IPT Announcement - Dates, Locations, and Event Information for 2006 Tour Card
December 30, 2005
IPT Announcement - Dates, Locations, and Event Information for 2006 Tour Card Qualifying Tournamentswww.internationalpooltour.com (http://www.internationalpooltour.com/)The entry fee for each tournament is $2000. Each tournament will be a Double-Elimination competition with races to ten. The Two players from each tournament who will win tour cards will be the winner of the winning side and the winner of the losing side of the brackets. IPT Rules, which can be read on line, govern each tournament. There is very limited space at each event so entries are based on a first-come, first-served basis. Players should not miss this chance to play on the IPT tour by failing to register in time. On line registration is the only way to enter these events and the form is on the IPT web site www.internationalpooltour.com (http://www.internationalpooltour.com/). Absolutely no entries will be allowed at the tournament; no money will be accepted at the events.
Jeanette Lee
December 28, 2005
Jeanette Lee
Lee has been one of the top players for over a decade.
Everybody knows who Jeanette Lee is. After all, Jeanette Lee is perhaps the most widely recognized pool player ever in the public eye. She has been featured on ESPN, “The David Letterman Show,” HBO’s “Arliss,” “Hard Copy,” People Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and many other shows and publications. She has remained of the WPBA’s top-ranked players since her professional debut in 1993 and has since accomplished many feats both on and off of the pool table. Jeanette Lee also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Women’s Sports Foundation and is the National Spokesperson for the Scoliosis Association. She also authored The Black Widow’s Guide to Killer Pool.
Visit the Jeanette Lee image gallery
Jeanette Lee began playing pool at the age of 18 while living in her hometown of Brooklyn, NY. In spite of her scoliosis, she quickly learned to endure her back pain and take it out on her opponents. She finished third place in her first pro event in 1992 and continued to move up in the rankings. By 1994, she became the number-one ranked player in the world and earned the “Player of the Year” award. In addition to may top finishes on the Women’s Professional Billiards Association (WPBA) Tour, she brought home the gold medal for the USA at the 2001 Akita World Games in Japan and won the Ladies’ $25,000 winner-take-all Tournament of Champions in November 2003.
Jeanette "The Black Widow" Lee
Presently she resides in Indianapolis, IN, with her husband, former pro George Breedlove, and her two step daughters. She and her husband have recently welcomed new daughter Cheyenne Lee Breedlove, “The Baby Widow,” whom Lee feels will not take her away from the billiards circuit, but instead has become “a great source of inspiration” while playing. With such an optimistic statement, it is no doubt that “The Black Widow’s” fans will be seeing plenty of her in the future.
Ewa Laurance
December 28, 2005
Ewa Mataya Laurance laughed as she said,“I don’t feel like I am old enough, just so you know.” This comment comes in reference to her upcoming induction into the Billiard Congress of America’s (BCA) Hall of Fame, which was announced in January 2004. While Laurance is being inducted into the Greatest Player category, she will share the limelight with the late George Balabushka, who was elected into the category of Meritorious Service. The BCA’s Hall of Fame honors outstanding individuals whose dedication to the game and competitive skills have enriched the sport and its industry.
While such an honor is sure to make a difference in her life, Laurance says that overall she doesn’t think it will change things too much. “I have a strenuous work exhibition schedule, and I do many corporate events, as well as events for Brunswick such as exhibition and trick shot shows.” As for tournaments, she confirms that she will definitely continue her tournament schedule. “I put a lot of pressure on myself, and I keep thinking I have to do it, and you know I realized I don’t have to do it. only if I want to—if I want to play a lot again and get back into it again, it is going to be my choice.”
There can be fewer more recognizable female players on the tour than Ewa Laurance. Known as “The Striking Viking,” Laurance has had a glittering career in pocket billiards and was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America’s (BCA) Hall of Fame in 2004.
Laurance has appeared on numerous magazine covers, including New York Times, People, Forbes, Sports Illustrated, and Glamour. She is also a former model, starring in national commercials. Additionally, Laurance provides color commentary for ESPN.
Originally from Gavle, Sweden, Laurance now resides in Conway, SC. Her birthday is February 26. She turned pro in 1981 and has acquired many titles, including International Trick Shot champion, U.S. Open champion, WPA World 9-Ball Champion, World Open 9-Ball champion, and two-time Swedish National 9-Ball champion. She is sponsored by Brunswick Billiards.
Laurance supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation and also sits on the board of the Billiard Education Foundation. In addition, she frequently participates in celebrity golf tournaments all over the country. To learn more about her, visit her website at strikingviking.com.
