Large turnout halts Tri-State Tour prior to quarterfinals; McCarthy awarded event title

With 59 players and 12 tables, the Tri-State Tour stop on Saturday, April 2 got to the quarterfinals on Sunday morning, April 3 at 3 a.m. At that point, the four remaining players waved a figurative white flag and agreed to split the $1,400 at stake and call it a day (or two), with hot seat occupant, Ryan McCarthy, declared the event winner. The $650-added, A-D handicapped event was hosted by Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ.

Had the matches continued, there was a likelihood (though no certainty) that the finals would have been a repeat of the double hill hot seat match that ultimately earned McCarthy the event title. McCarthy, from among the winners' side final four, had sent Paul Spaanstra to the one-loss side 6-3. Stuart Warnock, in the meantime, sent Dennis Feliciano over 7-5. McCarthy prevailed in the double hill battle that followed, sending Warnock to the semifinals that never happened.

Guy Iannuzzi was one of the casualties of the shortened event. Having been sent to the one-loss side by Feliciano from among the winners' side final eight, he was on a three-match winning streak that legitimately propelled him into the quarterfinals. He'd defeated Dennis Quinn 7-2, and Yusef Khan 7-5 for the right to a rematch versus Feliciano. Spaanstra drew Chuck Giallorenzo, who'd gotten by Nick Verducci 6-4 and Jerry DeLeo 6-2.

In what proved to be the final two matches of the event, Iannuzzi won his rematch versus Feliciano 7-5, as Spaanstra was busy shutting out Giallorenzo 6-0.  It was now 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, and by mutual agreement, the four remaining competitors agreed to split the prize money. Iannuzzi was awarded third place, based on a forfeit win over Spaanstra in the quarterfinals, and a forfeit win by Warnock in the semifinals. McCarthy was awarded first place and the top $600 prize.

Tour representatives thanked the management and staff of Castle Billiards, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Ron Tarr Cues, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Dr. Dave Billiards Instructional Products.