Dwaine Bowman’s Leisure Time Billiards & Sports Bar in East Moline, IL hosted its 2nd Annual Bar Box Classic over the past several days.Featuring three divisions – Eight Ball, One Pocket and Ten Ball – a total of $16,000 was added by local sponsors. They included Jacoby Cues, Behnke Trailers, Bull Carbon, Diveney Cues, Andy Billiard Cloth, Comfort Inn, PoolActionTV.com and Anytime Billiards of Clive, IA.
The $4,000 added Eight Ball division began on Wednesday evening with a players auction followed by players meeting and the draw. Forty eight players paid a $300 entry – the format was double elimination, winner breaks and races to nine.
Last year’s third place finisher, Jesse Bowman, shot straight out of the chute after drawing a bye and sent Benny Conway Jr, Gordy Vanderveer Fedor Gorst and Alex Pagulayan to the one loss side before arriving at the hot seat match.
Brian Groce also went undefeated in his march to the hot seat. After drawing a first round bye, his victims included Will Thomsen, Gene Albrecht and Blake Baker before he wentto the wire with Corey Deuel. After surviving that match, Brian beat Jesse Bowman and locked up his berth in the finals. Jesse headed west to await an opponent.
Roberto Gomez won his first two matches over Tony Ehlers and Chris Lawson before being felled by compadre Alex Pagulayan. Once on the one loss side, he defeated Marty Heldenbrand, Ray Skendore, Blake Baker, Brandon Heldenbrand and exacted his revenge on Alex 9-8. He then defeated Gene Albrecht to finally play Jesse Bowman for the remaining spot in the finals.
It was a battle but Roberto eked out a win – 9-8. Jesse, again, finished in third place.
As this was true double elimination, Gomez had to defeat Groce twice to claim the title. In dead punch after winning seven matches in a row to arrive at the finals, Roberto won the first set 9-6 and then the second 9-3. Congratulations, Roberto for a hard fought win! Good tournament, Brian!
The $2,000 added One Pocket Division began on Thursday evening after the players auction, meeting & draw. Played on nine footers, twelve players paid a $500 entry fee into this single elimination, race to four, winner break event.
With his one pocket game on the improve, Fedor Gorst arrived at the finals after defeating Randy Jordan, Robert Frost and Alex Pagulayan. His opponent, Jesse Bowman drew a first round bye and then beat Roberto Gomez and Corey Deuel. Due to time constraints, Jesse and Fedor decided to split the purse. Congratulations to both players!
The $10,000 added Ten Ball Division began on Friday night. Ninety six players paid a $150 entry fee into this double elimination event. Racing to nine with alternate breaks, there were no jump cues allowed. This old schooler really enjoyed watching the safety battles!
Following the players auction, meeting and draw, the matches began.
Houston Rodriguez began his journey to the final four on the winner’s side with victories over Bob Smith, Donny Thompson, Ricky Evans, Alex Pagulayan and Gene Albrecht.
Roberto Gomez caught a bye and then worked his way past Jeff Berger, David Kelly, Warren Kiamco and Benny Conway Jr. He then defeated Rodriguez and advanced to the hot seat match.
In the lower portion of the bracket, Robert Frost defeated Kash Keaton, Greg Pitts, Tom Tan, Bobby McGrath and Mike Banks Jr to arrive in the final four.
Home court hero Jesse Bowman also drew a first round bye and then sent Joey Dyer, Adam Thomas, Ryan Ponton and Jimmy Nosavan west before he was defeated by Frost who moved into the other spot in the hot seat match.
Frost was then defeated by Gomez 9-6 and was sent to the one loss side while Gomez cooled his heels awaiting an opponent for the final match.
After losing his third round match to Ryan Ponton, Fedor Gorst clawed his way past Josh Ray, Kristina Tkach, Warren Kiamco, Kash Keaton, Mike Banks Jr, Randy Jordan, Houston Rodriguez and Jesse Bowman before encountering Robert Frost.
Fighting for the remaining seat in the finals, the match was neck and neck until Robert pulled away at the end. Final score 9-6. Fedor finished in third place.
Moving into the finals, Frost had to defeatGomez twice to claim the title. An early miss by Frost resulted in Gomez claiming an early four game lead – score 5-1. They traded games with Robert closing the gap – now 6-4. Roberto dug in and reached the hill – 8-5. He made a ball on the break and ran out for the win!
Congratulations to Roberto for not only snapping off this one but also the Eight Ball! Good tournament, Robert!
PoolActionTV.com would like to thank Dwaine Bowman and his fantastic staff for taking such good care of all the players and fans. We’d also like to thank Tournament Director Eric Gardner for doing a great job.
And, last not but least, we’d like to thank our sponsors and fans. Our sponsors include JB Cases, Diveney Cues, Aramith, Hanshew Jump Cues, EnviroAssessments, Lomax Custom Cues, Simonis, Durbin Custom Cues, Diamond Billiard Products, Fort Worth Billiards Superstore and CR’s Sports Bar of Minneapolis, MN.
Our next stop is Big Dog Billiards in Des Moines, IA for the 7th Annual $18,000 added Midwest Billiards & Cue Expo. The dates are July 13th-17th – hope to see you there!
The final six competitors at the Sept. 26-27 stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour included the Jordan brothers (Randy and Jeff) and Josh Roberts, all looking to get back on some semblance of a winning track after a long, ominously quiet spring, summer and (now) autumn. Gone at the point (among others) were BJ Ussery, Betty Sessions and the tour’s most prolific winner over the past year, Landon Hollingsworth.
Josh Roberts had been the busiest of the final six in 2020, having cashed in seven events, including the Music City Classic’s Open Division (4th), three events at the Derby City Classic (9-Ball Banks; 14th, One Pocket; 25th, 9-Ball; 11th) and a runner-up finish (to James Aranas) in the 2020 Scotty Townsend Memorial 9-Ball Tournament in March in Louisiana. The Jordan brothers came to the tables on the heels of a long drought for them. Randy Jordan had chalked up his last win at the 2018 Florida State Open 10-Ball Championship, while brother Jeff was looking at a three-year layoff since winning a stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball and Sunshine State Pro Am Tours in the final months of 2017.
This mutual ‘drought’ for the finalists contributed to the decision to start a double elimination final at 7 a.m. on Sunday, September 27 and conclude it at 8:45 a.m. The combatants were Randy Jordan and Josh Roberts. Roberts was in the hot seat and Randy Jordan was coming off a five-match, loss-side winning streak that his brother Jeff had sent him on after a winners’ side quarterfinal match. Jordan won both sets of the final to claim the title over Roberts. The $800-added event drew 50 entrants to another new venue for the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour – Tara Billiards in Jonesboro, GA.
After sending his brother to the loss side, Jeff Jordan ran into Josh Roberts in a winners’ side semifinal. Toby Bell, in the meantime, squared off against Eric Roberts in the other one. With Eric Roberts racing to 9, Toby Bell got into the hot seat match with a 6-6 win over him. Josh Roberts joined him, once he’d sent Jeff Jordan to the loss side 12-3 (Jordan racing to 9). Josh Roberts did not give up a rack in his 12-0 hot seat victory.
Randy Jordan opened his loss-side trip to the finals with two straight double hill wins; over Derek Fountain (10-7) and junior competitor Joey Tate (10-6) to draw Eric Roberts. Randy’s brother, Jeff, picked up Marcio Smith, who’d eliminated Reggie Thomas and Mike Byars, both 7-3, to reach him.
Randy downed Eric Roberts 10-5. Smith spoiled any thoughts of a brotherly quarterfinal with a 7-7 win over Jeff (racing to 9). Randy Jordan completed his march to the final by winning nearly 70% of the games he played over the next two matches. He defeated Marcio Smith 10-4 in the quarterfinal and Toby Bell 10-5 in the semifinal to earn his shot against Roberts in the hot seat.
It was 7 o’clock in the morning and tour director Herman Parker fully expected the two finalists to opt out of a potential two-set final and agree to a split. It didn’t happen. They embarked on the final two matches. With momentum on his side, Randy Jordan took the opening set 10-5 (Roberts racing to 12). The second set proved to be a little trickier, as they fought to double hill, just ahead of 9 a.m. Jordan finished it at 10-11 to claim the event title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked Nathan McBurnett and his Tara Billiards staff for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZBilliards, Tickler Pool Ball Washing Machine, Skyline Construction, Federal Savings Bank Mortgage Division and Dirty South Grind Apparel Co. The Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour will add another new venue to its growing list as it visits VFW Post #9811 in Kings Mountain, NC this coming weekend (Oct. 3-4) for a $500-added event.
