Mike McPherson survived two straight double hill matches to get into the hot seat of the Jun 30-July 1 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour, and came within a game of facing and winning a third in the finals. In those finals, he stopped an eight-match, loss-side winning streak by Scott Roberts, to capture the event title. The $1,500-added event drew 43 entrants to Lucky Shot Billiards in Albemarle, NC.

McPherson battled Josh Heeter (both B players) to double hill among the winners’ side final four before prevailing to advance to the hot seat match. His opponent was Mark Patterson, a B player, who’d sent Dan Heidrich (AA) to the loss side 7-10. In another straight race to seven, McPherson prevailed double hill to gain the hot seat.

With three notches on his loss-side belt, Roberts, in the meantime, defeated Christi Steele and Kris Chavez, both 7-3, to reach Heidrich. Heeter drew Shawn Padgett, who’d gotten by Britt Carson 7-1 and survived a double hill struggle versus Mike Mauney, who’d been responsible for sending Roberts west in the event’s second round.

It was Padgett and Roberts advancing to the quarterfinals; Padgett 7-4 over Heeter, and Roberts 7-9 against Heidrich. It was all B players from that point, straight up races to seven. Roberts downed Padgett 7-3 and then gave up only two racks in a semifinal victory over Patterson. 

Roberts battled McPherson to within a game of double hill, and the potential for a second set. McPherson, though, closed it out at 7-5 to take home top honors.

Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked Lucky Shot Billiards’ owner Steve Compton and his staff 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 set for July 14-15 at Michael’s in Fairfield, OH. The event will feature $1000-added events in both 8-ball and 9-ball, as well as a mini-banks tournament, scheduled to begin at 8 o’clock on Friday night, July 13.

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.

As the June 16-17 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour wound down to its final 12 players, only three were ranked as either A, or double AA. None were among the winners’ side final four, and none would advance as far as the quarterfinals. It became a Battle of the “B’s, won by Nikki Keeney, who came from the loss side and spoiled Mike Slaughter‘s bid for an undefeated weekend. The $1,500-added, amateur event drew 32 entrants to Stroker’s Billiards in Sumter, SC.

Keeney and Slaughter met first among the winners’ side final four. Slaughter sent Keeney west 7-2, and turned to face David Styers, who’d defeated Shawn Padgett 7-3. Slaughter got into hot seat with a 7-3 victory over Styers, and awaited his rematch against Keeney.

On the loss side, Keeney drew James “Peanut” Council, who’d defeated Brent Henderson 7-4, and one of the two remaining A players, Jordan Grubb 7-8 (Grubb had eliminated an A player, B.J. Hucks, in his previous match). Padgett drew the other remaining A player, Josh Roberts, who’d defeated Chris Weaver 11-1, and Shane Wilson 11-4. Keeney eliminated Council 7-4, Padgett dispatched the final A player, Roberts, 7-7, and the rest of the night was all B’s, all the time.

Keeney survived a double hill, quarterfinal match against Padgett, and defeated Styers in the semifinals 7-2. He opened up the true double elimination, rematch final against Slaughter with a 7-3 victory, and capped the event victory with a strong 7-1 finish in the second set.

Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked Stroker’s owners Brent and Nicole Henderson for hosting the tournament, as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks. The next stop on the GSBT is scheduled for June 30-July 1 at Lucky Shot Billiards in Albemarle, NC.

In the hot seat match and finals of the Great Southern Billiard Tour stop on the weekend of June 9-10, Mike Slaughter, looking to chalk up his first win on the tour, found himself facing an opponent, Josh Roberts, who was looking for his fourth trip to the finals since April of 2011. Slaughter got by Roberts both times to finish the weekend undefeated. The $1,500-added, 9-ball event on bar tables at Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC, drew 51 entrants.

In a straight-up race to 7, among the winners’ side final four, Slaughter defeated Chase Gilbert 7-4. Roberts (AA), in the meantime, downed Larry Faulk (A) 11-5. In their first of two, with a four-game handicap, Slaughter sent Roberts to the semifinals 7-5 and waited for his return.

Faulk moved over to pick up Brian Capps, who’d defeated both Dylan Letchworth and Shawn Padgett, both 7-4, to reach him. Gilbert picked up Billy Thorpe, who was looking for his second straight win on the tour, having won the previous week in Havelock, NC. Thorpe had defeated Alex Olinger 9-7 and Josh Newman 9-3 to reach Gilbert. Both B players (Gilbert and Capps) defeated their A opponents (respectively; Thorpe and Faulk) 7-6. In the straight-up, race-to-7 quarterfinals, Gilbert prevailed 7-5.

Gilbert got within a game of forcing a double hill match in the semifinals, and facing Slaughter a second time, but Roberts prevailed 11-5, and got his second chance. He took the opening set 11-4, but Slaughter came back to win the second set 7-4 and secure the event title.

Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked the ownership and staff of Shore Thing Billiards (to where the tour will return next month), as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks.