Shootout on the ReservationBy “Fast Mikie” McCafferty  High in the hardscrabble hills outside San Diego, CA, the sovereign nation called Viejas is home to a band of 500 native Americans of the Kumeyaay tribe. In each of the past eight years, they have hosted the Women’s Professional Billiard Association 9-ball tournament at their extraordinary gaming casino. Wednesday, March 30, was Day 1 of the Mueller Recreational Products West Coast Classic, a five-day extravaganza.
The action started with a pro-am tournament with 12 teams, each one captained by one of the top 12 ranked professionals, and each team filled out with 4 local amateurs who paid $50 apiece for the privilege. The proceeds were donated to a local charity.
The scene was total madness, not at all the controlled decorum we have come to expect from watching our heroines play on TV. Other than not being allowed to actually touch the shooting player, there were no rules whatsoever against sharking, which led to some completely outrageous behavior on every shot. The team who won the most games in the timed match was the overall winner, and each member of the team won a pair of his/hers watches and some incidental trinkets. Julie “Motor Molly” Kelly’s team scooped first place after Jeanette Lee’s team missed a tough long cut on the 9. There wasn’t an award for the best sharking, but if there was one it would have gone to Monica “The Assassin” Webb, who orchestrated her team’s antics in the most hilarious display ever seen in a pool room. After all the commotion of the pro-am tournament, things settled down to some more serious challenge matches. For $20, any local amateur could challenge the pro of their choice, or for 10 bucks they would be assigned the next available pro. It was only a race to 2, so the money disappeared almost as fast as if it was put in the slot machines just outside the pool room. Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news on the Meuller Recreational West Coast Classic.
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