Sally Timko

Mezz Pro-Am Billiards Tour Launches

Mika Immonen and Mezz Cues are proud to announce the Mezz Pro-Am Tour. The Mezz Tour is a 1-day Open Tournament with staggered entry fees and additional cash prizes for the top 2 finishers in the A/B and C/D division. Events will take place in the North East region.

“We are happy to work with Jose Burgos, who runs the best 1-day tournaments in this region. We hope to offer a highly competitive tournament and great prizes for pros and amateurs alike. We will also give each player a free raffle ticket for a Mezz Cue and Mezz Case at the Grand Finale Tournament along with prizes for the Top 10 point leaders of the year,” says Mika.
Jose describes, “I am honored to join forces with Mika Immonen and Mezz Cues. I believe having the best player in the world along with one of the leading cue companies in the industry as sponsors will make the Mezz Pro-Am Tour one of the premier tours in the region.”

Along with the Mezz Open Tour, we are also proud to announce a Mezz Women’s Tour overseen by WPBA Pro and Mezz USA President, Caroline Pao.

“With so many great female players in the Northeast region, this is a great opportunity to provide a competitive tour for them to participate in. We will feature great prizes at each stop as well as hold a Grand Finale tournament with added monies. Prizes will also be awarded for the Top 3 female players of the year with the Top Female receiving paid entry to the prestigious Turning Stone Tournament in Syracuse, NY. I am very excited be able to provide an opportunity for our local female players to sharpen their competitive edge. Once we complete the 8 event schedule, it will be on our official Mezz Tour website, www.mezztour.com,” explains Caroline.

As a prelude to our official launch of the Mezz Pro-Am Tour, we had a great event at Drexeline Billiards in Drexel Hill, PA on January 31st with an attendance of 53 players. Joey Testa and Ignacio Chavez were co-champions of this event with Victor Nau in 3rd and Josh Brothers in 4th place.

The next stop will be at on February 21st at :
Atlantic City Billiards
6701 Blackhorse Pike
Egg Habor, NJ 08234
(609) 645-7576

Visit the official Mezz Pro-Am Tour website, www.mezztour.com, for more information.
For sponsorship opportunities, please contact info@mezztour.com.

Frederick Mali Honored with Billiard Congress of America 2009 President’s Award

Each year the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) recognizes an outstanding individual who has made significant contributions to the billiard industry with the presentation of the BCA President’s Award. This year the BCA has chosen to recognize Frederick Mali. Mali, who passed away at the age of 76 in 2007, was the president and CEO of The Henry W.T. Mali & Co., Inc. (Mali Cloth), the oldest continuously family-run company in New York City, founded in 1826.

“Fred Mali was a great ambassador for the game of billiards, as well as the most gentlemanly individual with whom I have ever done business,” said BCA President Ivan Lee. “I feel it is important to recognize a man who never had an enemy, made an indelible mark on his company and this industry, and always found time for anyone needing his assistance or support. Fred provided direction and assistance to many people in the billiard industry selflessly and willingly. The loss of Fred Mali to the billiard industry is difficult to accurately determine, but his eternal optimism and civilized manner would have been a guiding light in the troubled economic times that our industry faces today. I only regret that this recognition comes to him posthumously.”

Born in 1930 in New York City, Mali was educated at Buckley, Groton, Yale, and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mali also served his country in the U.S. Army, where he was stationed in Paris, between World War I and II. He married Lucretia Obolensky Mali in 1979.

“Fred lived by the simple belief that a man’s word is his honor,” said his wife, Lucretia, who is also the current president of The Henry W.T. Mali & Co., Inc. ”He believed deeply that the only thing you have in life is your reputation, and so he rolled up his sleeves and worked non-stop to ensure Mali’s status as one of the leading companies in the billiards industry. They don’t make them like Fred anymore.”

Mali’s true love was using his engineering mind to improve systems and procedures at Mali and in the billiard industry overall. He personally developed many of the automated manufacturing equipment used to make the Mali Cue line of cues. He also was an expert craftsman with inlays for Pool Cues. Mali was also involved in the early days of organizing the Billiard Congress of America and the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America. Outside of billiards, Mali devoted time to arts and theater, helping design sets for numerous New York City theaters.

