Neither of the last two players standing on the November 2-3 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour had ever been in a GSBT final before. Neither, for that matter, had the third-place finisher, Dana Aft, one of six women who signed on to play, whose advance to the semifinals was her best ever. Frank Davis and Jason Lyons faced each other twice, in the hot seat match and finals, with Davis prevailing both times to go undefeated and claim the event title. Aft, who was sent to the loss side by Davis in the opening round of play, won eight on the loss side before falling to Lyons in the semifinals. The $1,000-added event drew 48 entrants to Johnny Archer's room, The Marietta Billiard Club in Marietta, GA.

 

Davis and Lyons advanced among the winners' side final four to take on Jeff Jordan and Shane Wade, respectively. Davis, racing to 5, defeated Jordan (racing to 7) 5-5, as Lyons sent Wade west in a straight-up, race-to-six, double hill match. Davis then downed Lyons for the first time 5-3 and sat in the hot seat, awaiting his return.

 

Aft, in the meantime, as a "4" (players race to their rank) was working her way through the loss-side field, and with three notches on her belt, defeated Tim Orange (a 10), and Wesley Mathis (a 5), both 4-3. This set her up to face Jordan coming over from the winners' side semifinal. Wade picked up Anthony Green, who'd gotten by Lindsey Middlebrook and Mike Clay, both 7-3, although his victory over Middlebrook was double hill.

 

Aft eliminated Jordan 4-3, and in the quarterfinals, faced Wade, who'd ended Green's day, double hill. Aft completed her winning streak with a 4-3 win over Wade, and though she would battle to double hill in the semifinals against Lyons, it was Lyons who prevailed. 

 

Lyons, with the higher handicap (6), had one more game to win than Davis, and though he'd reach the hill first, Davis caught him to win his fifth and claim the event title.

 

Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at The Marietta Billiard Club, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Delta 13 Racks, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Tiger Products, Ozone Billiards and Lomax Custom Cues. The next stop on the GSBT is scheduled for November 9-10 at Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.

In the second stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour featuring a new handicap format that has players racing to their handicap number, Jerry Ray (4) went undefeated, eliminating two 6s and one 5 in his final three matches and stopping a five-match, loss-side winning streak by Anthony Green (6) in the finals. The $1,000-added event drew 50 entrants to Johnny Archer's room, The Marietta Billiard Club in Marietta, GA.

 

"The backbone of my tour is to give amateur players the chance to win," said tour director Shannon Daulton, "because if the true amateur players don't have a chance, you're not going to have a tournament."

 

"We had one player at this event, a Taiwanese girl (Angela Ger, ranked as a 3), who finished in 5th/6th," Daulton added, "and you'd have thought she won the lottery."

 

Jerry Ray advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Dustin Byrd (6), as Curtis Hale (6) squared off against Daniel Autry (5) in the other. Ray gave up only a single rack against Byrd, and was met in the hot seat match by Autrey, who'd sent Hale west with a double hill win. Ray downed Autrey and waited on the return of Green.

 

On the loss side, Green, who'd been sent over by Hale in a winners' side final eight match, shut out Tim Hart, and gave up only a single rack in a victory over Horace Godwin (8) to pick up Byrd. Hale drew Angela Ger, who'd gotten by Travis Barber (5), 3-1 and Dana Aft (4) in a double hill match. 

 

Hale and Green advanced to a re-match quarterfinals after defeating Ger and Byrd, both 6-2. Green wreaked his vengeance on Hale in a straight-up race to 6 that went double hill and then defeated Autrey 6-2 in the semifinals, to get a shot at Ray in the hot seat.

 

To no avail, as it turned out. With two on the wire at the outset, racing to 6, Ray and Green battled to double hill (3-5) before Ray prevailed to capture the event title.

 

Tour directors Shannon Daulton and Marge Cooper thanked the ownership and staff of The Marietta Billiard Club, as well as new sponsor, Ozone Billiards, and regular sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta 13 Racks, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Tiger Products, and Lomax Custom Cues. The next stop on the GSBT, a $1,000-added amateur 9-ball event, is scheduled for September 7-8 at Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beacj, SC.