Just four players remain undefeated heading into the 2pm Round of the Men's Division on Sunday. Joseph Cole of Pelham, Ala., Chris Walls of High Springs, Fla., Daniel Gambill of Hickory, N.C. and defending champion Travis Gunn of Hewiit, Texas. Each has competed in a past U.S. Amateur Championship event.
Cole and Walls will square-off, while Gambill and Gunn go head-to-head.
Betty Sessions - 2009 U.S. Amateur Women's Division Champion
A less experienced player might have folded under the pressure, but she’d been there before. After finishing in 3rd Place twice, and as Runner-up two years ago, Betty Sessions knew she still controlled her own destiny.
After a one year hiatus, former U.S. Amateur Champion Michell Monk of Orlando, Fla., is back at the U.S. Amateur Championship and trying to pick up right where she left off.
Monk defeated Nicole Palescuk of Chesterfield, Mich., in the 1st Round, but ran into sharpshooter Samm Diep of Aurora, Colo., in the 2nd, dropping to the one-loss bracket.
After a convincing victory over last year’s Runner-up Rhio Anne-Flores of Jersey City, N.J. , which eliminated her from the tournament, Monk may be the odds-on favorite to emerge from the one-loss bracket. She followed it up with a strong performance against Dee Dee Copeland of Bolden, Miss. The loss eliminated Copeland.
Since winning the U.S. Amateur Championship in 2006, Monk has been competing in regional tours and has made appearances in a handful of WPBA Classic Tour stops.
Next up for Monk is a showdown with Atlanta native Lara Rossignol.
Player Profile: Jose Del Rio
Billiard fan, bar owner, poolplayer... You can calll Jose Del Rio all three. The owner of Stroker's, is also competing in his fourth U.S. Amateur Championship.
"My goal is to win the tournament," said Del Rio, a skill level 7 in APA League play. Those might be lofty expecations for a veteran who's finished no higher than 49th in the U.S. Amateur Championship. But Del Rio's biggest challenge may not be on the table.
It may be finding a balance between billiard fan, bar owner and poolplayer.
"My goal is always to win the tournament," reiterated Del Rio, "but my goal is also for people to have a great time, go home to wherever they're from, and tell everyone about Strokers."
Gunning for a Repeat
Texas native Travis Gunn came to last year’s U.S. Amateur Championship not knowing exactly what to expect. Gunn was a first time participant in the annual tournament which features the top amateurs in the county. This year, Gunn has a better idea of what to expect, but the rest of the field knows what to expect from the defending champion too.
Gunn believes that will be to his advantage. “I’m sure everyone I play will bring their best game, but I think it gives me a bit of a mental advantage because they know they’re playing a guy who’s taken home the championship,” Gunn said.
Just weeks removed from competing in the U.S. Open, where he won one of three matches, Gunn appears posed to make a run at the first back-to-back championships since Henry Brodt in ’98-’99.
“The competition looks stronger than last year, the tables are great, I just need to concentrate and keep winning,” Gunn said.
Gunn’s quest to repeat begins tonight at 6pm against Michael Lewis of Troy, Ill.
Chen Looking to Build on ’08 Performance
For defending U.S. Amateur Champion Amy Chen, it’s about improving as much as it is about winning. While Chen is proud of her 2008 title, she’s got bigger and better things in mind, like a full-time spot on the WPBA Classic Tour.
Over the summer, the University of Florida grad competed in the WPBA’s U.S. Open in Norman, Okla. While she may not have performed as well as she hoped, she certainly had a memorable experience. Not only was she recorded for a televised feature that would later air on ESPN, she got a chance to meet No. 1 rater Ga-Young Kim.
“The tournament was very nerve racking, but also a lot of fun. I met a lot of great players,” Chen added.
With perhaps a large target on her back as the defending champion, Chen is more concerned with improving her play as much as upholding her reputation.
“My goal is simply to get better, I’m always looking to improve my game,” Chen said.
Chen secured a victory in her first match Friday night, a win over Sabra Beahn of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Player Profile: Michell Monk
Player Profile: Jose Del Rio 
Texas native Travis Gunn came to last year’s U.S. Amateur Championship not knowing exactly what to expect. Gunn was a first time participant in the annual tournament which features the top amateurs in the county. This year, Gunn has a better idea of what to expect, but the rest of the field knows what to expect from the defending champion too.
For defending U.S. Amateur Champion Amy Chen, it’s about improving as much as it is about winning. While Chen is proud of her 2008 title, she’s got bigger and better things in mind, like a full-time spot on the WPBA Classic Tour.