Junior National Champion Tate wins nine on the loss side to finish as runner-up
When Jason Brown (known as Jaybird) finished in the tie for 7th place at a March 2004 stop on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, and entered the AZBilliards database for the first time, the player he faced in the finals of the August 25-26 stop on the 2018 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour hadn’t been born yet. Brown went undefeated through a field of 82, on-hand for the $1,500-added event, hosted by Steakhorse Restaurant & Billiards in Spartanburg, SC. His opponent in the finals was 13-year-old, two-time BEF Junior National Champion, and member of this year’s Atlantic Cup Challenge team, Joey Tate, who’d lost a match in the third round of play and won nine on the loss side to earn a shot against him in the finals. Tate was one of six juniors who competed in the event.
As Tate was toiling away on the loss side, Brown advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Marcio Smith. Trey Frank and Tyler Mayfield squared off in the other winners’ side semifinal. Brown got into the hot seat match with an 11-3 victory over Smith, and was joined by Frank, who’d sent Mayfield to the loss side 6-4. Brown claimed the hot seat 11-3 over Frank, and waited on the return of the reigning 14 & Under Junior National Champion.
Tate, in the meantime, was mowing ‘em down on the loss side. Four matches into his loss-side winning streak, he defeated Scott Roberts, and then, Jeff Jordan, both 6-3, to draw Smith. Mayfield picked up Jeff Jordan’s brother, Randy, who’d recently defeated Dustin Brown and Matt Lucas, both 10-1.
Tate and Smith battled to double hill before Tate advanced to the quarterfinals (6-6; Smith racing to 7). He was joined by Randy Jordan, who’d eliminated Mayfield 10-3. Tate had allowed Randy’s brother, Jeff, three racks in their earlier matchup, but shut brother Randy out to advance to the semifinals.
In a straight-up race to 6 in those semifinals, Tate completed his loss-side run 6-2 for a shot at Brown in the hot seat. Tate would have needed to defeat Brown twice in the finals to claim the title, but Brown completed his undefeated run with an 11-4 victory over Tate, who presumably went home to prepare for school the next morning.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Dayne Miller and his staff at Steakhorse Billiards for their hospitality, along with title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (Sept. 1-2), will be a $500-added event, hosted by Speak Eazy Billiards in Sanford, NC.
(l to r): Mike Lear, David Grossman, Randy Jordan & Mike Zingale (room owner)
Randy Jordan and David Grossman battled twice to claim the 2018 Florida State Open 10-Ball Championship title. Jordan won both battles, hot seat match and finals, to claim the event title. The $3,500-added event, held on the weekend of March 3-4, drew 55 entrants to Zingale’s Billiard Room & Sports Bar in Tallahassee, FL. A Second Chance event, which drew 31 entrants, was won by Steve Chaplin.
As the headline story played out, you couldn’t help but think, as it got close, that a lot of people in attendance at this year’s 10-Ball Championships were looking ahead to a potential match between Tommy Kennedy and Johnny Archer, who were the last two men standing in the US Open 9-Ball Championships, 26 years ago (1992). It was Kennedy’s first US Open, and he not only defeated Archer, he did it twice to claim that title. They’d played each other on the road numerous times before they got there, and countless times since, so the potential re-match at this event carried some history weight to it. As Jordan and Grossman advanced to their hot seat match, Kennedy and Archer were on the loss side; Kennedy, earlier, having been sent there by Jordan, and Archer having just been sent there by Grossman. They came within a match of meeting up in the quarterfinals.
Moving into the winners’ side semifinals, Jordan had given up only 11 racks in 39 games. He’d give up 10 in his next 24. He faced Tobias Hoiss in one winners’ side semifinal, as Grossman faced Archer in the other one. Jordan got into the hot seat match with a 7-5 win over Hoiss, while Grossman was sending Archer over 7-4. Jordan downed Grossman in their first matchup 7-5 and waited on his return.
Over on the loss side, Kennedy was chalking up wins on his way to a six-match, loss-side streak that would take him as far as the semifinals. He’d most recently downed Wayne Catledge 7-2 and in a double hill fight, defeated Nick Applebee. This set Kennedy up for a match against Hoiss. Archer drew Anthony Meglino, who’d won the season-opening stop on the AllOutPool Tour a week earlier, and in this event, working on the loss side, had shut out Kristian Dimitrov, and eliminated Francisco Diaz 7-4 to face Archer.
