In the hot seat match and finals of the Great Southern Billiard Tour stop on the weekend of June 9-10, Mike Slaughter, looking to chalk up his first win on the tour, found himself facing an opponent, Josh Roberts, who was looking for his fourth trip to the finals since April of 2011. Slaughter got by Roberts both times to finish the weekend undefeated. The $1,500-added, 9-ball event on bar tables at Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC, drew 51 entrants.
In a straight-up race to 7, among the winners’ side final four, Slaughter defeated Chase Gilbert 7-4. Roberts (AA), in the meantime, downed Larry Faulk (A) 11-5. In their first of two, with a four-game handicap, Slaughter sent Roberts to the semifinals 7-5 and waited for his return.
Faulk moved over to pick up Brian Capps, who’d defeated both Dylan Letchworth and Shawn Padgett, both 7-4, to reach him. Gilbert picked up Billy Thorpe, who was looking for his second straight win on the tour, having won the previous week in Havelock, NC. Thorpe had defeated Alex Olinger 9-7 and Josh Newman 9-3 to reach Gilbert. Both B players (Gilbert and Capps) defeated their A opponents (respectively; Thorpe and Faulk) 7-6. In the straight-up, race-to-7 quarterfinals, Gilbert prevailed 7-5.
Gilbert got within a game of forcing a double hill match in the semifinals, and facing Slaughter a second time, but Roberts prevailed 11-5, and got his second chance. He took the opening set 11-4, but Slaughter came back to win the second set 7-4 and secure the event title.
Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked the ownership and staff of Shore Thing Billiards (to where the tour will return next month), as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks.
Though challenged by Jared McGee, who won five straight on the loss side and then, the opening set of a true double elimination final, Wendell Thompkins came back to win the second set, and for the first time, take home top honors at a stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. The $1,500-added event drew 60 entrants to Shore Thing Bar & Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC, on the weekend of March 10-11.
From among the winners’ side final four, Thompkins met up with Phillip Britt, who’d just sent McGee to the loss side. Joining them in the winners’ side semifinals were Larry Jackson and Bobby Hicks. Thompkins defeated Britt 9-6, and faced Jackson, who’d downed Hicks 9-3. Thompkins got into the hot seat with a 9-4 win over Jackson and waited for McGee.
It was Hicks drawing McGee on the loss side; McGee having opened his loss-side campaign with victories over William Foster 10-5 and Clint Clark 10-8. Britt picked up Chase Gilbert, who’d gotten by Nick Van Allen, double hill, and Brian Capps 7-7 (Capps, a double-A, had to reach 10). Hicks and Britt both fell in their first loss-side match; Hicks to McGee 10-1 and Britt to Gilbert 7-5, thus denying McGee a re-match opportunity versus Britt. McGee took the quarterfinal match that followed against Gilbert 10-5.
McGee ended Jackson’s semifinal bid for a re-match against Thompkins, defeating him 10-8. McGee then took the opening set of the true double elimination finals 10-6. Thompkins, though, came back to take the second set 9-8 to chalk up his first event win on the Great Southern Billiard Tour.
Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked Brent and Ann Hudgins for hosting the event, as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks. Next stop on the GSBT is a $1,500-added, bar table tournament scheduled for March 17-18 at Raisin’ Cain’s in Inman, SC.
