Fairfield arts center to host top female billiard players

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield Arts & Convention Center will host the top female pool players in the world during a four-day tournament in September.

The Women’s Professional Billiard Association will come to Fairfield for the Kiwanis Invitational nine ball tournament Sept. 9-12. It will be the second time the arts center has hosted a Women’s Professional Billiard Association event, the first in 2019. This also will be the first WPBA-sanctioned event since the start of the pandemic, so the players are eager to return to action and put on a good show for fans in Southeast Iowa.

Several of the top players have confirmed they will compete at the event, including reigning champion and No. 7-ranked Kristina Tkach of Moscow, Russia, who won the event in 2019, taking home the $5,000 prize. Hoping to knock Tkach off her throne will be the WPBA’s No. 1-ranked player Jennifer “9 MM” Barretta of New York, No. 5 Kelly “Kwik Fire” Fisher of Scotland, No. 10 Monica “The Assassin” Webb of Georgia and No. 16 LoreeJon “Queen of the Hill” Hasson of South Carolina, along with 43 other competitors of the Women’s Professional Billiard Association.

Working behind the scenes to bring the competition to Fairfield was Daryn Hamilton, a Fairfield resident active in the Kiwanis Club who was once a Fairfield City Council member and is now a Jefferson County supervisor. In his free time, Hamilton loves to play pool, telling the Union, “Some guys go fishing. I play pool.”

Hamilton has taken an interest in promoting the game, too. He became a nationally certified pool referee in 2016, and began rubbing shoulders with the biggest names in the billiard business. He convinced the president of the Women’s Professional Billiard Association to hold a tournament in Fairfield, a town with a strong pool tradition whose arts center could accommodate a large group of players. Hamilton was later elected to the WPBA’s board of directors.

“I know that the gals are exciting about coming back to Fairfield,” Hamilton said. “They loved visiting and seeing our quaint shops downtown.”

The players are excited to try out the new billiard hall called “Mad Hatter Billiards” that will open in the old Ila’s restaurant location on North Main Street, just across the street from the arts center. The billiard hall is expected to open before the tournament, and Hamilton said the players are looking forward to practicing there when they’re not competing in a match.

Residents will have a chance to play against the top Women’s Professional Billiard Association players during a pro-am event starting at 7 p.m. Sept. 9 at the arts center. The first 32 people who sign up and pay the entry fee will be split into six teams, each one with a WPBA pro. Hamilton said the 2019 pro-am event raised almost $1,300 toward the Kiwanis club, and he’s hoping to match or exceed that figure this year.

“The people who competed in the pro-am two years ago really enjoyed it,” Hamilton said. “Who can say, ‘I played pool against Kelly Fisher, or Kristina Tkach or LoreeJon Hasson?’ It’s a unique opportunity. These gals are really approachable. They’re just like you or me, and happen to be athletes at the top of their game.”

The Kiwanis Invitational will be a double-elimination format with prize money totaling $7,000 and the winner taking home $5,000. Matches will begin at 10 a.m. and go until 11 p.m. except on Thursday of that week, when tournament play will end at 5 p.m. to accommodate the pro-am event that evening. By Sunday, Sept. 12, the field will be whittled to the final four players on two tables.

Those interested in participating in the pro-am event can contact Hamilton at 641-919-1861. He said he will take anyone willing to play regardless of their skill level. For information about ticket prices and to purchase one, two, three or four-day passes, visit the arts center’s website at fairfieldacc.com or call its ticket office at 641-472-2787. Patrons can choose between general admission and VIP seating.