Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season 1997–98

1997–98 Pro Tour season
Pro Player of the Year United States Jon Finkel
Rookie of the Year United States Randy Buehler
World Champion United States Brian Selden
Pro Tours 5
Grands Prix 13
Start of season 30 August 1997
End of season 16 August 1998
← 1996–97 1998–99 →

The 1997–98 Pro Tour season was the third season of the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. It began on 30 August 1997 with Grand Prix Toronto, and ended on 16 August 1998 with the conclusion of 1998 World Championship in Seattle. The season consisted of thirteen Grand Prix, and five Pro Tours, located in Chicago, Mainz, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle. At the end of the season Jon Finkel from the United States was awarded the Pro Player of the Year title.

Grand Prix – Toronto, Copenhagen

GP Toronto (30–31 August)

  1. United States Brian Kibler
  2. United States Erik Lauer
  3. Canada Tony Tsai
  4. United States Matt Place
  5. United States Dan Silberman
  6. United States Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz
  7. United States Mike Turian
  8. United States Bruce Cowley

GP Copenhagen (6–7 September)

  1. Denmark Karsten Hoppe
  2. Norway Sigurd Eskeland
  3. Sweden David Linder
  4. Sweden Thomas Lindohf
  5. Sweden Kristian Hellman
  6. Denmark Jesper Thrane
  7. Sweden Martin Jordö
  8. Sweden Frederik Thorstensson

Pro Tour – Chicago (10–12 October 1997)

Attending a Pro Tour for the first time, Randy Buehler defeated David Mills in the finals to win the inaugural Pro Tour of the 1997–98 season. Olle Råde's final eight appearance made him the first player to reach the Top 8 four times.[1]

Tournament data

Prize pool: $151,635
Players: 324
Format: Extended

Final standings

Place Player Prize Comment
1 United States Randy Buehler $25,000 Pro Tour debut
2 United States David Mills $15,000 2nd Final day
3 United States Jon Finkel $10,000
4 United States Max Suver $8,000
5 United States Adrian Sayers $6,500
6 United States Justin Schneider $5,500
7 United States Kyle Rose $4,800
8 Sweden Olle Råde $4,300 4th Final day

Grand Prix – Como

GP Como (8–9 November)

  1. France Michaël Debard
  2. Czech Republic Lukas Ladra
  3. Switzerland Roger Leu
  4. Switzerland Michael Suwald
  5. Italy Luca Chiera
  6. Republic of Ireland David Kearney
  7. France Pierre Vandercamere
  8. France Gilles Martinau

Pro Tour – Mainz (5–7 December 1997)

Eventual Pro Player of the year Paul McCabe won Pro Tour Dallas. The Canadian defeated Jason Zila from the USA in the final. Olle Råde had his third Top 8 appearance while playing only his fourth Pro Tour.[1]

Tournament data

Prize pool: $151,635
Players: 291
Format: Rochester Draft (Tempest)

Final standings

Place Player Prize Comment
1 United States Matt Place $25,000 2nd Final day
2 United States Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz $15,000
3 Germany Peer Kröger $10,000 2nd Final day
4 United States Kurt Burgner $8,000
5 England John Ormerod $6,500 1st English in a Top 8
6 United States Chris Bishop $5,500
7 United States Mark Le Pine $4,800
8 Italy Gabriele Pisicchio $4,300 1st Italian in a Top 8

Grand Prix – San Francisco, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Lyon, Melbourne

GP San Francisco (6–7 December)
  1. United States Robert Swarowski
  2. Canada Ryan Fuller
  3. United States Steve Shears
  4. United States Brett Quorn
  5. United States Daniel Clegg
  6. United States Steve Aldrich
  7. United States Ernest Alexander
  8. United States Casey McCarrel
GP Lyon (7–8 February)
  1. France Raphaël Lévy
  2. Belgium Kurt Foket
  3. France Manuel Bevand
  4. France Michaël Debard
  5. France Emmanuel Beltrando
  6. France Loïc Degrou
  7. France Nicolas Lacorne
  8. France Laurent Laclaverie
GP Madrid (24–25 January)
  1. United States Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz
  2. France Michael Debard
  3. France Jérémie Lagarde
  4. France Herve Drevillon
  5. Spain Christian Celades
  6. Spain Omar Saqol
  7. Italy Gabriele Pisicchio
  8. Spain Marc Iglesias
GP Melbourne (14–15 February)
  1. Australia Philip Davey
  2. Australia Matt Goodall
  3. Australia Lenny Collins
  4. Australia Craig Sheppard
  5. Australia Daniel Turner
  6. Australia Adam Kemp
  7. Australia Kevin Cheng
  8. Australia Andrew Corney
GP Rio de Janeiro (31 January – 1 February)
  1. United States Jon Finkel
  2. United States Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz
  3. Brazil Carlos Jeucken
  4. United States Adam Katz
  5. Brazil Leandro Buck
  6. Brazil Romario Tavora Britto
  7. Brazil Rodrigo Cesar Barbosa
  8. Brazil Julio Cesar Conceicao

Pro Tour – Los Angeles (6–8 March 1998)

David Price won Pro Tour Los Angeles. In the finals he defeated Ben Rubin, who thus made it to the second place at his first Pro Tour attendance.[1]

Tournament data

Prize pool: $151,635
Players: 342
Format: Block Constructed (Tempest)

Final standings

Place Player Prize Comment
1 United States David Price $25,000
2 United States Ben Rubin $15,000 First Pro Tour Attendance
3 United States David Bachmann $10,000
4 United States Adam Katz $8,000
5 United States Kyle Rose $6,500 2nd Final day
6 Czech Republic Jakub Slemr $5,500 2nd Final day
7 Denmark Svend Geertsen $4,800 2nd Final day
8 United States Andrew Wolf $4,300

