World’s top female billiard players plan return trip to Fairfield

FAIRFIELD – Fairfield will host a women’s professional pool tournament this March, the third time in five years the town has hosted such an event.

Daryn Hamilton informed the Fairfield City Council Monday night that players from the Women’s Professional Billiard Associate will compete at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center from March 15-19. The FACC last hosted a WPBA event in September 2021, and did so for the first time in August 2019. That 2019 event was the first time the WPBA had held a tournament in Iowa.

Hamilton is not only an avid pool player himself, he’s also a nationally certified pool referee. He joined the board of directors of the WPBA in 2019, and just last month was chosen by the board to be its vice president.

During Monday’s council meeting, Hamilton told the council about all of the expenses the players incur during their travels, and asked the council for money to defray the players’ transportation costs. Specifically, he asked for $1,000 in Local Option Sales Tax, which would go toward the paying for a shuttle bus to and from the airports in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, as well as transportation within Fairfield, such as to and from their hotels and to grocery stores.

Normally, requests for LOST funds made in January for the following fiscal year’s budget, which in this case would be the 2023-2024 fiscal year. However, Hamilton asked the council if there was money from this current fiscal year that was not spoken for, since the WPBA players would need the money in a couple of months. The council voted unanimously to award $1,000 in the current fiscal year’s LOST fund toward WPBA travel expenses.

Hamilton mentioned that this year’s tournament will begin with a pro-am event on the first day, where local amateurs will have a chance to play against some of the game’s best players in the world. Entry fees in that tournament will go toward the Fairfield Kiwanis Club.

“For the last tournament, we raised $2,000, and we’re hoping to raise that same amount this year,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said he appreciates the support from local businesses in putting on the tournament. For instance, the FACC is not charging the WPBA for use of the facility, and instead has asked to receive proceeds from the ticket and beverage sales. Mad Hatter Billiards, which is just south of the FACC, is supplying the trophies.

“They [Mad Hatter Billiards] know what this means for pool playing, and for the entire community,” Hamilton said.

The WPBA players compete on 9-foot-long tables, which are longer than the pool tables commonly seen in bars, and they will be brought to Fairfield from Indiana.

Hamilton said he’s hoping for a big crowd for this upcoming tournament. The first tournament in 2019 was not well advertised, he said, and drew a small crowd. For the tourney in 2021, about 100 tickets were sold for the four-day event. Hamilton hopes to double the attendance for 2023.

At the 2021 tournament, No. 5 ranked Kelly “Kwikfire” Fisher of Scotland beat the defending champion, No. 7 ranked Kristina Tkach of Russia to win the first-place trophy and $5,000 in prize money. Forty-seven women competed in all. Hamilton said he’s eager to see who signs up to play in this year’s invitational. He said the players will receive their invitations later this month.

“I love the sport of billiards, and I love supporting the women of the WPBA,” Hamilton said.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com