Walter Hayes Sr. of Waukegan, Illinois left the McDermott Midwest Cup a hometown hero as he won the first tournament of this season's BCW Tour at Legends Billiards in Waukegan. The tournament drew in several Midwest big-table players excited to get the new season underway five months after the successful State Championship at the lovely Ho-Chunk Casino in Wisconsin Dells.
Twenty-nine handicapped amateurs with the skill levels of A, B, and C competed for a serious purse and the honor of becoming the first McDermott Midwest Cup 9-Ball Amateur Champion. On the right side of the chart four players were fighting hard for the hot-seat match. Chicago's Jonathan Strzezewski bested Racine, Wisconsin's Chris Mason 8-3 while Waukegan's own Walter Hayes Sr. outplayed Christopher Szarek of Beach Park, Illinois in a double hill nail biter 8-4. Hayes Sr. proved to be too much for Strzezewski and sent him to the one-loss side 8-6.
Four were left on the one-loss side and all fought with great tenacity. Szarek nipped Mike Regan of Round Lake, Illinois 4-3 and Mason ousted seventeen year old Erick Hincks from Midlothian, Illinois 6-4. It was difficult for Mason to overcome the handicap as he lost the quarterfinal match 4-5 to B player Szarek, leaving Mason with a good showing of 4th place. Szarek then fell to Strzezewski 7-2, ending his battle with a 3rd place finish.
Strzezewski was looking for revenge on Hayes Sr. but fell short with the score of 8-5. Walter Hayes Sr. was our first McDermott Midwest Cup 9 Ball Amateur Champion.
