(l to r): Anthony Meglino, Donny Mills, Steve Richmond
Donny Mills and Mike Delawder have faced each other a number of times down in the Sunshine State of Florida, though, pool statistics being what they are, it's hard to know how many exactly. They met again on the weekend of June 24-25 at the third stop on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour, a $1,000-added event that drew 74 entrants to Stroker's Sports Bar & Grill in Palm Harbor, FL. They met twice, once early and once late, with Delawder winning the first meeting and Mills, after winning nine matches on the loss side, winning the second in the event finals.
Mills and Delawder were both awarded opening round byes and won their first matches; Mills, 7-1 over Jimmy Neutron and Delawder surviving a double hill match against Billy Burke. They met for the first time in the event's third, but their personal second round. Delawder defeated Mills 7-3, downed Kodi Allen 7-2, and defeated Tim Barron 7-4 to draw a winners' side semifinal match versus Anthony Meglino. Steve Richmond, in the meantime, squared off against Nathan Rose in the other winners' side semifinal.
Meglino sent Delawder to the loss side 7-3, and in the hot seat match, faced Richmond, who'd survived a double hill match against Rose. Meglino and Richmond then battled to double hill, before Richmond claimed the hot seat, in what turned out to be his last win of the weekend.
Mills opened his nine-match, loss-side run with a win over Raymond Linares and then downed co-tour director Bobby Garza. He entered the money rounds with a victory over Stephanie Mitchell. He then downed Steve Knoll 7-3 and Tim Barron 7-4 to draw Rose. Delawder drew David Grossman, who'd survived a double hill match versus Han Berber, and eliminated Kyle Bova 7-4.
Delawder downed Grossman 7-3, as Mills was busy eliminating Rose 7-2. For Mills, the long-awaited rematch was at hand. He successfully wreaked his vengeance on Delawder in the quarterfinals 7-3, and then gave up only a single rack defeating Meglino in the semifinals. In an extended race to 11, Mills snatched the title from Richmond in the hot seat 11-5.