Kennedy did what he had to do to earn a match against Archer by defeating Hoiss 7-2. Archer, though, more than likely to the consternation of those anticipating an Archer/Kennedy match, fell to Meglino 7-4. In what was described as a quarterfinal, double hill “thriller” by tour representatives, Kennedy and Meglino battled it out for advancement to the semifinals. Kennedy won it, and took his shot at Grossman.
Grossman spoiled Kennedy’s bid for a re-match against Jordan, defeating him 7-5 in those semifinals to earn his own re-match. Jordan spoiled that re-match, getting out to an early 4-1 lead in the finals. A few back and forth games brought things to a 6-3 lead for Jordan, after which he took three in a row to claim the Florida State Open 10-Ball title.
Tour representatives thanked the Zingale family and staff for “an excellent job at (their) brand new location and great hospitality over the two-day event.” They also thanked sponsors Simonis, Aramith, Stroke-It-Wear, Crosby’s Billiards and Darts, and XL Press Co. Stop #4 on the Florida Pool Tour, scheduled for April 21-22, will be hosted by Capone’s in Spring Hill, FL. Players can enter online at http://www.floridapooltour.com.
This was almost a story about two brothers, Randy and Jeff Jordan, winning the Pro and Amateur divisions of the season finale stop on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour on the weekend of December 16-17. Instead, thanks to Josh Roberts, it’s about two brothers finishing first (Jeff) and second (Randy) in the Amateur and Pro division tournaments, respectively. And then, there’s an asterisk next to Jeff Jordan’s victory in the Amateur event, because with the two brothers needing to drive back to Georgia on Sunday night, Jeff and Josh Williams mutually agreed to split the top two prizes and not play a final match, leaving Jeff, in the hot seat, as the event’s official winner.
The $2,000-added Pro event, held over the two days, drew 58 entrants, while the $340-added Amateur event, which began and ended on Sunday, December 17, drew 31 entrants. Both events were hosted by Park Avenue Billiards in Orange Park, FL.
The two Jordan brothers ended up in the hot seat in their respective tournaments. Josh Roberts came back from a loss in the Pro hot seat match to defeat the elder Jordan brother, Randy, in the finals of the Pro event, and as noted, Jeff was declared the official winner of the Amateur event when he and Williams opted out of a final match.
Randy Jordan had defeated Mike Delawder 7-5 in one of the Pro event’s winners’ side semifinals to get into the hot seat match. He was joined by Roberts, who’d sent Obbie Cirilo west 7-4. Randy claimed the hot seat 7-3 over Roberts and waited for him to get back from the semifinals.
On the loss side, competition was fierce, as five of the 10 matches between the 9/12 contests and the semifinals went double hill. Cirilo joined the loss-side crowd in the 5/6 matches and picked up the ever-dangerous Anthony Meglino. Delawder drew Bobby Garza. Meglino advanced to the quarterfinals 7-5 over Cirilo, while Delawder and Garza battled to double hill, before Delawder moved on.
Meglino then downed Delawder in a double hill quarterfinal, before himself falling victim to Josh Roberts in a double hill semifinal. Josh Roberts then spoiled the potential brother-party on the soon-to-be ride home to Georgia by defeating the elder Jordan 11-6 in the finals.
An award of $60 was earned by the event’s top-finishing Junior player. It was won by 17-year-old Jordan Burden.
[photo id=48397|align=right]Younger Jordan takes home the Amateur title
In the Amateur event, Jeff Jordan got himself into the hot seat match with a 7-2 win over Trenton White in one winners’ side semifinal, while Josh Williams downed Ted Kershey 7-3 in the other one. Jeff Jordan claimed the hot seat, winning what proved to be his last match of the event, with a 7-2 win over Williams.
On the loss side, on arrival, Kershey and White walked into their second straight loss; Kershey falling to David Grossman 5-2 and White, to Peter Ghostine 5-1 (the 13-year-old White, as the Amateur event’s top-finishing junior, pocketed an extra $20, in addition to the $115 he earned for finishing in the tie for 5th place). Ghostine won the quarterfinal match that followed, double hill, and then fell victim to Williams 5-2 in the semifinals. Jordan and Williams then opted out of the final match, and the Jordan brothers went home with a good (just not as terrific as it might have been) story to tell.
