All of the tables at the Derby City Classic featured 4-1/4” pockets this year, down from the Diamond pro standard of 4-1/2”. With the full fields and smaller pockets it was no wonder the tournament ran beyond their schedule this year, with the One Pocket finishing late Saturday night, and the 9-Ball finishing at 9:35 in the morning Sunday, after playing all night!
The last stretch run of the One Pocket was also complicated by so many of the players left in the One Pocket also needing to keep up with the 9-Ball, with players like Gorst and Chohan still deep in the running for the all-
around, so every match was important.
Jonathan ‘Hennessee’ Pinegar had a great One Pocket run, finally running out of gas in the wee hours of Saturday night. Pinegar stayed undefeated into the 12th round, and finished 2nd with wins over everyone he played – eventually losing twice to Chohan, but also having handed Tony his first loss in the 11th round. His wins, besides one vs Chohan, included a late round win over Efren Reyes, and earlier wins over the likes of former DCC champion Billy Thorpe, Mosconi Cup player Tyler Styer and all-everything, Shane Van Boening! Hennessee even found the time and stamina to play a late night race to 21 in 10-Ball in the PoolActionTV action room, which he also won! A long time tough competitor, this was his highest finish in a major One Pocket tournament.
What can you say about the legendary Efren Reyes, who at 68 years old came to play for real in the One Pocket! He finished 3rd including late round wins over Alex Pagulayan, Sky Woodward and Justin Hall.
For Tony Chohan, this was his first One Pocket title at the Derby City Classic, which means he now has career wins at all three of the major One Pocket tournaments – the DCC, Buffalo’s Pro Classic and the US Open One Pocket. Besides coming from down 2-1 to defeat Jonathan Pinegar hill-hill in the finals, Tony had late round wins over Efren Reyes, John Morra and Sky Woodward. His only loss in the tournament came at the hands of Jonathan Pinegar in the 11th round, which Tony avenged to advance in the very next round, before following up with his finals win.
Fedor Gorst became the first player to win two of the big three DCC divisions in the same year, for two years in a row, which propelled him to his back-to-back “all-around champion” mantle. Tony Chohan finished 2nd in the all-around by virtue of his One Pocket title, coupled with high finishes in both Banks and 9-Ball.
481 Players in Banks
1st – Fedor Gorst
2nd – Evan Lunda
3rd – Raed Shabib
426 Players in One Pocket
1st – Tony Chohan
2nd – Jonathan Pinegar
3rd – Efren Reyes