Yu-Ram Cha Wins
2011 WPBA Regional Tour Championship

Yu Ram Cha

At stake was more than $13,000 in total prize money, plus the opportunity for eight of these women to earn the final eight WPBA tour cards available for 2011.  The field included WPBA players who had finished out of the Top 40 at the close of 2010 and top players from the nine regional tours.  Each regional tour had been allocated invitations proportional to its membership.

Notable players competing in this tournament included international star Yu-Ram Cha, veteran WPBA Hall of Famer Vicki Paski, and perennial regional tour champions Lisa Marr and Janet Atwell (pictured left).  Also in the field was 15-year-old Briana Miller, who has won multiple junior championships and had finished second in point standings on the 2010 J. Pechauer Northeast Women’s Tour.

Cha was considered the pre-tournament favorite to win this event.  The poised Korean immediately served notice that despite having been away from the WPBA for a year, she was at the top of her game, rolling over Becky Jones 9-1, Jana Montour 9-0, and Lisa Marr 9-3.  At the same time, Briana Miller showed she was quite capable of making the move up from junior events by defeating Ashley Nandrasy 9-7, Monica Anderson 9-1, and Jacqui Herrera 9-4.  Then, matched against Cha, the unflappable teenager fought gamely, but succumbed, 9-4.

Meanwhile, Susan Williams opened by winning her first three matches before dropping a hill-hill set to Janet Atwell 9-8.  Canadian Joanne Ashton won her first four matches, but relinquished the hot seat to Cha, 9-4.

By the final afternoon, the field was down to the Elite Eight, and the question of tour cards had been settled.  Now, the eight remaining players were focused on the prize money.  Briana Miller eliminated Veronique Menard 7-1 and Janet Atwell 7-3, while Susan Williams defeated Kim Benson 7-5 and Sharon O’Hanlon 7-3.  Williams then went on to eliminate Miller 7-4 leaving the teenager with a respectable fourth place finish.  Williams then prevailed over Ashton in a tense hill-hill battle and earned a final match-up with Cha.

In the championship match, Cha and Williams each won a game, then Cha stepped out to a three-game lead.  Williams fought hard to the end, but finally had to settle for a second place finish by a score of 9-4.  As the last 9-ball fell, Cha graciously accepted the enthusiastic applause from the appreciative crowd.  Clearly, Yu-Ram Cha will be a force to be reckoned with during the coming WPBA season. 

Competitors and spectators agreed that the 2011 WPBA Regional Tour Championship had been a rousing success.  The two people primarily responsible were Kim White-Newsome and Bobby Rone.  Kim organized, promoted, and directed this event.  She’s a native Houstonian, and in addition to being an active WPBA touring professional, she’s the owner-operator of the highly successful Lone Star Billiards Tour.  Despite having conducted more than thirty LSBT tournaments during the past two years, Kim admitted to having been a little apprehensive as she prepared for this one.  “This is the first time Houston has hosted a WPBA-sanctioned event since the tour stop in 1994,” she said, “and I wanted to be sure it was done right.”

Kim was ably assisted by Bobby Rone, a successful Houston businessman.  Bobby is a longtime pool enthusiast, who this past year purchased, renovated, and reequipped Bogies Billiards.  In addition to providing his poolroom as the venue for this event, Bobby personally added $3,000 to the prize money and provided perks such as food and gifts for the players.  “I enjoy hosting tournaments like this,” Bobby said, “and I certainly hope these women will want to come back to Bogies.

Despite the nationwide sluggish economy, the Greater Houston Area continues to be a hotbed for pool, thanks in large part to the efforts of Kim White-Newsome and Bobby Rone. 

Susan Williams, Joanne Ashton, Yu Ram Cha, Briana Miller, Kim White

Regional Tour Championship — 2011

*Top 8 players earned WPBA tour cards

By Carlos Ledson Miller
Author of pool novels Stroke
and French Quarter Danny