3-Cushion
BRUGGE - Will the Koninklijke Brugse Biljartclub be crushed by the elements, now that they find themselves in the highest Belgian 3-cushion league? Their start is less than encouraging. The first-time foursome have now lost four times in the first four weeks. This Monday, Biljart Express sent them home empty-handed: 8-0.
André's Zeevis (meaning Sea Fish, Zeevis being the name of the main sponsor) was thrown into the deep end this year. Another pun could be: is the highest division in Belgium maybe a bridge (brug) too far for the newly promoted team? The results so far: three 6-2 losse, one 8-0 loss. Patrick Vasseur has won two matches (beating Davy van Havere and Leon Smolders), Henk Blauwblomme has won one (against Roland Forthomme). That is not a lot, it is certainly not enough after sixteen matches played.
The Koninklijke Brugse is a beautiful and distinguished club, founded on 18 June 1928. At its peak, it had 195 members, and it currently has 180. That number needs a comment though: only one of these 180 members is a junior. The average age is around 69.
No less than seven times did the club change its location. The current room is in the Diksmuidense street, where ten billiards aer available. Last season, the Zeevis André team won their promotion by a single point. It brought a foursome into the highest division for the first time in the 86-year history of the club.
The portrait gallery with past and present club chairmen and the placards of many European junior championships give the billiard room in Brugge a grand aura. Rick Vanhecke, chairman from 1998 to 2011, walks the room with pride and points at its memorabilia.
The Koninklijke, with the largest club membership in Belgium, cherishes its past and winks at the future. Thanks to Zeevis André, the first team is now in the highest division. All they need now are some positive results.
Biljart Express exposed the home team's shortcomings this Monday. Frans van Kuyk walked all over Henk Blauwblomme (50-38 in 43), Gerwin Valentijn had no resistance from Bart Leys (50-22 in 32) and Guy van Litsenborg beat Patrick Vasseur 42-33 in 37.
A classy performance came from Martin Spoormans, who before the match announced that he had played the best golf of his career that afternoon. He was equally proficient with a cue. A run of nine to finish his match, and a banana shot á la Caudron were the exclamation marks of his victory over Koen Saver: 42-29 in 30 innings.
The hero of the fourth round was Jerry Hermans, the young campsite entrepreneur from Oosterhout, who had to cut his soccer career short as a result of a knee injury, and who is now rapidly increasing his 3-cushion prowess. His win over two-time world champion Eddy Merckx took everyone's breath away. Hermans won 42-33 in 31 innings, a first and beautiful milestone in his career.
De Goeie Queue did win their encounter with De Ploeg 2, with 6-2 figures. Caudron (in 27 innings), Jaspers (in 29) and De Bruijn (in 30) made up in style for their teammate's little misstep.
The second echelon match between KBC Zanzibar and BC Deurne ended in a 5-3 win for the team from Antwerp. The top match, featuring Torbjörn Blomdahl and Roland Forthomme was a gem. The Swede won it by a single carom: 50-49 in 27 innings. Jef Philipoom also played his heart out against Dave Christiani (50-39 in 24, high run 14). The all important 5th point was scored by Davy van Havere, who drew with Pierre Soumagne: 42-42 in 35. Kenny Miatton was the only winner for Zanzibar: he beat Jean van Erp 42-26 in 29.
BC Herentals played an away game and won full points: 8-0 against Sint Truiden, the second newly promoted team. The leading actors were both German: Martin Horn (2.380) and Christian Rudolph (1.724).
Glenn Hoffman surprised on Tuesday with a nice win ovler Eddy Leppens. The ‘Hagenaar’ made an extremely strong impression and left his former Dallinga teammate far behind: 50-30 in 20 innings. Hofman scored 2.500 and a run of 12. De Witte Molen defeated Op de Meir 6-2. The young Dutchman had a strong start with a 25-3 lead in 6 and reached the finish at 38-30 with a run of 12.
Biljartvrienden and De Ploeg 1 shared the points in Turnhout. Raimond Burgman defeated Ronny Lindemann (50-33), Huub Wilkowski bested his countryman John Tyssens 50-46 in 37 innings.