Laredo’s David Leal was the big story at the 2016 Lone Star Billiards Tour 9-Ball Season Opener, decimating a 93-player division and crushing one of the largest amateur fields to date on tour. Runner-up and 2015 Lone Star Tour Champion, Kevin Nguyen, bested Leal the first set of the true, double elimination finals, 7-4, but fell short the second set, 5-4. Former APA Amateur Nationals Champion, Ernesto Bayaua, annihilated the 64-player open 9-ball division, going undefeated and denying Manny Chau in the final match, 9-8.
On January 2nd-3rd, 2016, Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar, along with tour sponsors Poison by Predator Cues www.poisonbilliards.com, Delta-13 Rack www.delta-13.com, Ozone Billiards www.ozonebilliards.com, and the APA of North Harris County www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty, facilitated one of the most successful events in the history of the Lone Star Billiards Tour. Bogies added a generous $1,500 to the prize fund and hosted 93 amateur players, 64 open players, and 41 Gulf Coast Tour ladies, for a total attendance of 144 players.
In the amateur 9-ball division’s 93-player field, all eyes were on David Leal whose path of destruction included wins over Joseph Corona, 7-2, Adam Cooper, 7-5, Tom Welch, 7-4, Keil Perry, 7-4, and Martin Ramos, 7-6. Junior player Jacob Watson took down Randy Wallens, 7-2, Bobby Dominguez, 7-1, Kenneth Price, 7-0, and Jacob Cantu, 7-3, on his way to the final four winners’ side. Kevin Nguyen made an impressive run, besting John Havens, 7-6, Josh White, 7-3, Jeff Chauncey, 7-2, Jack Cavalier, 7-4, and Jesse Langston, 7-4. Abel Lara surged to the final four with wins over Ryan Garcia, 7-2, Jason Galetka, 7-2, Michael Pickering, 7-3, Mike Nguyen, 7-6, and Gerardo Perez, 7-2. On the one-loss side, Erik Renteria won an incredible 7 consecutive matches after losing his first match to Dominguez, 7-5. Renteria’s reign included wins over Daniel Cook, 5-0, Gerald Holland, 5-1, Lester Foy, 5-2, and Jack Cavalier, 5-3. It was Welch over Jose Del Torro, 5-4, and Will Felder over Horacio Cortez by the same. M. Nguyen defeated Chuck Adams, 5-1, Michael Pickering eliminated Price, 5-3, and Anthony Gepayo overcame Doug Gray, 5-1. Senior player Jeff Sparks was eliminated by Perry, 5-3, and Ramiro Martinez sent Chauncey packing, 5-3. As the final 8 shaped up on the one loss side, the final four winners’ side was underway. Leal made quick work of young gun Watson, 7-2, while K. Nguyen narrowly escaped the grip of Lara, 7-6. The hot seat witnessed Leal overcome the former champion, K. Nguyen, 7-4. Back on the west side, Renteria ousted Del Torro, 5-1, and Cantu, 5-2. Cortez eliminated M. Nguyen, 5-2, and Martin Ramos, 5-4, while Price exhausted Gepayo, 5-0, and Langston, 5-2. Perry fell to Martinez, who in turn, fell to Perez, 5-3. Renteria was dominated by Cortez, 5-3, who in turn fell to Lara, 5-1. Price eliminated Perez, 5-2, but fell once again to Watson, 5-4. Lara ousted Watson, 5-1, only to be shut-out by K. Nguyen, 5-0, finishing a respectable third. K. Nguyen was geared up for a rematch with Leal. Nguyen took his revenge the first set, 7-4, but Leal was determined not to let this win slip away. In overtime, Leal narrowly defeated K. Nguyen, 5-4, securing his first Lone Star Tour victory!
In the 64-player, open 9-ball division, Ernesto Bayaua began his quest for the hot seat, defeating Jacob Cantu, 9-2 , Bobby Perez, 9-5, Josh White, 9-5, and Sylver Ochoa, 9-4. Manny Chau secured his bid for the hot seat as well, with wins over Aldo Rosso, 9-4, Jantsen Miller, 9-8, Chase Rudder, 9-8, Kevin Nguyen, 9-1, and former Lone Star Tour Champion, Andy Jethwa, 9-2. After a first round loss to Kenneth Price, 9-4, Sonny Bosshamer won 6 consecutive matches, including wins over Keil Perry, 7-2, Bobby Perez, 7-5, Richie Richeson, 7-6, and Viet Do, 7-6. Rudder made quick work of Erik Renteria, 7-2, Will Felder, 7-1, and Bosshamer, 7-5. Lester Foy fell to Jonathan Poon, 7-2, and in turn, Poon was eliminated by K. Nguyen, 7-6. After a second round loss to Jim Walker, 9-8, Jacob Watson bested Joey Bourgeois, 7-3, Kenneth Price, 7-6, and Ricky Hughes, 7-3, but fell to K. Nguyen, 7-2. Rudder eliminated Jethwa, 7-1, while Ochoa ousted K. Nguyen, 7-4. The final four standing yielded little surprise for tournament goers, as Rudder and Ochoa teed off on the one loss side, with Bayaua and Chau facing off in the east. Bayaua and Chau went the distance, with Bayaua finishing ahead, 9-7. Ochoa slid by Rudder, 7-6, but fell to Chau, 7-3. Battling for each ball, Bayaua and Chau took it even further in the final set. At 8-8, Bayaua capitalized, winning the final game, and the first Lone Star open division of 2016.
