BATA REYES TOPS 2010 JANUARY POOL MONEY LIST

FILIPINO pool maestro Efren “Bata” Reyes leads the top 10 world billiards money list for the month of January 2010.

The 55-year-old Reyes, the top player of businessman/ sportsman Aristeo “Putch” Puyat  took the top spot after magnificent performance at the start of the year of the Metal Tiger.

” Maganda kasi ang performance ni Efren sa pagsisimula ng taon kaya nanguna siya sa AZbilliards Player Money List for January 2010,” said Puyat, acknowledge Philippine Billiards God Father.

Reyes now has total earnings of $53,275 according to www.azbilliards.com after a great start winning the Asia versus Europe challenge match last January 15 to 17 in Brunei Darussalam. Aside from Reyes, other member of Team Asia that includes fellow Puyat Sports stable ace Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Hui-Chan Lu and Pin-Yi Ko of Chinese-Taipei and Teo Cheo Soon of Brunei. Each of them received $5,400.

Reyes’s income got a boost from his domination in the 12th annual Derby City Classic last January 21-31 at the Horseshoe Casino and Hotel Elizabeth in Indiana, where he earned $20,000 for being the Master of the Table, $16,000 for winning the 9-ball division, $6,500 for winning the Fatboy 10-ball challenge, $5,000 for settling a runner-up place in the 9-ball banks and $375 for 20th place in the One Pocket divisions.

Bustamante, on the other hand came sixth place with total earnings of $8,850 while another Puyat Sports stable bet Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan is at 10th place with $5, 815.

Rounding up the top 10 are no.2 Scott Frost ($17,600), no.3 John Brumback ($13,875), no.4 Sylver Ochoa (11,220), no.5 Jett Johnson ($9,000), no.7 Rodney Morris ($8,525), no.8 Rafael Martinez ($7,275) and no.9 Shannon Murphy ($6,025).

In this Derby City Classic event, Reyes has been named Player of the Decade by the United States Billiards Media Association (USBMA), beating a short list of world champions. Reyes edged Johnny “Scorpion”Archer of the United States, Mika “The Iceman” Immonen of Finland and Ralf “Kaiser” Souquet of Germany for the coveted honor.

A native of Angeles City, Pampanga, Reyes has amassed $1.7 million in prize money, according to website azbilliards. The money does not include $47,500 Reyes bagged in securing his fifth straight Master of the Table Crown.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO