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.