Tour directors Janene Phillips and Bobby Garza thanked Carl Watt and his Park Avenue Billiards staff for their hospitality, as well as sponsors McDermott Cues, Kamui, AZBilliards, BilliardBuzz.com, Jacksonville Roofing USA, Inside Pool Magazine, and Seagram’s 7. The next stop on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour will be the 2018 season opener. Scheduled for the weekend of January 13-14, 2018, the event will be hosted by Stroker’s in Palm Harbor, FL and feature a 10-ball invitational tournament, open to the winner and runner-up of each of the tour’s 2017 stops (10 of them), along with one junior competitor and two ladies. The 2018 tour has already scheduled 14 stops, from Miami to Jacksonville, FL.
The purse was $1,500 added, $50 entry, 100% payout, no hidden fees. Starcade Billiards does it right every single time. The format was double elimination, with 9 ball express rules in effect. Winner’s brackets matches were races to nine and loser’s bracket matches were races to seven on Saturday and race to nine for both sides on Sunday.
The Jordan “Cash” team was in top form from start to finish, with both brothers making it to the final four of the undefeated bracket. Jamie Baraks beat Jeff Jordan 9-5. But Randy Jordan easily bested local favorite, Josh Hillard, by a lop-sided score of 9-1. And then Randy proceeded to beat Jamie 9-5 to capture the hot seat.
Meanwhile, on the final four of the one loss side, Pablo Matheu eliminated Denny Singletary, and Stoney Stone gave Denny Fox his marching orders, as well. Then Jeff Jordan sent Pablo to the bleachers, and Josh Hillard handed Stoney Stone his marching orders. This left Jamie Baraks waiting for the winner between Jeff Jordan and Josh Hillard, with Josh besting Jeff 9-6.
So then there were only three…
Out of the three remaining, Jamie Baraks had 5 top 3 finishes, being the runner-up twice. And this time we would crown a new champion. All defending title holders had been eliminated. So Jamie squared off with Josh, and the winner would earn a rematch with Randy Jordan and another title attempt. Josh would earn the opportunity to redeem his previous title attempts with a 9-4 victory over Jamie. And these two have been knocking on the winning door for quite some time now.
Over the last two decades, I have personally witnessed Josh Hillard play in the finals of this tournament at least 3 times, possibly 4, losing to Tommy Kennedy, David Broxson, and Pablo Matheu – making this his 4th attempt to capture the much coveted title.
The championship match would be an extended single race to twelve. This time, however, Josh was holding the winning ticket with some really solid play and defeated Randy 12 to 7.
With the event's previous two winners facing each other in the hot seat match – Tommy Kennedy (2014) and Mike Davis, Jr. (2015) – the 5th Annual Southeast Open 9-Ball Tournament, held on the weekend of August 27-28, looked as though it was going to crown its first repeat winner. Justin Hall spoiled the party, so to speak. Sent to the loss side by Davis in a winners' side semifinal, Justin returned to challenge and eventually defeat Davis in a tightly contested final match race to 12. The event, streamed live all weekend by Xtreme Pool Challenge, drew 95 entrants to Zingale's in Tallahassee, FL.
"I struggled pretty much every match," said Hall in a post-final interview. "I almost didn't get to the finals, period.
"I played better and better throughout the day (on Sunday)," he added, "but I'd miss a few balls for a game or two, and then run out."
Davis, who hasn't been playing as much as he'd like to over the past year, chalked his defeat up to his own mistakes. Hall's victory, though, didn't surprise him.
"I've played him a lot of times," said Davis, "and he's a real solid player.
" It was a real tough (final) match," Davis added. "He played well, but I folded under the pressure and choked a little at the end. Just recently, I haven't played as much, and that showed up there at the end."
Hall's weekend started strong, as he gave up only eight racks over his first four matches against Mo Fattah (2), James Sandaler (0) Jordan Bureau (4) and David Walters (2). David Jacobs gave him a run for his money in a winners' side quarterfinal match that went double hill before sending Hall into the winners' side semifinals against Davis. Davis, in the meantime, gave up 23 racks over his first four against Tony Danford (1), Billy Burke (7), Steve Foster (8) and Randy Jordan (7). Tobias Hoiss chalked up six more against him in the winners' side quarterfinals.
On the other half of the winners' side bracket, the 2014 winner, Tommy Kennedy was awarded an opening round bye, and then had a total of 16 racks chalked up against him (the same as Hall, with one less match) by David Grossman (7), Clint Nichols (2), Joseph Korsiak (4) and Mark Coats (3). This set Kennedy up to face Anthony Meglino in the other winners' side semifinal.
Davis sent Hall to the loss side 9-2, and in the hot seat match, faced Kennedy, who'd sent Meglino over 9-4. Davis got into the hot seat 9-6 and waited on Hall's return.
