Gatlin Askins stopped a five-win, loss-side challenge by Scott Lewis to win the March 2-3 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. The $1,000-added amateur event drew 39 entrants to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Lewis was sent to the loss side from among the winners' side final eight, by Phillip (Ski-Bo) Britt, who moved on to meet Askins in a winners' side semifinal. B.J. Hucks squared off against Mike Slaughter in the other. Askins downed Britt 9-5, and was met in the hot seat match by Hucks, who had survived a double hill match against Slaughter. Askins got into the hot seat with a 7-6 win over Hucks, and waited on Lewis.
Lewis' five-match trek to the finals began with a 9-1 victory over Larry McGee, and was followed by a 9-7 win over Wendell Thompkins. He drew Slaughter in the matches that would decide the tie for 5th place. Britt picked up Mike Johnson, who'd defeated Greg Dix 8-7 and Younger Chapman 7-4.
In a straight-up race-to-9, Lewis defeated Slaughter, double hill, while Britt was busy eliminating Johnson 9-3. Lewis gave up only a single rack in the quarterfinals against Britt, and gave up only three, in a 9-3 win over Hucks in the semifinals. Askins and Lewis fought to double hill in the single-set final, before Askins prevailed to claim the event title.
Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked Brent Hudgins and his Shore Thing staff for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Tiger Products, Delta-13 Racks, and Steve Lomax Cues. Next stop on the GSBT is scheduled for March 16-17 at Speak Eazy Billiards, in Sanford, NC.
