Ng In Overtime On Gulf Coast Tour

Melo, Rollins, Peters, Le, Garland, Johnson, Ng, Gardner

Ming Ng slid by Louisiana “L.A.” Le in overtime to capture the second 9-ball stop on the 2020 Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour. Twenty-nine players turned out to support the women’s pool tournament, held February 8th-9th at Diamond Sports Bar and Billiards in Port Arthur, Texas. Sponsors Cyclop Pool Balls, Poison by Predator Cues, APA of North Harris County, Alamo Billiards, Outsville Billiards, and Team Straight Pool Eye, facilitated another successful event for the Gulf Coast Tour, garnering a $1,230 purse for the two-day, bar table 9-ball event. The Tour would like to thank Diamond Sports Bar and Billiards’ room owner, Tony Nguyen, and staff, for hosting another first-rate event.

Louisiana Le

On her way to the winners’ side, final four, Ming Ng defeated Natalie Rocha, 7-6, Yvonne “Casher” Asher, 7-3, and Courtney Peters, 7-2, while Janeen Gardner of Petal, Mississippi, powered through Julia Acevedo, 7-3, Mona Munnerlyn, 7-3, and Michelle Abernathy, 7-2. New to the Tour, Kendall Rollins beat Rebecca Tobin, 7-1, and Sherren Drake, 7-3, while Louisiana Le ousted Teresa Ballenger, 7-5, Tina Williams, 7-3, and newcomer, Melissa Fuller, 7-0. Rounding out the final four on the one-loss side, Peters eliminated Maria Requejo, 5-1, and Teresa “Princess of Pool” Garland ended Abernathy, 5-1. First-timer Tiffany Johnson was on a roll, defeating Fuller, 5-2, while Sandra Melo scored a place in the final eight, with a 5-2 win over Drake. On the winners’ side, Ng sent Gardner west, 7-2, and Le handed Rollins her first loss, 7-4.  In her hot seat debut, Le was dealt a tough loss by Ng, 7-2. Coming through the one-loss side, Peters overwhelmed Garland, 5-1, and Rollins, 5-0, while Johnson booked a fourth win against Melo, falling in turn to Gardner, 5-1. Gardner slid into the final three with a 5-4 victory over Peters, but was stopped by Le, 5-2.  The true, double elimination final between Ng and Le went a full, two rounds. As the first set commenced, Le was focused and unnerved, redeeming herself, 7-5. In the second set, Ng responded, 5-3, to capture her second event of the 2020 Gulf Coast Tour season.

Melissa Fuller

Melissa Fuller went undefeated to capture Sunday’s second chance 9-ball event. Michelle Abernathy finished second, and Christie Kasko, third. Louisiana Le earned her highest finish on the Gulf Coast Tour, and placed 9th-12th in the Poison Lone Star amateur 9-ball division, scoring “Highest Female Finisher”. Finally, Sandra Melo achieved her best finish to date, taking 7th-8th in the main event. The Gulf Coast Tour welcomed eighteen new members at this tournament; Melissa Fuller, Mona Munnerlyn, Tiffany Johnson, Kendall Rollins, Penny Burgess, Joelle Toerner, Julia Acevedo, Sherren Drake, Tina Williams, Yvonne Ramirez, Maria Requejo, Rosie Cantu, Yvonne Asher, Christie Kasko, Teresa Ballenger, Janeen Gardner, Natalie Rocha, Rebecca Tobin.

The Tour would like to thank Board Members Julia Acevedo and D’Andrea McQuirter for their hard work throughout the weekend, Gary Medlin who provided cue repair, and Tour player, Christie Kasko, who captured all the tournament action in more than four hundred photographs. Room owner, Tony Nguyen, along with players and guests, raised over $700 for “Be Intentional Dog Rescue”, a non-profit founded by Christie Kasko, based in Orange, Texas. The Tour encourages everyone to donate to their local, non-profit Rescues, monetarily, or by fostering a dog or cat in their home. All Texas County Shelters euthanize for space, so fostering saves lives!

The next Gulf Coast Tour 9-ball event is March 28th-29th at Slick Willies Family Pool Hall, 15135 North Freeway, in Houston, Texas. For more information, visit www.GulfCoastWomensTour.com.

Photographs by Christie Kasko

Payouts – Total $1,230

1st Ming Ng $440

2nd Louisiana Le $320

3rd Janeen Gardner $200

4th Courtney Peters $100

5th-6th Tiffany Johnson, Kendall Rollins $50 ea

7th-8th Sandra Melo, Teresa Garland $35 ea