Grand Prix – Stockholm

GP Stockholm (21–22 March)
  1. Sweden Olle Råde
  2. Finland Tuomo Nieminen
  3. Sweden Johan Franzen
  4. Norway Jan Pieter Groenhof
  5. France Manuel Bevand
  6. Finland Viktor Forsman
  7. Norway Ole Bergesen
  8. Norway Sigurd Eskeland

Pro Tour – New York (17–19 April 1998)

In an all-American Top 8 Jon Finkel won his first Pro Tour. Mark Justice reached his fourth and as yet last final eight.[1]

Tournament data

Prize pool: $151,635
Format: Booster Draft (Tempest-Stronghold)

Top 8

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Finals
         
1 Jon Finkel 3
8 Casey McCarrel 2
Jon Finkel 3
David Bachmann 2
5 David Bachmann 3
4 Truc Bui 0
Jon Finkel 3
Dominic Crapuchettes 1
3 Dominic Crapuchettes 3
6 Nate Clark 0
Dominic Crapuchettes 3
John Chinnock 2
7 Mark Justice 0
2 John Chinnock 3

Final standings

Place Player Prize Comment
1 United States Jon Finkel $25,000 2nd Final day
2 United States Dominic Crapuchettes $15,000
3 United States John Chinnock $10,000 3rd Final day
4 United States David Bachmann $8,000 2nd Final day
5 United States Truc Bui $6,500 2nd Final day
6 United States Nate Clark $5,500 2nd Final day
7 United States Mark Justice $4,800 4th Final day
8 United States Casey McCarrel $4,300

Grand Prix – Atlanta, Antwerp, Zurich, Indianapolis

GP Atlanta (27–28 March)
  1. United States Randy Buehler
  2. United States Bob Coonce
  3. United States David Mills
  4. United States Derek Rank
  5. United States Patrick Callahan
  6. United States Ray Deguzman
  7. United States Nate Clark
  8. United States Chris Donahue
GP Indianapolis (27–28 June)
  1. United States Eric Jordan
  2. United States Koby Kennison
  3. United States Michael Chiumento
  4. United States Worth Wollpert
  5. United States Randy Buehler
  6. United States Michael Katz
  7. Ryan Joe
  8. United States Darwin Kastle
GP Antwerp (25–26 April)
  1. Germany Stephan Valkyser
  2. Czech Republic Lukas Ladra
  3. United States Brian Hacker
  4. France Michael Sochon
  5. United States Randy Buehler
  6. Germany Timo Meimberg
  7. Germany Peer Kröger
  8. France Michaël Debard
GP Zurich (30–31 May)
  1. United States Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz
  2. United States Rudy Edwards
  3. France Michaël Debard
  4. Switzerland Alexander Blumke
  5. Germany Janosch Kühn
  6. United States Jon Finkel
  7. Germany Marcel Baran
  8. Germany Michael Huth

1998 World Championships – Seattle (12–16 August 1998)

Brian Selden defeated fellow American Ben Rubin to become the 1998 World Champion. He played a Control-Combo deck revolving around Survival of the Fittest.[1] The Top 8 was one of the most star-studded final eights ever, with all players making at least one other Top 8 appearance, and four of them later becoming Hall of Famers.

The US national team, consisting of Matt Linde, Mike Long, Bryce Currence, and Jon Finkel won its third team title. Long thus won his third team title, too, as he had been precisely on those teams which had won the title.[1]

Tournament data

Players: 203
Format: Standard, Rochester Draft (Mirage-Visions-Weatherlight), Extended Individual formats: Booster Draft (Tempest-Stronghold-Exodus), Standard, Tempest Block Constructed (Tempest, Stronghold, Exodus)
Team formats: 4-Person Team Sealed (4 5th Edition Starter + 4 5th Edition Booster) – Swiss; Constructed (2x Tempest Block Constructed + 2x Standard) – Finals

Top 8

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Finals
         
1 Jon Finkel 3
8 Alan Comer 0
Jon Finkel 1
Ben Rubin 3
5 Ben Rubin 3
4 Scott Johns 2
Ben Rubin 1
Brian Selden 3
3 Brian Selden 3
6 Chris Pikula 1
Brian Selden 3
Raphaël Lévy 1
7 Brian Hacker 2
2 Raphaël Lévy 3

Final standings

Place Player Prize Comment
1 United States Brian Selden $34,000 Pro Tour debut
2 United States Ben Rubin $22,000 2nd Final day
3 United States Jon Finkel $16,000 3rd Final day
4 France Raphaël Lévy $13,000
5 United States Scott Johns $11,000 4th Final day
6 United States Chris Pikula $9,500 3rd Final day
7 United States Brian Hacker $8,250 2nd Final day
8 United States Alan Comer $7,250 2nd Final day

National team competition

  1. United States United States (Matt Linde, Mike Long, Bryce Currence, Jon Finkel)
  2. France France (Pierre Malherbaud, Manuel Bevand, Marc Hernandez, Fabien Demazeau)

Pro Player of the year final standings

After the World Championship Jon Finkel was awarded the Pro Player of the year title.[2]

Rank Player Pro Points
1 United States Jon Finkel 87
2 United States Randy Buehler 70
3 United States Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz 57
4 United States David Price 55
5 United States Matt Place 53

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rosewater, Mark (26 July 2004). "On Tour, Part 1". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved 1 December 2008.
  2. ↑ "1997–1998 Player of the Year Standings". Wizards of the Coast. 1998$2. Retrieved 31 March 2009. Check date values in: |date= (help)
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