Landon Shuffett would likely be winning quite a few more pool tournaments than he is presently, if the 15-year-old didn't have to deal with minor annoyances like school, and trying to live life as a teenager. As it is, he joined 40 entrants who signed on for the $1,500-added, Great Southern Billiard Tour stop at Michael's Billiards in Fairfield, OH on the weekend of November 21-22 and after giving up a single match, came back to defeat Alex Olinger twice in a true double elimination match to win it.
It was Olinger who'd handed Shuffett his single defeat, when the two were among the winners' side final four, and the kid didn't forget it. He moved west on the heels of a hill-hill win for Olinger, as Craig McParthlin was busy sending Robert Frost in another hill-hill match. Olinger gained the hot seat with a 9-7 win over McParthlin and waited for Shuffett to work his way back.
Shuffett picked up Steven Dillon on the one-loss side, who'd defeated Jordan Grubb 7-8 and John Lynch 7-5 to get to him. Frost drew Mike Cantrell, who'd defeated Ed Hancock 9-7 and Mitch Scearce 9-6. It was Shuffett and Cantrell advancing to the quarterfinals, with Shuffett shutting out Dillon and Cantrell rather unpoetically dropping Robert Frost into the tie for fifth place 9-2.
Shuffett then dropped Cantrell into fourth place 9-6 and battled tooth and nail versus McParthlin in the semifinals, emerging with a 9-7 win that gave him a second chance against Olinger. He took full advantage, winning the opening set 9-7, picking up speed to win the second set 9-4, and walking away with the $1,000 first prize that will surely improve his holiday gift giving plans. Tour director Shannon Daulton offered special thanks to Mike Medley, owner of Michael's Billiards, for hosting the Great Southern Billiard Tour's trip, some 15 miles north of the tour's normal stomping grounds below the Mason-Dixon line.