“I am eternally grateful to Fred Mali for the support he provided me during our 20 year friendship,” said Victor Stein, author of the Billiard Encyclopedia. “He opened many doors for me in the billiard industry—in the U.S. and throughout the world. And, as far as his reputation, Fred was a respected elder statesman in the billiard business.”

Payton Powers Through GSBT Field
Great Southern Billiards Tour / Asheboro, NC

by Lea Andrews

While head coach Sean Payton was leading the New Orleans Saints to their first Super Bowl victory at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, another Payton—Roy—was finishing up an undefeated weekend at Zoo City Saloon in Asheboro, NC. He did so at the expense of the field of 30 who gathered February 6-7 for the $1,500-added Great Southern Billiards Tour event.

B-ranked Payton got past fellow B-player Jeff Baumgarner 7-2 to reach the hot seat match against A-ranked Tony Morrison, who’d gotten by A-ranked Kevin Boggs 9-7. In the weighted race for the hot seat, though Payton notched one less game, he scored the win 7-8.

On the one-loss side, B-ranked Charles “Cotton” Trivett eased by B-ranked Robert Ash 7-3 to meet up with Paul Mullins, who’d ousted fellow A-player Sidney Champion 9-7. After taking care of Mullins 7-4, Trivett moved on to Baumgarner. Meanwhile, B-ranked James Blackburn held B-ranked Joe Edmonds to three games to face Mike Basha, who’d held fellow B-player Tony Williams to four games. Edging out Basha 7-6, Blackburn advanced to Boggs, but landed in fifth after managing just two games. In the quarterfinals, Boggs met Baumgarner, who’d put Trivett in fifth 7-5, and though Boggs managed to reach his hill of 8 games, Baumgarner marked up the final rack, earning his spot in the semifinals 7-8. There he found himself in another tight hill-hill match with an A-player, which, fortunately for Baumgarner, yielded the same result—he put Morrison in third 7-8 to get his rematch with Payton in the finals.

In the true double-elimination final match, Payton could afford to get behind or even lose the first set, but he hadn’t lost a set all weekend, and he wasn’t about to start. After jumping out to a two-game lead, Payton stayed in front, and when Baumgarner missed his chance to tie it up by scratching on the 5 ball at 6-5, Payton took ball in hand and the final rack to earn his win 7-5.

Results:
1st Roy Payton $1,000
2nd Jeff Baumgarner $500
3rd Tony Morrison $250
4th Kevin Boggs $125
5th Charles Trivett $70
James Blackburn
7th Mike Basha $45
Paul Mullins

Toney Tops on Tri-State Tour
Tri-State Tour / Queens, NY

by InsidePOOL Staff

Twenty-eight players showed up for the February 6 installment of the Tri-State Tour, and Duane Toney bested them all to win the title. Hosted by Master Billiards in Queens, NY, the C-D handicapped stop featured a $750-added prize purse.

Toney went undefeated through the field, defeating Charles Vergara 6-4 in the final four of the winners’ bracket. Meeting him in the hot seat match was Raul Reyes Jr., fresh off a 6-4 victory over Kapriel Delimelkonoglu. Their match was as close as possible, but Toney prevailed 6-5, sending Reyes to the west side.

On the left side of the chart, Vergara recovered from his earlier loss, eliminating Mike Garreta 6-4, while Delimelkonoglu was ousted by Wilfredo Albay 6-3. In the quarterfinal match, Albay pressed on, sending Vergara home in fourth place 6-3.

Eager for a rematch with Toney, Reyes fought hard against Albay and won, advancing to the finals 6-3. But even though it was a double-hill match, it was Toney who prevailed 6-5.

Results:
1st Duane Toney $615
2nd Raul Reyes Jr. $340
3rd Wilfredo Albay $215
4th Charles Vergara $110
5th Kapriel Delimelkonoglu $65
Mike Garreta