Fourth Florida Pro Event Kicks Offby Rick Davis The fourth stop of the Florida Pro Tour got underway today at Planet 9-Ball in Tampa, FL. The event drew 63 players who spanned the spectrum of local and national players and promised to offer some exciting pair-ups.Early action saw most of the favorites win their first match, while the second round on the winners’ side began to see some powerful pair-ups. Charlie “The Dragon” Williams defeated recent Hall of Fame inductee Earl Strickland and “Rocket” Rodney Morris bested Corey Deuel. Meanwhile, Troy Frank and Buddy Hall each steamrolled their second opponents, defeating them 7-1, while Butch “The Butcher” Croft defeated Hall of Famer Nick Varner. Some surprising losses came from tournament director John DiToro and tour regulars Dave Grossman, Ron Wiseman, and Sparky Ferrell, who all took losses in the second round, while former U.S. Open champion Gabe Owen and John “Mr. 400” Schmidt would have a long fight ahead after taking a loss in their first match.
On the one-loss side, Ray “Cool Cat” Martin got eliminated by Richie Richeson, who got knocked out himself in the next round. Schmidt, Owen, and Deuel each won another match to stay alive, while the rest of the round continues to play.The rest of the day will be a clash of the titans in Tampa as the field narrows to the top 16, who will return Sunday to fight for the lion’s share of the $8,000-added purse.Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.
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