Tim Miller chalked up his first victory on the Great Southern Billiard Tour, finishing the June 5-6 weekend tour stop undefeated, and getting by tour veteran Sidney Champion twice to do it. The $1,500-added event drew 50 entrants to Fast Eddie's in Goldsboro, NC.
From among the winners' side final four, Miller defeated Michael Fuller 9-6 to get into the hot seat match. He was joined by Champion, who'd sent Stephen Page west 9-4. Miller gained the hot seat with a decisive 9-3 victory and awaited Champion's return.
Meanwhile, on the one-loss side, Delton Howard and Matt Herrell, who'd been sent west from among the winners' side final eight by Page and Miller, respectively, were working their way toward a showdown in the quarterfinals. Howard, after victories over Vernon Rogers 9-1, and Jeff Abernathy 9-5, picked up Fuller. Herrell defeated Brian Ezell 9-6 and Danny Mastermaker 9-5 to draw Page. A Howard/Page quarterfinal re-match was averted when Howard defeated Fuller and Herrell took down Page, both by a score of 9-9, with both Fuller and Page needing to reach 11.
Howard won his fourth straight on the one-loss side with a 9-8 victory over Herrell in the quarterfinals and turned to face Champion. Champion stopped Howard's run with a 9-5 victory that gave him a second crack at Miller. Miller took the opening set of the true double elimination final to conclude his undefeated, first victory on the tour.
