Shannon Daulton, Bucky Souvanthong, & David Styers
Bucky Souvanthong, who spent much of his pool career in the Northeast, continues to make noise in the South; most recently with a win on the Great Southern Billiard Tour, on its October 26-27 stop in Georgia. Souvanthong was challenged in the finals by David Styers, who took the opening set of a true double elimination final, before Souvanthong took command in the second set to win it. The $1,000-added event drew 38 entrants to Chalk It Up Billiards in LaGrange, GA.
Souvanthong and Styers played a total of three matches, the first of which was for control of the hot seat. Souvanthong had sent Billy Tyler west 11-6, as Styers was defeating Jimmy Gibson 7-2. Souvanthong dominated the hot seat match 11-2, and waited on Styers' return.
On the loss side, Jesse Middlebrooks was making some noise that would carry him all the way to the semifinals. Having been defeated by Souvanthong among the winners' side final eight (11-7), Middlebrooks downed Daryl Gables and Matt Bulfin, both 10-4, to draw Gibson. Tyler drew Shane Masters, who'd won two straight double hill matches against Eric Duncan and Tim Orange, to reach him.
Middlebrooks advanced to the quarterfinals with a 10-4 win over Gibson. He was met by Tyler, who'd ended Masters' weekend 7-3. Middlebrooks eliminated Tyler in a double hill match, and then had his loss-side streak snapped, double hill, by Styers in the semifinals.
Styers, racing to 7, defeated Souvanthong, racing to 11, 7-8 in the opening set of the true double elimination final. Souvanthong came back strongly in the second set, allowing Styers only three racks in claiming the event title.
Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Chalk It Up Billiards, 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 2-3 at the Marietta Billiard Club in Marietta, GA.
Mr. Cues II in Atlanta played host to the Simonis Cloth's 4th Annual Richard Sweet Memorial over the July 4th weekend which is a memorial event and a celebration of his life and contributions to our sport, featuring four separate events; two, single-elimination, 'King of the Hill' format (one $500 1st prize) tournaments, a Thursday 8-Ball tournament and a Friday 9-ball tournament , a 1-day $1,000-guaranteed prize fund 9-Ball race to 4 double elimination tournament on Sunday, and a $3,000-guaranteed prize fund main event in 10-Ball which ran Saturday and Sunday. Jayson Shaw won two of them, and almost won a third. He opened the weekend's proceedings with a finals victory over John Maikke in the first of the single elimination tournaments(8-Ball) on Independence Day that drew 86 entrants. The following day, in the second of the single elimination tournaments (this one, with 79 players and 9-Ball), Shaw made it to the finals again, only to be denied his second win, by Michael Clay, who shut him out in the finals.
In the Saturday, main event, the 10-Ball Competition, Jayson Shaw squared off the event's defending champion, Phil Burford, twice; once in the hot seat match, and again, in the finals. Shaw had sent Jeff Hooks to the loss side 7-3 among the winners' side final four, as Burford was busy doing likewise to Randy Jordan 7-2. Shaw got into the hot seat with a 7-5 win over Burford and waited for him to get back. It wasn't long.
Jordan and Hooks moved to the loss side, where they were picked up by J. R. Rossman and Tim Orange. Rossman had gotten by Matt Bulfin 7-2 and John Maikke 7-4. Orange had defeated Dustin Byrd (The Parakeet) 7-5 and John Jones 7-3. Jordan advanced to the quarterfinals, double hill, over Rossman. Orange handed Hooks his second straight loss 7-5 to join him.
Jordan took the quarterfinal match over Orange 7-5 and earned himself a re-match against Burford, who'd sent him west among the winners' side final four. Burford, anxious for his own rematch against Shaw in the hot seat, downed Jordan 7-5. Shaw, though, hunkered down and gave up only a single rack in the opening set of the potential two-set final to claim the event title.
Events shifted to double elimination with commencement of the races-to-4 9-Ball Tournament on Sunday, which drew 59 entrants. Larry Nevel (who'd won both single elimination tournaments at last year's Sweet Memorial) started out by dropping his opening round match to Danny Cash, but rallied on the loss side to win nine straight, and then, two more in the finals against Bernardo Estevan.
Estevan had advanced to the hot seat with a winners' side final four victory over Tommy Najar 4-2, while the winner of the second single elimination 8-ball tournament, Michael Clay, advanced to meet him with a 4-1 victory over Pat Cooper. Estevan shut Clay out in the battle for the hot seat and waited on the return of Nevel.
Meanwhile, on the loss side, The Truth was mowin' 'em down, one by one. With four down and five to go, he defeated Tony Riley 4-1, and survived a double hill battle against Jason Lyons, to pick up Majar. Cooper drew Andy Stewart, who'd squeaked by Horace Goodwin 4-3 and defeated Dana Aft 4-1. Nevel and Stewart handed Najar and Cooper their second straight defeats; Stewart shutting out Cooper and Nevel advancing to the quarterfinals 4-2 over Najar.
Nevel gave up only two racks over his next 14 games. He shut out Stewart in the quarterfinals, and gave up a single rack to Clay in the semifinals. Moving into the opening set of the finals against Estevan, he gave up one that forced a second set. Estevan battled him to double hill in that second set, but Nevel prevailed to claim the title.
Full payouts for the main 10-Ball event are as follows:
