Mike Donnelly got by Jared Zimmerman twice, once in the battle for the hot seat and again in the finals, to go undefeated on the Dishaw Custom Cues Central New York Tour on Saturday, May 5. The $250-added amateur event drew 22 entrants to Hippo’s in Utica, NY.

From among the winners’ side final four, Donnelly faced Dwight Dixon, while Zimmerman mixed it up with Arlu Whitaker. Donnelly prevailed in an 8-4 victory over Dixon, as Zimmerman sent Whitaker to the loss side 7-3. Donnelly gave up just one rack to Zimmerman in their hot seat battle.

Dixon moved over to tackle Ed Saur, who’d defeated John Cotter 8-4 and Kevin Desilva 8-2 to reach him. Whitaker picked up Paul Enslin, who’d gotten by Jay Brotherton 8-4 and Vic Conte, Jr. (the only triple-A player among the final 12) 8-5. Dixon got back on track with an 8-5 victory over Saur, but Enslin handed Whitaker his second loss 8-1 and moved into the quarterfinals.

Dixon ended Enslin’s three-match, loss-side winning streak with an 8-4 victory in those quarterfinals, before Zimmerman stopped Dixon’s two-match streak 7-4 in the semifinals. Zimmerman had his second shot at Donnelly, but Donnelly repeated his earlier dominance with an 8-3 victory that secured the event title.

Tour Director Gary Lloyd thanked Vic Conte, Jr. and Hippo’s for voluntarily adding money to the event. The final stop on the Dishaw Custom Cues CNY Tour is scheduled May 19-20 at Premium Billiards in Syracuse, NY.

Geoff Montgomery was one of only two, double-A players, on hand for the Saturday, March 31 stop on the Dishaw Custom Cues CNY Tour. He validated his rank with an undefeated, five-match run through a short field of 13 entrants who’d signed on for the event, hosted by Salt City Billiards in Syracuse, NY.

Opening round victories over Bud Moore and Adam Osborne put Montgomery among the winners’ side final four, matched up against John Guffey. Wayne Harding and Darryl Osborne joined them. Montgomery defeated Guffey 8-2 and moved into the hot seat match versus Harding, who’d sent Montgomery’s eventual finals opponent west 6-4. Harding put up a fight and battled Montgomery to double hill (8-5; Harding going to 6) before being sent to the semifinals.

Osborne moved over to the loss side to pick up Tim Davis, who’d defeated Brian Lipes 7-6 (Lipes going to 8), and Ron Ince 7-3. Guffey drew Joe Giancarelli, who’d shut out Moore, and eliminated the only other double-A player, J.B. Brotherton, 7-3. Guffey defeated Giancarelli 6-1 and in the quarterfinals, faced Osborne, who’d survived a straight-up, race-to-7 match, double hill against Davis.

Osborne dropped Guffey into fourth place 7-3 for a re-match against Harding in the semifinals. Harding had won a decisive match against him in the winners’ side semifinal, 6-4 (Osborne, an A-player, going to 7), but fell considerably short in the re-match. Osborne gave up only a single rack against Harding to earn a shot at Montgomery, sitting in the hot seat. Montgomery completed his undefeated day, securing the event title with an 8-4 victory.

Tour director Gary Lloyd, Jr. thanked Salt City Billiards owner, Joe Speach and his staff, as well as sponsors Dishaw Custom Cues, Cue Shark, TotalPoolInfo, and Custom Logo, USA.

It’s rare when opponents facing each other in an opening round of tournament play, face each other a second time in the event finals. That, however, is just what happened at the Dishaw Custom Cues CNY Tour stop on Saturday, March 17. Adam Tanner, a double-A player, sent Tim Davis, a B+, to the loss side 8-4 in the opening round, and met him again in a true double elimination final. Tanner won two of their three matches to take top honors in the event, which had drawn 15 entrants to Premium Billiards in Syracuse, NY.

Having dispatched Davis to the loss side, Tanner advanced among the winners’ side final four to to face another B+ player, Mike Zarelli. Marko Clark, in the meantime, squared off against Adam Osborne. Tanner got into the hot seat match with an 8-4 victory over Zarelli, and was met by Clarke, who’d defeated Osborne 7-4. Tanner got into the hot seat with an 8-5 win.

Meanwhile, Davis was embarked on a six-match, loss-side winning streak that would give him a second chance against Tanner. He got by two A players, Bobby Schroeter 6-6 and Gary Lloyd 6-2 to meet up with Osborne. Zarelli drew Lance Kellogg, who’d defeated Mike Renshaw 6-6 and Travis Salvetti 7-1. In the all B+ battle to determine the tie for fifth place, Davis and Kellogg defeated Osborne and Zarelli; Davis 6-3 over Osborne and Kellogg 6-1 over Zarelli.

Davis chalked up his fifth loss-side match with a 6-3 victory over Kellogg in the B+ quarterfinal match. A 6-5 victory over Clarke in the semifinals (Clarke needing 7), set up the true double elimination final re-match.

Davis battled to double hill in the opening set, and prevailed to force a second. Tanner, though, gave up only a single rack in the deciding second set, winning 8-1 to secure the event title.

Tour director Gary Lloyd thanked the ownership and staff of Premium Billiards for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Dishaw Custom Cues, Cue Shark, TotalPoolInfo, and Custom Logo USA.