IPT karsinnoista:

[Marko Muukka]

There are three IPT Qualifiers remaining! Those players who win their IPT Tour Card are virtually winning over $150,000! Winning your 2006 Tour Card is easier than winning any tournament since so many of the great players like Archer, Manalo, Reyes, Strickland, Pagulayan, are not playing in the qualifiers. We encourage you to enter the remaining qualifiers.

Qualifiers are almost sold out. You must enter online in advance. No applications or money will be accepted the day of the event. And, no applications will be accepted once the field is full.

To make things even more exciting for the remaining three qualifiers, the IPT will be paying a $5000 bonus to any and all players who break and run six racks in a row!

At the Atlanta qualifier, three players broke and ran six or more racks in a row winning $5000 each!

Plus... the players who take 3rd-6th place will receive free entries into the remaining qualifiers. In the qualifying tournament in Holland, because there will not be any more qualifying tournaments, those who finish 3rd-6th will receive $2000 each!

But there's more... At the Bellflower and Chelmsford qualifiers, ten-time World Champion Mike Sigel will be in attendance working on getting the "Ring Rust" off his game! The IPT will be drawing eight names from those who are eliminated from the tournament to play Mike. Beating Mike earns you free entries into the remaining qualifiers. To make things more interesting, Mike will be playing two players simultaneously!

In Atlanta, Mike's ten-year absence from pressure and competitive play allowed four of the eight players to win free entries into the remaining qualifiers! Sigel looked stiff and out of stroke. He was compared to Muhammad Ali getting beaten up by his sparring partner. To add some excitement, the IPT offered Sigel $10,000 if he could win his last two matches (playing these two players at the same time!). Amazingly, after playing six matches non-stop, Sigel's game kicked into gear and he pulled off the impossible...playing two players who were in dead stroke, AT THE SAME TIME...Sigel looked like the champion of old by running impossible racks, making impossible shots, and playing perfect safeties! Needless to say, Sigel won both matches and the $10,000!

[Marko Muukka]

Tiedote IPT:n päivämääristä yms:

I wish that I could give you the dates and locations for the tournaments in 2006 today. I can't however give you the exact dates and locations today, but the good news is that we are finalizing negotiations and we will be announcing at least the date and location of the first tournament no later than the middle of next week.

Cities and venues all around the world are actively pursuing the IPT to hold our tournaments. The main challenge we are having is the massive size requirements and the number of days we require. Our tournaments require over 60,000 square feet of space. Over 60 tables need to be set up. It takes a minimum of two days move-in time, seven days for the tournament, and one day to break down and move out. Getting 60,000 square feet in a first class facility for ten days in a row, on a few months notice, is quite a challenge! The good news is that we are up to the challenge and we are making it happen! We do have many city and venue options from which to choose. We are doing the final negotiations now. If all goes well, the final negotiations and contract signings should happen by the end of next week. Thank you for your patience.

We are having no problems booking tournaments for 2007 and 2008. We should be able to announce the 2007 and 2008 schedules by the end of February. I know that all of you are anxious to know the dates and locations so that you can make travel arrangements and plan your yearly schedules.

Best regards,

Deno J. Andrews
Tour Director,
International Pool Tour