Playing against the lower echelon of skills in a handicapped tournament can be daunting, as six of the final 12 players on the Great Southern Billiard Tour's October 10-11 stop discovered. Greg Dix, racing to 8, was one of those six, picking up a defeat in the hot seat match against a "5" – Scott Crain – but coming back to double dip Crain in the true double elimination finals. The $700-added event drew 28 entrants (including this reporter) to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle  Beach, SC.

 

Dix and Crain advanced to the winners' side semifinals, with Dix facing Justin Marten and Crain squaring off against Kenny Wilson. Dix sent Marten over 8-2, as Crain was sending Wilson over 5-5 (Wilson racing to 8). Crain claimed the hot seat 5-7 (double hill) and waited for Dix to get back from the semifinals.

 

On the loss side (with me, long gone), Marten picked up John Phillips, who'd defeated Tim Nash 4-2, and shut out Cliff Crib. Wilson drew Dan Woods, who'd defeated Brian Bagwell and B.J. Hucks, both 3-3 (Bagwell and Hucks, both racing to 8). Woods and Marten advanced to the quarterfinals; Woods 3-4 over Wilson (racing to 8), and Marten 8-2 over Phillips. 

 

Woods then eliminated Marten in the quarterfinals 3-4 (Marten racing to 8). Though Marten would put up a double hill fight in the semifinals, Dix prevailed 8-2 for a second shot and, as it turned out, third shot at Crain in the hot seat. Dix took the opener 8-1, and won the second set 8-3 to claim his fourth GSBT title since 2007.

 

It was the first time either one of them had matched up in Great Southern Billiard Tour final.

On the weekend of August 1-2, Will Hammer and Jonathan Ailsock battled twice to see which of them would take home his first GSBT title. With a difference of $200 between first and second place, you'd have to think money rode in the back seat, while the lure of a first tournament title did the driving. 

Hammer took the title, though not before Ailsock brought him right to the brink of a potential second set in the finals. The $750-added event, which drew 34 entrants, was the 1st annual Michael Slaughter Memorial, hosted by Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC and held in memory of Danville, VA's Michael Slaughter, who'd made Myrtle Beach his home for the last several years. Slaughter passed away on Tuesday, January 28.

 

Hammer and Ailsock met first in a winners' side semifinal, while Clayton Peterson and Dave Matthews faced off in the other one. Hammer took the first of his two against Ailsock 4-2, while Peterson sent Matthews to the loss side 3-2. Hammer claimed the hot seat 4-2 and waited for Ailsock to finish the three matches he had to win for a second chance.

 

Ailstock's first opponent on the loss side was Dan Woods, who'd defeated Beau Miller 3-2, and Howard Summer, double hill. Matthews picked up Michael Hayden, who'd defeated Beau Miller's father, Wayne, 5-2, and survived a double hill fight against Gatlin Askins. 

 

Ailstock would win his next three games by an aggregate score of 12-2. He shut Dan Woods out, while Hayden was busy eliminating Matthews 5-2.  He gave up a single rack each to Michael Hayden in the quarterfinals, and Clayton Peterson in the semifinals.

 

To no one's surprise, it came down to a case game in a straight-up race to four. Hammer dropped the 9-ball and took home the 1st Annual Michael Slaughter Memorial title.

 

The next stop on the GSBT, scheduled for August 22-23, is a $1000-added event, hosted by a new room, the Metro Sports Bar, in Atlanta, GA.

Tyler Mayfield came back from a loss in the winners' side quarterfinals of the June 14-15 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour, to meet and twice defeat hot seat occupant, Wendell Thompkins. It was Mayfield's first win on the tour. The $750-added event drew 28 entrants to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.

 

It was Mike Slaughter who sent Mayfield west 7-3, during the winners' side quarterfinals. Slaughter moved on to face David Small, as Thompkins met up with Dan Woods. Slaughter sent Small over to follow Mayfield 7-4, as Thompkins downed Woods 9-2. Thompkins shut Slaughter out in the hot seat match, little knowing that the shutout would be his last win.

 

Mayfield opened his loss-side campaign with a 6-5 win over B.J. Hucks, and followed it with a 6-3 win over Mitchell Floyd, which set him up to face Woods. Small picked up Mickey Hucks, who'd gotten by Matt Collins 6-5 and Joey Stevens 6-2 (prior to being eliminated himself, Stevens had eliminated his wife, Kathy, 5-2).

 

Mayfield and Hucks handed Small and Woods their second-straight loss; Mayfield, 6-1 over Woods and Hucks, 6-5 over Small. Mayfield downed Hucks 6-3 in the quarterfinals, earning himself a re-match against Slaughter in the semifinals. He exacted his revenge 6-4 and then defeated Thompkins twice in the double elimination final – 6-5 and 6-6 – to claim his first GSBT title.

Bo Miller came into the April 12-13 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour playing at the bottom of the amateur rankings. He had to win only three games per match, while other competitors in the $1,000-added event that drew 44 entrants to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC had to win as many as nine games per match. Miller went undefeated through the field, and in the process stopped a strong challenge by a 21-year-old US Marine, Josh Heeter, who won nine on the loss side to face him in the finals.

 

Miller advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Brad Stone, racing to 5, and defeated him, double hill (3-4), to advance to the hot seat match. He faced Matt Collins, who'd sent Dan Woods to the loss side 6-2. Miller won his requisite three games in the winners' side final, with Collins winning only two of the six he needed.

 

On the loss side, Heeter, with a bye and four matches behind him, defeated Josh Salins 7-4 and Chandler DeGuzman 7-2, to draw Stone. Woods picked up Ricky Boughman, who'd gotten by Phillip Britt 7-7 (Britt racing to 9), and BJ Hucks 7-5, to reach him. Heeter gave up only a single rack to Stone, and Boughman, only two to Woods, advancing them to the quarterfinals.

 

Heeter chalked up loss-side win # 8 in a 7-3 win over Bougham, and then picked up a second, single-rack-only victory over Collins in the semifinals. Heeter and Miller fought to double hill (2-6) in the finals, but Miller prevailed to chalk up his first victory on the Great Southern Billiard Tour.

 

Tour director Shannon Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Shore Thing Billiards for their continuing hospitality, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta-13, Ozone Billiards, Tiger Products, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Lomax Cues, and Universe Clothing. The GSBT will return to Shore Thing Billiards on the weekend of May 10-11, , scheduled for April 12-13, will be hosted by Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.