It was a weekend of pool sprints and marathons; two race-to-three, single elimination tournaments, one race-to-four Second Chance tournament and a main, $3,500-added, 10-ball event that drew the largest crowd. It was the 6th Annual Richard Sweet Memorial Tournament, held, on the weekend of June 25-28, under the auspices of the Tiger Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour. The event, hosted by the Sweet family's Mr. Cues II in Atlanta, GA, drew 225 competitors to the four events; 59 signed on to Friday night's 9-Ball Tournament, 46 were in attendance at Thursday night's 8-ball event, 47 checked in to the 'last hurrah 'second chance tournament on Sunday, while 73 went at it in the marquee 10-ball competition.

 

Richie Richeson, a 22-year-plus veteran of the sport, who, in 1993, shared 17th place at the US Open 9-Ball Championships with the likes of Allen Hopkins and Mike Massey, claimed the 10-ball title. Richeson survived a double elimination finals matchup against Evan Lunda, who'd come from deep on the loss side to challenge him and win the opening set of the finals. 

 

Advancing to a winners' side semifinal, Richeson faced Cliff Joyner, who also finished in that tie for 17th place at the US Open in 1993. Jason Stemen, in the meantime, squared off against Todd Noble. Richeson sent Joyner to the west bracket 7-3, as Stemen was busy surviving a double hill battle over Noble. Richeson claimed the hot heat 7-5 over Stemen and waited on Lunda.

 

On the loss side, Joyner ran into George Spires, recent 7-5 winner over both Horace Godwin and Brandon Davenport. It was Noble who picked up Lunda, 7-4 winner over both Ellis Brown and Kim Heath. Joyner gave up only a single rack to Spires, as Lunda gave up three to Noble.

 

Lunda eliminated Joyner 7-2 in the quarterfinals, and then spoiled Stemen's shot at a re-match against Richeson by defeating him in the semifinals 7-3. Lunda took the opening set of the double elimination finals in a hard-fought double hill battle, but Richeson pulled ahead in the second set to claim the title 7-4.

 

In the Thursday night, race-to-three, 8-ball, single elimination event, Tim Orange downed Mike Clay 3-2 in the finals to claim the $500 first prize. Clay took home the only other ($250) prize available. On Friday night, Tim Heath downed Mike Davis 3-1 in the finals of the single-elimination, race-to-three 9-ball event. Like Orange and Clay, Heath and Davis claimed the $500 and $250 prizes at stake.

 

The weekend concluded with a double-elimination, race-to-four 9-ball event that saw Randy Jordan go undefeated through the field of 47 entrants. Jordan claimed the hot seat over Mike Clay and waited for him to come back. On the loss side, Tim Heath eliminated Ryan Hollingsworth 4-2 in the quarterfinals, only to be shut out by Clay in the semifinals. Jordan completed his undefeated run 4-2 over Clay to claim the Second Chance title.

 

Tour director, Tommy Kennedy, last year's runner-up (to Shawn Putnam) and 9th-place finisher in that 1993 US Open thanked the Sweet family – Ricky, Susan and Mandy – and their staff at Mr. Cues II, as well as title sponsor Tiger Products, J. Pechauer Custom Cues, Simonis, Mueller Recreational Products, Viking Cues, Cue Stix International, Nick Varner Cues, Aramis, Chris Nitti Cues, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues and Paul Frankel with Professor Cue Ball magazine. 

B.J. Ussery has finished either first or second in 12 of the 17 tournaments in which he’s been officially entered since January 30, 2011. The streak began on that day with a victory on the Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour and continued this past weekend (November 9-14) with his second straight undefeated GSBT victory; this time in the 9-ball event of the Great Southern Billiard Tour Championships/Carolina Open. Ussery had to get by Carey Dunn twice – once, in the battle for the hot seat, and again, in the finals – to complete his undefeated trip through 68 entrants, who’d shown up at Fast Eddie’s in Goldsboro for the $5,000-guaranteed total purse event.

Until he ran into Larry Nevel among the winners’ side final four, Ussery (who had to reach 11 games) had given up only seven racks to four opponents; five of those to Sam Monday in the match that set up the match versus Nevel. Dunn, in the meantime, had sandwiched a double hill battle against Josh Newman, around a series of 9-3 victories that put him among the final four winners, facing Montez Lloyd. Dunn got into the hot seat match with a 9-5 win over Lloyd, as Ussery survived a double hill battle against Nevel. Ussery got into the hot seat with an 11-4 victory over Dunn and waited for him to get back.

Nevel moved over and picked up Lucas Hawkins, who’d defeated five opponents on the loss-side to reach him, including a victory over tour director Shannon Daulton, a 9-3 win over Joe Pierce and a double hill win over Glenn Russell. Lloyd faced Josh Newman, who’d survived a double hill battle versus Keith Bennett and gone on to defeat George Spires, Ron Park, and Alex Olinger. 

Hawkins, with a handicap advantage, dropped Nevel into the tie for fifth place 9-11, and moved on to the quarterfinals against Newman, who defeated Lloyd 11-7. Still working with a handicap advantage, Hawkins eliminated Newman 9-9 and turned to face Dunn in the semifinals. Dunn prevailed 9-8 for his second chance against Ussery.

Ussery needed only a single set of the true double elimination final to complete his undefeated bid. It was past dawn on Monday morning, November 14, when Ussery sunk the final ball to complete an 11-5 victory that secured the GSBT Tour Championship 9-Ball event.

A $50 prize was awarded to Terri Faulk for being the highest female finisher in the event. Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked the owners and staff of Fast Eddie’s in Goldsboro, NC for their cooperation and hospitality in hosting the Tour Championships/Carolina Open, as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks. In addition to the guaranteed prize money, the event raised $1,200 for charity.