It was July 20, 2003, a day that shook the world.
I'm a very serious fan of both golf and pool., so it's really rare that anyone I've never heard of wins a major title in either........at least that's how it was until July 20, 2003.
Afternoon, 7/20/2003
In the afternoon, 396th ranked Ben Curtis, of whom I had never heard prior to the event, and whose career high finish in any European Pro Golf Association event was thirteenth, snapped off the British Open. Hey, I guess you never know. In view of how Ben Curtis has perfromed since, this looks like a really serious fluke.
Evening, 7/20/2003
Just hours after Ben Curtis' improbable win, Thorsten Hohmann, of whom I had never heard prior to the event, snapped of the World Pool Championship. Unlike Curtis, however, Hohmann went on to superstardom, capturing the BCA Open, the World Straight Pool Championship, and an IPT 8-ball title carrying a first prize of $350,000.
Evening, 10/20/2007 ?????????????????
Will Mekari, a player completely unknown to me prior to the 2007 US Open nine ball event, win the title? If he does, will he fade away like Ben Curtis or will he go on to superstardom like Thorsten Hohmann.
The deck is stacked against Mekari, given who else is left in the 2007 US Open: 1) Ronnie Alcano, the reigning World 9-ball champion, 2) Ralf Souquet, simply one of the best 9-ball players of all time, last year's runnerup at the World 9-ball championships and holder of virtually every important tile pool has to offer, and 3) Shane Van Boening, the reigning World 10-ball champion and the best young American player we've seen in a long, long time.
Four years ago, on a Sunday in July, I wrote off the chances of both Ben Curtis and Thorsten Hohmann. My inclination is to do the same with Mekari today, but I best keep an open mind this time.
I'm a very serious fan of both golf and pool., so it's really rare that anyone I've never heard of wins a major title in either........at least that's how it was until July 20, 2003.
Afternoon, 7/20/2003
In the afternoon, 396th ranked Ben Curtis, of whom I had never heard prior to the event, and whose career high finish in any European Pro Golf Association event was thirteenth, snapped off the British Open. Hey, I guess you never know. In view of how Ben Curtis has perfromed since, this looks like a really serious fluke.
Evening, 7/20/2003
Just hours after Ben Curtis' improbable win, Thorsten Hohmann, of whom I had never heard prior to the event, snapped of the World Pool Championship. Unlike Curtis, however, Hohmann went on to superstardom, capturing the BCA Open, the World Straight Pool Championship, and an IPT 8-ball title carrying a first prize of $350,000.
Evening, 10/20/2007 ?????????????????
Will Mekari, a player completely unknown to me prior to the 2007 US Open nine ball event, win the title? If he does, will he fade away like Ben Curtis or will he go on to superstardom like Thorsten Hohmann.
The deck is stacked against Mekari, given who else is left in the 2007 US Open: 1) Ronnie Alcano, the reigning World 9-ball champion, 2) Ralf Souquet, simply one of the best 9-ball players of all time, last year's runnerup at the World 9-ball championships and holder of virtually every important tile pool has to offer, and 3) Shane Van Boening, the reigning World 10-ball champion and the best young American player we've seen in a long, long time.
Four years ago, on a Sunday in July, I wrote off the chances of both Ben Curtis and Thorsten Hohmann. My inclination is to do the same with Mekari today, but I best keep an open mind this time.
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