LINCOLN CITY, Ore. — Dave Secord and Pam Carraway of Port Angeles know their way around a pool table.
The two won individual titles at a major tournament with 1,500 participants.
A veteran pool tournament player, this is the first time that 69-year-old Secord captured first place.
The player, who also will be inducted into the Western Billiard Congress of America (BCA) Hall of Fame this year, claimed first place in the men’s senior singles division.
“I have always placed in the money,” Secord said about his tournament play.
That includes the national championships in Las Vegas.
Placing in the money means finishing in the top 40s, usually about 44th or better, Secord said.
“I finally got the big one,” he said about winning at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Oregon last weekend.
Several members of Clallam County’s Peninsula Pool League participated in the nearly week-long tournament that featured 80 pool tables.
Secord took the difficult road all the way to the senior men’s championship.
He lost in the first round and had the extra pressure of not losing again while playing through the consolation bracket.
That meant that Secord, who has been playing pool since the age of 13, had to beat the undefeated No. 1 player twice in the championship round to win.
A tough haul, but Secord didn’t flinch.
During a three-day period, Secord played pool from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.
“I had to beat everybody darn near,” he said about his long days.
“I could see pool in my sleep.”
Secord plays in the Peninsula Pool League, and his team — Oasis Bar of Sequim — currently is in first place.
Secord wasn’t the only area player to do well in the Oregon tourney.
Carraway captured the women’s senior singles, a repeat winner in that event. She also won the same title in 2008.
Also doing well were Kevin Fong, who finished 17th in men’s master singles, and Cathy Gamle, who claimed fifth in women’s master singles.
Mindi Henning and Barbara Rosa also cashed in the women’s open singles division.
“This is a pretty good showing for the layers from our little league,” Peninsula Pool League member Robbin Iredale said.
Fong, the league’s vice president, also won the league’s A Division end of season tournament recently.
Greg Casad took second, Pat Gamble claimed third and Secord captured fourth in the A Division tourney.
In the B Division tourney, Kyle Downs won the championship, Carl McConnell was second and Randy Philips claimed third.
