Texas sun from rising, as Lampert swept through the event undefeated, capped off by a win in the finals over Lopez. 

The seniors also finished their weekend event with an all-Texas final when Jose Zaragosa from Forth Worth battled Gerald Walter of San Antonio.  Zaragosa bested Walter in the hot seat match, but Walter ousted Dave Manson 9-6 in the semis to force a rematch in the finals.  But Zaragosa was just too much, completing his undefeated weekend and winning the seniors division.     

Finally, Chen and Gutierrez were ready to put a close to the five-day tournament by dueling it out in the open division final.  After the first three games, it looked like the final match would be quick and painful for Chen, as Gutierrez raced to a 3-0 lead.  But Chen battled back to get within o­ne game before Gutierrez again extended his lead to three games. 

Chen never gave in, though, as he got the match even at 9 apiece.  They traded the next two games, placing the match at hill-hill, and with Chen breaking in the decisive game, it seemed like he might have the upper hand.  However, he came up dry o­n the break, allowing Gutierrez to run out the rack to capture the 11-10 win and conclude the Third Annual International 9-Ball Championship.

Open Division Results:

1st David Gutierrez $3,500

2nd Jui Lung Chen $2,500

3rd Shane Harvey $1,500

4th Erman Bullard $1,000

5th Jay Hlavcheck, Steve Smith $800

7th Steve Rector, David Henson $600

9th Charlie Mora, Darryl Smith, Barry Strickland, Dean O. Williams $400

13th Rick Castillo, Ted Dean, Sylver Ochoa, James Davis Jr. $250

Ladies Division:

1st Amanda Lampert $1,000

2nd Sophie Lopez $800

3rd Kim Pierce $600

4th Erin Cano $400

Senior Division:

1st Jose Zaragosa $1,600

2nd Gerald Walter $1,200

3rd Dave Manson $800

4th Ron Griffus $600

5th Ezra Davis, Ed Latimer $350

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