Tour director Tommy Kennedy had no idea who Jared McGee was until he faced him in the quarterfinals of the July 20-21 stop on Kennedy's Tiger Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour. Kennedy knows who he is now, because McGee, in the midst of a five-match, loss-side streak when they met, defeated Kennedy and went on to defeat hot seat occupant, Bucky Souvanthong, to claim the event title. The $1,000-added event drew 34 entrants to Pockets in Dothan, AL.
McGee and Kennedy were moved to the loss bracket in the same, winners' side final eight round; McGee, by Scotty Townsend and Kennedy, by Max Oliver. Townsend moved on to face Souvanthong, as Oliver drew Matt Bulfin. Souvanthong sent Townsend west 9-5, and in the battle for the hot seat, met Bulfin, who'd defeated Oliver 9-7. Souvanthong got into the hot seat 9-6 over Bulfin, and waited on McGee.
Townsend drew Kennedy, who'd defeated Stoney Stone, and then, Scotty Townsend's son, Michael; thus denying father (Scotty) and son (Michael) an opportunity to compete. Oliver had the misfortune of picking up the man he'd sent west, one match before – McGee, who'd gotten by Josh Hillard and Denny Singletary.
Kennedy followed his defeat of the Townsend son, by defeating the Townsend father 9-7. He was introduced, in the quarterfinals, to McGee, who'd eliminated Oliver 9-2. Kennedy learned all he needed to know about McGee, when the younger man allowed him only a single rack in the quarterfinals.
McGee moved on and defeated Bulfin in the semifinals 9-5. In the single, race-to-11 final, Souvanthong put up a fight, but McGee edged ahead to win it by two, 11-9, and claim the event title.
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:
It was a good weekend to spend indoors in the lowcountry of South Carolina on the weekend of July 7-8. With outdoor temperatures into triple digits, 52 pool players opted for the air-conditioned comfort of Myrtle Beach’s Shore Thing Bar & Billiards at a $1,500-added event on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. Kept out of the GSBT winners’ circle at the same location in June by Mike Slaughter, Josh Roberts chalked up an undefeated weekend, completing it with a victory over Phillip Britt, who’d won five on the loss side to face him.
From among the winners’ side final four, Roberts faced Larry Jackson, while Jared McGee, who’d just sent Britt west, squared off against Shawn Padgett. Roberts sent Jackson to the loss side 11-6, while Padgett, a B player, sent McGee (AA) over 7-10. Roberts, who’d been denied the hot seat by Slaughter in June, got there this time, with an 11-4 victory over Padgett.
It was Jackson who moved west and had the misfortune of facing the streaking Britt, who’d gotten by Ben Fisher 9-4 and Gatlin Askins 7-2 to reach him. McGee met Wendell Thompkins, who’d defeated Larry Faulk 9-1 and Donnie Stewart 9-4. Britt won his third straight, defeating Jackson 9-7 and in the quarterfinals, faced Thompkins, who’d eliminated McGee 9-4.
In a straight-up, A-race to 9, Britt ended Thompkins’ weekend 9-6. He completed his loss-side trek back to the finals with a 9-4 victory over Padgett in the semifinals.
Roberts, though, was not to be denied. He took the opening set of the true double elimination final 11-4 to capture the event title.
Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked Shore Thing Bar & Billiards owners, Brent and Anne Hudgins, as well as their staff, and 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.