Hall moved over and picked up Mark Coats, who'd defeated Kyle Bova 9-4 and Randy Jordan 9-5 to reach him. Meglino drew Hoiss, who'd eliminated Richard Brompton and David Jacobs, both 9-2. Hall downed Coats 9-6 and in the quarterfinals, faced Meglino who'd shut Hoiss out.
Hall took the quarterfinals over Meglino 9-6. He then fought a tight, semifinal battle against Kennedy that came within a game of double hill before Hall advanced 9-7.
Hall and Davis fought back and forth through numerous ties in the early going of the race-to-12 finals. Davis got out in front a few times, but by game 20, they were dead even at 10 apiece. Hall won the next two to claim the 5th Annual Southeast Open 9-Ball title.
Shannon Daulton, Kenny Wilson, Clint Nichols and Michael Zingale
Mike Zingale of Zingale's Billiards in Tallahassee , FL made a phone call, and invited Shannon Daulton and his Great Southern Billiard Tour down for a visit. They went, on the weekend of December 5-6, and ran a $1,200-added tournament that drew 32 entrants and saw Kenny Wilson come back from a loss in the hot seat match and double dip Clint Nichols in the finals to claim the event title.
Their first clash followed a 7-4 victory by Wilson over Denny Singletary, and a 6-5 win by Nichols, over Nick Applebee in the winners' side semifinals. Nichols then took the first of three over Wilson, decisively, 6-1, and sat in the hot seat, waiting for the next two.
Singletary and Applebee moved over to the loss side and were immediately defeated a second time. Applebee fell, 7-2, to Chris Gentile, who'd recently defeated Jason Wells 7-2 and Jesse Middlebrooks 7-6 (Middlebrooks racing to 8). Singletary ran into Randy Jordan, who'd been defeated by Wilson in the second round, and was in the midst of a six-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him as far as the semifinals. Jordan chalked up loss-side wins #3 and #4 against Lee Sanders 9-4 and Derek Fowler 9-5.
Gentile downed Applebee 7-2, as Jordan was eliminating Singletary 9-5. Jordan took the quarterfinal match that followed 9-6, to earn a second shot against Wilson. Wilson ended Jordan's loss-side streak, defeating him a second time, 7-7 (same as the first time, Jordan racing to 9), and earning his own second (and third) shot against Nichols in the hot seat.
Five years ago, Wilson had chalked up his first win on the GSBT, by advancing to the hot seat, and holding off a loss-side challenge by Brian White, who entered the finals on the heels of a nine-match, loss-side winning streak. On this most recent weekend, Wilson chalked up his second tour victory with a 7-4 win in the opening set of the true double elimination final and a double hill win in the second set.
Tour director Shannon Daulton was quite pleased with his tour's first visit to Zingale's, which also hosts Tommy Kennedy's Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour, and Tony Crosby's Florida Pool Tour.
"It was a real pleasure to work with Mike (Zingale)," said Daulton. "It's such a player-friendly room (with) an elevated bar for viewing and separate areas for league and tournament play; just a hell of a layout.
"The entire staff at Zingale's was on-point the whole weekend," he added, "and I'll bet Mike served as many drinks as his staff did."
The GSBT will return to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC, this coming weekend (December 12-13) and will conclude its 2015 season with a Christmas tournament, scheduled for December 19-20, at Legends Billiards, in Inman, SC.
The purse was $1,500 added, $50 entry, 100% payout, no hidden fees. Starcade Billiards does it right every single time. Robert Harris, Harris Cues, co-sponsored the event and raffled off a beautiful $1,500 cue and awarded another cue to the Champion, as well. The format was double elimination, 9 ball express rules were effect, winner’s brackets races to nine and loser’s bracket races to seven on both days. However, this was the first time the Magic Rack was implemented. So it’s safe to say that many balls were made on the break, which amounted to many break-and-runs and some very lop-sided matches.
Mike Davis captured the hot seat basically uncontested, and it’s worthy to mention he skunked Tommy Kennedy 9-0, allowing him only one shot the entire match!
Meanwhile, Jamie Baraks and Nathan Rose were in dead stroke. Mike was waiting for the winner of the Rose-Baraks match, and it was Rose who prevailed this time. Baraks made it to the finals the past event in February this year where Davis also won, but this time had to settle for the 3rd place envelope of cash.
The final match was a single race to 12. Mike took the crown undefeated by a score of 12-3 over Rose.
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.
