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Hess downs tour veteran Britt to win his first GSBT stop

Shannon Daulton, Tyler Hess with his girlfriend, owner Brent Hudgens and Matt Hall

Handicaps, as they apply to the varied billiard sports, are often debated, though few would argue that they are a reasonable means for leveling the playing field between two players with a discernible gap in their skills.  On the Great Southern Billiard Tour, players race to their ranking, giving, as a relevant example, Tyler Hess, racing to 4, an advantage over a veteran like Phillip Britt who has to win nine games, before Hess wins his four. Hess took advantage of that handicap to down Britt in the finals of the June 13-14 stop on the GSBT and chalk up his first win on the tour. The $750-added event drew 38 entrants to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.
 
Advancing to a winners' side semifinal, Hess faced another GSBT veteran racing to 9 – Greg Dix – as Britt squared off against Matt Hall, racing to 4, in the other. It was Hall and Hess advancing to the hot seat match; Hall 4-6 over Britt and Hess 4-7 over Dix. In a straight-up race to 4, Hess took the hot seat 4-1 and waited on Britt's return from a three-match run on the loss side.
 
In the first of his three, Britt faced Robert Otto, who'd defeated Andy Bowden 5-4, and Eric Norton 5-2 to reach Britt. Dix drew Dave Brown, 7-4 winner over Scott Crane and 7-3 winner over Tony DeGuzman. Britt  eliminated Otto 9-3, as Dix was busy winning a double hill match over Brown. In the quarterfinal, straight-up race to 9 between the two GSBT vets, Britt prevailed 9-7. for a shot at the man who'd sent him to the loss side, Matt Hall.
 
Once again, Hall's handicap advantage proved to be important, as he defeated Britt a second time, by the same score he'd defeated him in the winners' side semifinal, 4-6. So it was the 4-rated players squaring off in the finals. The fought to double hill before Hess finished things up to claim his first GSBT title. 
 
Shannon Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Shore Thing Billiards, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Lomax Custom Cues, Tiger Products, Ozone Billiards, Delta-13 and AZBilliards. The next stop on the GSBT, scheduled for June 27-28, will be hosted by the Coliseum in Greenville, SC. With 40 entrants, $1,000 will be added to this event. With 64 entrants, that amount will be increased to $2,000.
 

Stone, about to become a Marine, takes two out of three vs. Norris to win his first GSBT stop

Shannon Daulton, Brad Stone, Christi Norris and owner Brent Hudgins

It was the first time that either Brad Stone or Christy Norris had appeared in a Great Southern Billiard Tour final. They'd met earlier in a winners' side semifinal, with Stone advancing to the hot seat, and Norris coming back from a three-match sojourn to the losers' bracket. Stone took two out of three against Norris to claim his first GSBT title, approximately three weeks ahead of reporting for duty with the United States Marine Corps. The $800-added event, drew 39 entrants to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC on the weekend of December 13-14.
 
The first of the three meetings between Stone and Norris was a double hill affair that moved Stone into the hot seat match and sent Norris to the losers' bracket. Stone was joined in the winners' side final by Rich Anderson, who'd defeated Zach Courtwright 8-2. Stone defeated the higher-ranked Anderson 4-6 to gain the hot seat and wait on Ms. Norris.
 
On the loss side, Norris picked up Matt Collins, who'd defeated Brittany Burnett 7-2 and Matt Hall 7-1 to reach her. Courtwright drew Luis Tovar, who'd eliminated Tanya Parsley 5-1, and Tony DeGuzman 5-2.
 
It was Norris and Courtwright who advanced to the quarterfinals; Norris with a 5-4 victory over Collins, as Courtwright was busy ending Tovar's day 4-2. Norris downed Courtwright in that quarterfinal match 5-2 and went on to defeat Anderson 5-7 in the semifinals.
 
She defeated Stone 5-2 in the opening set of the true double elimination final. The two battled to double hill in the second set, before Stone prevailed to earn his first GSBT title.

Noble takes two out of three against Walker to win his first GSBT stop

Shannon Daulton, Todd Noble, Mike Walker and owner Marty Opyd

For the second week in a row, the Great Southern Billiard Tour featured two players who had never been in a final before battling it out for the event title. It was also the second week in a row that the two finalists had been among the winners' side final four, and had to play both sets of a double elimination final to determine the winner. On the weekend of December 20-21, at a $1,000-added event that drew 74 entrants to Legends Billiards in Inman, SC, it was Todd Noble who took the second set of the true double elimination final against Mike Walker to capture the event title.
 
They almost met in the hot seat match. Noble faced Matt Malden in one winners' side semifinal, as Walker squared off against Matt Hall in the other. Noble advanced to the hot seat match 6-3 over Malden, but Hall sent Walker west 3-4. Noble and Hall locked up in a double hill hot seat match that left Noble in the hot seat and Hall moving to the semifinals for a fateful meet-up with Walker.
 
Walker had moved over and picked up Romy Malonzo, who'd defeated John Walker 5-3 and Hunter White 5-4 to reach him. Malden drew Zach Baker, who'd eliminated Marty White 4-4 and in a 'match of Zachs' (Baker and Collins) defeated Collins, double hill. Walker then defeated Malonzo, double hill, and in the quarterfinals, faced Malden, who'd finished Baker 7-2.
 
Walker took the quarterfinal match over Malden 5-5, to earn his re-match against Hall in the semifinals. Hall put up a double hill fight, but Walker prevailed for a shot at Noble in the hot seat. The two locked up in a first set, double hill fight, eventually won by Walker. Noble came back in the second set to win it 6-3 and claim his first GSBT title.