The Lone Star Billiards Tour would like to welcome all the new players who attended this first event! The next LSBT event is slated for February 27th-28th, at Bogies Billiards West, located at 9638 Jones Road, Houston, Texas. The Lone Star Tour encourages everyone who loves to play pool and compete in a friendly atmosphere, to attend an event. For more information and live brackets, visit www.LoneStarBilliardsTour.com. Please “Like” us at Facebook/LoneStarTour and “Follow” us at Twitter/LoneStarTour09.
Open
1st Ernesto Bayaua 600/800
2nd Manny Chau 360/540
3rd Sylver Ochoa 210/340
4th Chase Rudder 130/220
5th-6th Andy Jewtha, Kevin Nguyen 100/100
7th-8th Jacob Watson, Sonny Bosshamer 80/50
9th-12th Ricky Hughes, Jonathan Poon, Will Felder, Viet Do 50
13th-16th Kenneth Price, Erik Renteria, Lester Foy, Richie Richeson 35
17th-24th Chuck Adams, Josh White, Aaron Vasquez, Jeff Chauncey, Jim Walker, Jessie Langston, Kevin Gray, Michael Pickering 25
25th-32nd Roger Logan, Doug Gray, Joey Bourgeois, Rudy Esteves, Martin Ramos, Jack Cavalier, Bobby Perez, David Chow
33-48th John Baud, Daniel Wise, Anthony Gepayo, Aldo Rosso, Jantsen Miller, Mark Wickert
Art Giraldo, Richard Pope, Gerardo Perez, Tad Berkey, Joseph Corona, Denis Strickland, Matt Peters
Bobby Dominquez, Tyler Partin, Jerry Cook
49th-64th Adam Cooper, Daniel Cook, Dave Ramirez, Robbie Salinas, Sam Hargrove, Tom Welch
Keith Keithley, Errol Sanders, John Havens, Keil Perry, Ryan Garcia, Jacob Cantu, David Leal,
Jayson Byrd, Steve Williams, Grady Hill
Amateur
1st David Leal 600/600
2nd Kevin Nguyen 360/360
3rd Abel Lara 240/240
4th Jacob Watson 180/180
5th-6th Kenneth Price, Horacio Cortez 130/130
7th-8th Gerardo Perez, Eric Renteria 110/110
9th-12th Ramiro Martinez, Jacob Cantu, Martin Ramos, Jesse Langston 60/50
13th-16th Antonio Gepayo, Keil Perry, Mike Nguyen, Jose Del Torro 40
17th-24th Doug Gray, Chuck Adams, Tom Welch, Jeff Chauncey, Jack Cavalier, Will Felder
Michael Pickering, Jeff Sparks 25
25th-32nd Lupe Garza, Ricky Hughes, Aldo Rosso, Richard Pope, Chris Rocha, Sherman Sylestine
Lester Foy, Fernando Castillo
33rd-48th Adam Cooper, John Braud, Daniel Wise, Sam Hargrover, Jansen Miller, Mark Wickert
Art Giraldo, Joey Bourgeois, Jeremy O’Conner, Joseph Corona, Sonny Bosshamer, Kevin Gray
Bobby Dominguez, Jerry Cook, Bobby Perez, Matt Peters
49th-64th Roger Logan, Karol Hughes, Randy King, Alan Myers, Jason Galetka, Roy Stills, Josh White
Dave Ramirez, Aaron Vasquez, Gerald Holland, Nick Kubiak, Jose Marroquin, Errol Sanders, Jayson Byrd
Jay Russell, Regine Dolores
65th-96th Daniel Cook, Gary Riley, Robbie Salinas, Tim Helistein, Charles Pacheco, Chester Smithart, Keith Keithley, Tom Shelby, Steve Brewton, John Havens, Randy Wallens, Ryan Garcia, Rudy Esteves
Tyler Stoner, Curtis Slama, Jeremi Waddell, Jim Walker, Tad Berkey, Rafael Garcia, Joel Rivera
Grady Hill, Adam Felder, Steve Williams, Viet Do, Forrest Estep, David Chow, Tyler Partin
97th – 128th Derrell Montgomery, Tommy Aramburo