First Round Draw at WPBA Masters: Play Begins 11 a.m.

Jan 26, 2012

World's Top Women Pool Players at Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, MI
MT. PLEASANT, MI - The Women's Professional Billiard Association's (WPBA) top players have arrived in northern Michigan to compete in the WPBA Masters at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort. The WPBA Masters 9-Ball Championship kicks off the 2012 Women's Pro Billiard Tour season and the first round of competition begins at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 26, 2012.
Here is the first round schedule. (Note, the 16 winners will compete against the tournament's top 16 seeds in round two, while the losers move to the one-loss side of the tournament chart.) To view the chart and ongoing results, visit www.wpba.com and click on "2012 Soaring Eagle Tournament Board."
11:00 a.m.
Emily Duddy vs. Jacqui Herrera (winner plays Ga Young Kim at 6 p.m.)
Dawn Hopkins vs. Emilyn Callado (winner plays Gerda Hofstatter at 6 p.m.)
Val Finnie vs. Jessica Barnes (winner plays Ewa Laurance at 6 p.m.)
Susan Williams vs. Joanne Ashton (winner plays Cathy Metzinger at 6 p.m.)
Liz Cole vs. Cheryl Pritchard (winner plays Karen Corr at 6 p.m.)
Belinda Calhoun vs. Teresa Gifford (winner plays Brittany Bryant at 6 p.m.)
1:00 p.m.
Erica Park vs. Janet Atwell (winner plays Helena Thornfeldt at 8 p.m.)
Laura Smith vs. Barbara Lee (winner plays Jasmin Ouschan at 8 p.m.)
Morgan Steinman vs. Lonnie Fox (winner plays Nicole Keeney at 8 p.m.)
Jennifer Chen vs. Jana Montour (winner plays Kelly Fisher at 8 p.m.)
Eleanor Callado vs. Tina Hess (winner plays Line Kjorsvik at 8 p.m.)
3:00 p.m.
Naomi Williams vs. Rebecca Wagner (winner plays Allison Fisher at 10 p.m.)
Maureen Seto vs. Vicki Paski (winner plays Jennifer Barretta at 10 p.m.)
Melissa Little vs. Angel Paglia (winner plays Jeanette Lee at 10 p.m.)
Kyoko Sone vs. Erin McManus (winner plays Tamara Peeters at 10 p.m.)
There will be two sessions of play each day. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, January 29 beginning at 1 p.m., when the final four players remaining will compete for the title of 2012 WPBA Masters Champion. These three final-round one-hour matches will be taped by ESPN for future television broadcasts. Tickets are available via startickets.com.
Alongside the WPBA Masters is the Soaring Eagle Open III, featuring amateur singles 8-Ball and 9-Ball tournaments in men and women's divisions, with $10,000 in added prize money. This event also begins Thursday, January 26 and continues through Sunday, January 29, 2012. Visit www.soaringeagleopen.com for more information.
About the Women's Professional Billiard Association (WPBA)
The WPBA was established in 1976 as the Women's Professional Billiard Alliance, and will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2011 as the oldest pro player organization in the sport. The WPBA sanctions and produces the Women's Pro Billiard Tour, which features ESPN-televised events with the world's greatest women players. Visit www.wpba.com for more. The WPBA Classic Tour is sponsored by the American Poolplayers Association, Diamond Billiards, Iwan Simonis, Cuetec Cues, Delta 13, Pooldawg, Mueller Recreational Products and Aramith.
About the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
The Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort is the Midwest's premier AAA Four Diamond gaming and hospitality destination offering top-name entertainment year-round, award-winning dining, high stakes bingo and a full-service spa. For more information, visit www.soaringeaglecasino.com