IRT - 23rd Annual Turkey Shoot Preview

Perhaps appropriately the 23rd Annual Turkey Shoot in Garden City, Kansas - this weekend's Tier 1 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) event has 23 players. It's one of the smaller draws for a Tier 1 event you'll see, and there are only a couple of players in qualifying who will be threats in the Round of 16, so it will be all about which of the top 8 are ready to take the title.

That especially because IRT #1 - err, #2 actually - Kane Waselenchuk is not in the draw due to injury. That opens up the possibilities of winning to the field.

Could Alvaro Beltran, seeded 2nd in Garden City, win his second tournament in as many weeks after going years without a win? He'll probably have to defeat fellow Mexican Daniel De La Rosa, who was his opponent in the Red Swain final last weekend in Davison, Michigan, in the quarter finals, as they are seeded into the same section of the draw.

Or will Rocky Carson get on the board this season, and make it four different winners in as many IRT Tier 1 events? He is the top seed, and will have something to prove after getting thumped by De La Rosa in the semi-finals in Davison.

Or will 3rd seed Jose Rojas win his second tournament of the season? Rojas also had a disappointing Davison, as he lost to Cliff Swain in the Round of 16.

Finally, 4th seed Ben Croft is not to be overlooked, and he would dearly love to win his second career IRT event.

Everyone else should be considered dark horses, although De La Rosa and veteran Chris Crowther aren't quite as dark as the rest.

But with four strong contenders for the title, it should be a good weekend of racquetball in Garden City.

Matches can be viewed over the web via the IRT Network.

2013 23rd Turkey Shoot
Garden City, Kansas

Qualifying Round - Thursday

Q8: Jake Bredenbeck v. Felipe Camacho
Q1: Brad Schopieray - BYE

Q4: Robert Collins v. Nicholas Riffel
Q5: Francisco Troncoso v. Tyler Thielen

Q6: Bradley Rogers v. Jeon Seung Jun
Q3: Charlie Pratt v. John Scott

Q2: Mauricio Zelada v. Shai Manzuri
Q7: Tom Fuhrmann v. Logan Reese

Round of 16 - Friday

Rocky Carson v. Jake Bredenbeck or Felipe Camacho
Tony Carson v. Brad Schopieray

Jansen Allen v. Robert Collins or Nicholas Riffel
Ben Croft v. Francisco Troncoso or Tyler Thielen

Jose Rojas v. Bradley Rogers or Jeon Seung Jun
Chris Crowther v. Charlie Pratt or John Scott

Daniel De La Rosa v. Mauricio Zelada or Shai Manzuri
Alvaro Beltran v. Tom Fuhrmann or Logan Reese

Follow the bouncing ball….