The finalists on the Sunshine State Predator Pro Am Tour’s 8th stop last weekend (August 21-22) were both looking for their first major victory. Jesse Link went undefeated to the hot seat at this $500-added event that drew 37 entrants to Q Ball Billiards in Jacksonville, FL, while Justin Toye spent most of his time (9 out of 10 matches) on the loss side of the bracket. They both had to get by veteran competitor, Mike Delawder in the final three matches of the tournament for the chance to face each other in the finals. Both did so. Toye won the extended single race-to-9 final to claim the event title.
After an opening round bye, Toye got locked up in a double hill battle versus Logan Lane that sent him on his loss-side journey, while Link and Delawder embarked on their shorter trips to the hot seat match. Link downed Landon Fox, Eric Neeld, Bill Norrish and Tommy Pauley to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal against David Grossman. Delawder, awarded a bye, then defeated Michele Neeld, John Souders and Christian Daniels to reach the man that had sent Toye to the loss side (Logan Lane).
Link moved into the hot seat match 7-5 over Grossman and was joined by Delawder, who’d sent Lane to the loss side 7-2. Link claimed the hot seat 6-4 over Delawder and waited on Toye.
Meanwhile, on the loss side, Toye was mowin’ ‘em down. He gave up a total of only four racks in his first four games versus Landon Fox (0), Cris Baumgart (1), Brett Agler (2) and Jack Smith (1) before running into Christian Daniels, who gave him a loss-side, double hill run for his money; unsuccessfully as it turned out. Toye advanced to defeat Randall McLuckie 5-2 and picked up Grossman, over from his winners’ side semifinal loss. Lane drew Kristian Dimitrov, who was working on a five-match, loss-side winning streak that was about to end and had just eliminated Tommy Pauley 5-2 and Matt Deweese 5-1.
Toye did his part to assure his rematch against Logan Lane with a 5-2 victory over Grossman. Lane cooperated by surviving a double hill battle against Dimitrov. Toye ‘thanked’ Lane for the extra three matches added to the number of matches he needed to claim the event title, by allowing him only a single rack in their quarterfinal rematch.
Toye moved on to meet and defeat Delawder 5-2 in the semifinals for a shot against Link, waiting for him in the hot seat. He took full advantage of the opportunity he was given and downed Link 9-5 to claim his first event title.
Tour directors Janene Phillips and Bobby Garza thanked the ownership and staff at Q Ball Billiards for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Predator Cues, Kamui, Diamond Stitch It To Me Embroidery, Central Florida USA Pool League, Skills for Rent & AZ Billiards. Stop #9 on the Sunshine State Predator Pro Am Tour, scheduled for the weekend of October 9-10, will be a $1,000-added Open 9-Ball event, hosted by Brewlands in Lakeland, FL.
McIntosh goes undefeated to win 2nd stop on Ladies Tour
The June 12-13 weekend on the Sunshine State Predator Pro Am Tour featured a regular stop (#5) on the tour, which allowed only players with a Fargo rate of 575 or less, as well as a second stop on the recently-instituted ladies tour. The $750-added ($350 from a Predator raffle) 5th stop on the tour was won by Nate Beal, who advanced to a winners’ side quarterfinal before being sent to the loss side, from which he mounted a five-match winning streak that took him into the finals. He defeated Orlando Dixon in those finals to claim the event title. The event drew 64 entrants to QBall Billiards in Jacksonville, FL.
Not content with her runner-up finish (to Jeannie Seaver) in the first stop of the Predator Pro Am Ladies Tour back in March, Kaylee McIntosh returned for the tour’s second stop, run concurrently with the tour’s regular stop, and went undefeated to win it. The $400-added ladies event drew 29 entrants to the same location.
McIntosh lost only three racks to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal matchup against Nicolle Cuellar (one of four women who competed in the ‘575 or less’ event, as well). McIntosh gave up no racks to Carolyn Tews, two to Alana Sanchez, and one to Karen Pluto. Her opponent in both the hot seat match and finals, Gwendolyn Sharpton, gave up seven to arrive at her winners’ side semifinal match versus Stephanie Payne.
McIntosh got into the hot seat match without giving up a rack to Cuellar. Sharpton gave up five to Payne and joined her. McIntosh claimed the hot seat with a third shutout and a 92% game-winning average.
On the loss side, Cuellar picked up Alana Sanchez, who followed her loss at the hands of McIntosh with four loss-side wins, including recent victories over Christina Lobello 5-3 and a double hill battle versus Jenn Berzinski. Payne drew Dale Leonard, who was also in the midst of a four-match, loss-side streak that had just mirrored Sanchez’ efforts by eliminating Alyssa Howell 5-3 and surviving a double hill fight against Lisa Anderson.
By identical 5-3 scores, Cuellar and Leonard advanced to the quarterfinals, where Leonard took a step further, ending Cuellar’s run 5-3. Leonard, in turn, was defeated by Sharpton 5-2 in the semifinals. Sharpton then chalked up as many racks against McIntosh in the finals as all of McIntosh’s previous opponents combined, but it wasn’t enough. McIntosh completed her undefeated run with a 9-5 win in the finals.
Nate Beal, Darren Frost and Orlando Dixon
Beal wins stop #5 with a 62% game-winning average
In contrast to what looks (on paper) like an easy time at the tables for Kaylee McIntosh in the Ladies tournament, was quite the opposite for Nate Beal in the regular 5th stop on the tour. Beal won three matches on the winners’ side of the bracket, downing Benjamin Tuck 7-5, Rob McLaren 7-3 and Robert Goolsky, double hill, before being defeated in a winners’ side quarterfinal by Darren Frost 7-5. Beal moved to the loss side, sporting a 55% game-winning percentage. Frost advanced to a winners’ side semifinal versus Marcos Bielostozky. Orlando Dixon, in the meantime, got by Jenn Wilson, Justin Lamont, Jimmy Ripley and James Marcum to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal versus Nicolle Cuellar.
Frost and Bielostozky fought to double hill before Frost advanced to the hot seat match. Dixon joined him after downing Cuellar 7-4. It was Dixon who claimed the hot seat 7-2 over Frost.
On the loss side, it was Cuellar who had the misfortune to run into Beal, who was two matches into his five-match, loss-side trip to the finals. Bielostozky picked up Logan Lane, who was working on a seven-match loss side streak that would take him as far as Beal.
Lane downed Bielostozky 7-5, as Beal was dealing with Cuellar 7-1. Beal put a stop to Lane’s loss-side run 7-3 in the quarterfinals and then, defeated Frost 7-3 in the semifinals. He came into the finals having improved his game winning average from the 55% it was when he moved to the loss side to 62%. It served him well, as he completed his first major event victory 9-6 over Dixon.
Tour directors Janene Phillips and Bobby Garza thanked the ownership and staff at QBall Billiards, as well as title sponsor Predator Cues, Northeast Florida USA Pool League, Triple G Fence Company, Stitch it to me Embroidery and AZBilliards. They extended special thanks to Poison Cues for a raffle cue for the ladies event and to Leah Nusbaum for her assistance at the dual events.
The next stop on the Sunshine State Predator Pro Am Tour, scheduled for the weekend of June 26-27, will celebrate the tour’s 5th anniversary with a $1,600-added event, hosted by Brewlands Carrolwood in Tampa, FL.
