Shannon The Cannon Daulton, Jerry Ray, Anthony Green, & Tommy Najar (Marietta Billiard Club)
In the second stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour featuring a new handicap format that has players racing to their handicap number, Jerry Ray (4) went undefeated, eliminating two 6s and one 5 in his final three matches and stopping a five-match, loss-side winning streak by Anthony Green (6) in the finals. The $1,000-added event drew 50 entrants to Johnny Archer's room, The Marietta Billiard Club in Marietta, GA.
"The backbone of my tour is to give amateur players the chance to win," said tour director Shannon Daulton, "because if the true amateur players don't have a chance, you're not going to have a tournament."
"We had one player at this event, a Taiwanese girl (Angela Ger, ranked as a 3), who finished in 5th/6th," Daulton added, "and you'd have thought she won the lottery."
Jerry Ray advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Dustin Byrd (6), as Curtis Hale (6) squared off against Daniel Autry (5) in the other. Ray gave up only a single rack against Byrd, and was met in the hot seat match by Autrey, who'd sent Hale west with a double hill win. Ray downed Autrey and waited on the return of Green.
On the loss side, Green, who'd been sent over by Hale in a winners' side final eight match, shut out Tim Hart, and gave up only a single rack in a victory over Horace Godwin (8) to pick up Byrd. Hale drew Angela Ger, who'd gotten by Travis Barber (5), 3-1 and Dana Aft (4) in a double hill match.
Hale and Green advanced to a re-match quarterfinals after defeating Ger and Byrd, both 6-2. Green wreaked his vengeance on Hale in a straight-up race to 6 that went double hill and then defeated Autrey 6-2 in the semifinals, to get a shot at Ray in the hot seat.
To no avail, as it turned out. With two on the wire at the outset, racing to 6, Ray and Green battled to double hill (3-5) before Ray prevailed to capture the event title.
Tour directors Shannon Daulton and Marge Cooper thanked the ownership and staff of The Marietta Billiard Club, as well as new sponsor, Ozone Billiards, and regular sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta 13 Racks, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Tiger Products, and Lomax Custom Cues. The next stop on the GSBT, a $1,000-added amateur 9-ball event, is scheduled for September 7-8 at Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beacj, SC.
