
Hey, that's Rolando in the background .
EFREN "Bata” Reyes’ magic continues to rake in the cash.
For the fourth time in the last five years, the Filipino pool icon emerged the top earner among the world's billiards players with accumulated earnings of $279,169 (about P14.8 million) for 2005.
The 51-year-old Reyes' purse was boosted by his biggest ever paycheck of $200,000, his prize for beating defending champion Mike Sigel of the United States in the finals of the 2005 International Pool Tour (IPT) King of the Hill 8-Ball Shoot Out last December 4 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
Reyes, already enshrined in the billiards Hall of Fame, was joined by compatriots Marlon Manalo, Francisco "Django" Bustamante and Santos Sambajon in the top 10 of the 2005 Player Money List released by "Az Billiards.com" yesterday.
His eyesight improved by laser surgery early last year, Reyes also snared the Derby City Classic, 9-Ball and Master of the Table titles and topped the Japan Open and a San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour leg to duplicate his domination of the billiards circuit in 2001, 2002 and 2004. Reyes wound up third richest in 2003.
With the $100,000 prize for ruling the 2005 Texas Hold Em Billiards last December 12, Manalo wound up third behind Sigel ($250,000) with total winnings of $199,500.
Bustamante finished fourth, accumulating $140,272 following a third place finish in the IPT finals event that netted him $70,000 last December.
The US-based Sambajon, a native of Macalelon town in Quezon province, pocketed $89,669, including a $73,500 bonanza for topping the 2005 Skins Billiard Championships last October in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Rounding out the top 10 are No. 5 Allison Fisher of the US ($111,200); No. 6 and reigning World 9-Ball champion Wu Chia-ching of Chinese-Taipei ($109,500.); No. 7 Loree Jon Jones of the US ($105,500); No. 8 Johnny Archer of the US ($100,104) and No. 9 Thorsten Hohmann of Germany ($96,635).
Former world pool champion Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan, a triple-gold medalist in the 2005 Manila Southeast Asian Games, earned $80,824, bolstered by his US Open victory, worth $40,000, over fellow Filipino Jose "Amang" Parica last September in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Pagulayan, a native of Cabagan town in Isabela province, also took the top purse of $10,000 by ruling the SML Entertainment 9-Ball Championships last April in Calgary, Canada.
Sigel bested compatriot Loree Jon Jones in the finals of the IPT World 8-Ball Championships to bring home $150,000 last August in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Marlon Bernardino, contributor
SOURCE:
http://news.inq7.net/sports/index.php?index=1&story_id=62112
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Not bad for someone who some here call overrated .