Guinness World Record Attempt!
Can Raymond “Hitman” Modglin, owner of Castleton Billiards Cafe in Indianapolis, play 1,000 games of 9-ball IN A ROW? Ray will make this historic attempt at a Guinness World Record during the BCA N.A. 8-Ball Championships at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Ray will begin his quest the morning of Monday, May 14 and plans to hit the magic number on Wednesday evening.
YOU CAN BE A PART OF THIS GREAT EVENT! Ray needs challengers to meet his goal and with a small donation to the Billiard Education Foundation, you can play against Ray and have the honor of being an official Guinness World Record holder! Sign up for your place in history at the BCA booth in the Grande Ballroom.
Sponsors for the Guinness attempt are: Buckhorn Billiards (tables), Iwan Simonis (cloth), Imperial International (balls), Viking Cue Mfg. (cues), Tweeten Fibre Co. (chalk) and The Sardo Tight Rack (rack). See the Official Tournament Program (in your goodie bag!) for all the details!
Corr defends Valley Forge
Karen Corr kicked off the 2001 Women’s Professional Billiard Association’s Classic Tour by capturing its first stop at the Cuetec Players Championship, in Valley Forge, Pa., March 23-25. Corr went undefeated to collect $6,500 during the three-day tournament, which will be aired on ESPN beginning in May.
Corr, the WPBA’s second-ranked player, rallied from a 4-1 deficit against Jennifer Chen in the final match with six consecutive games to claim her second consecutive Players Championship title. “This event is important for me because I live just down the road [in Feasterville, Pa.],” said Corr. “There’s a lot of local support for me here, and I have a lot of friends who wanted to see me do well.”
Hall of Fame Ballot Released
Three first-timers joined a pair of returning nominees on the 2001 Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame Ballot. Author Bob Byrne, three-cushion legend Raymond Ceulemans and player of the year Earl Strickland all make their first appearance on the ballot. Allen Hopkins and Jim Rempe are holdovers from last year. The voting membership of the BCA will elect one or two of the nominees and the winner will be announced in the spring.
Jones’ All-Star weekend
Jeremy Jones bounced back from the one-loss bracket to defeat Corey Deuel in the final match of the Lexington All-Stars Championships in Lexington, Ky., Feb. 28-March 4. Two months after the two finalists played as teammates during Team USA’s win in December’s Mosconi Cup, Jones held off Deuel in the final match, 15-8, to earn $5,000 and his first tournament win of the year.
Deuel collected $2,500 for second place, and defending champion Jose Parica won $1,800 for third.
Lee gives 3-cushion a stab
Women’s Professional Billiard Association attraction Jeanette Lee has announced she will participate in the United States Billiard Association’s next Carom Corner 3-cushion billiards event at World Class Billiards in Peabody, Mass., March 12-18. She will compete in a handicapped event during the tournament, which will feature recently crowned U.S. champion Sang Chun Lee and current world No. 1 Dick Jaspers.
For more information contact the host site at (978) 535-7000.
“Fast Eddie” dies at 69
Eddie Parker, a legendary money player and an inspiration for Walter Tevis’ book and subsequent film The Hustler, died at the U.S. Classic Billiards amateur 8-Ball Showdown in South Padre Island, Texas, on Friday, Feb. 2. Parker, 69, appeared at the amateur event to participate in an exhibition on Saturday, but was stricken while planning a fishing trip with friend and business partner Woody Woodworth on Friday night. He was pronounced dead at Brownsville Hospital.
Following a brief retirement from pool competition, Parker returned to the road in 1980, performing as many as 200 exhibitions per year. He also worked on a novel, wrote instructional texts, produced instructional videos and maintained other billiards-related ventures. He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Peggy; a son, Steve; daughter, Susan; and seven grandchildren.
Daulton Master of the Table
Shannon “The Cannon” Daulton punctuated his claim as All-Around Champion at the Derby City Classic in Louisville, Ky., Saturday night by winning the multi-discipline tournament’s 9-ball division. The 28-year-old Kentuckian, who had already clinched the event’s all-around crown prior to the 9-ball division finale, defeated Finland’s Mika Immonen, 7-4, to earn the $8,000 top prize. With his $5,000 prize as All-Around Champion, and $1,675 earned in the 9-Ball Banks and One-Pocket divisions, Daulton’s weeklong stay at the Derby City Classic garnered him $14,675. Jose Parcia, winner of the 9-Ball Banks event, was second in the all-around race. Buddy Hall earned he $5,000 One-Pocket title.
Lee squares off with ESPN anchor
Pool fans normally accustomed to watching Jeanette Lee on ESPN wielding her cue against the game’s best will discover today that her ESPN appearances aren’t limited to the Women’s Professional Billiard Association Classic Tour.
The Black Widow is featured in the sports network’s newest “This is SportsCenter” spot, which showcases a fearsome showdown against anchor Bill Pidto. To see the debut of the commercial, visit espn.go.com/thisissportscenter/index.html.
Cannon blast
Shannon “The Cannon” Daulton tore through a deep field to earn his second Music City Classic championship at J.O.B.’s in Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 9-14. Daulton, who twice knocked off defending champion and recent Mosconi Cup teammate Johnny Archer to claim the top spot, collected $2,500 for his efforts.
On the women’s side, Swedish transplant Helena Thornfeldt edged Monica Webb in the final for first place worth $670. Thornfeldt, who finished the 2000 Classic Tour season ranked No. 3, closed out the season with five straight top-four finishes, including back-to-back runner-up honors in August and September.
Strickland’s holiday wish
By edging Efren Reyes, 13-9, in the final of the US-RP Challenge in Muntinlupa City, Philippines, American Earl Strickland may have already secured his biggest holiday wish. “Finally, I got what I wished for,” Strickland told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, “to beat Reyes on his own turf.” With the victory, Strickland earned $20,000, while Reyes took home $10,000 for second place.
After knocking off Francisco Bustamante in the semifinals, 13-9, Strickland held off all of Reyes’ comeback efforts in the final, including a brief run that cut Strickland’s 10-6 lead in half. Strickland added wins in three of he final four racks to claim the victory.