It did not begin well for tour director Nick Brucato on his most recent Western New York Tour stop on Sunday, July 8. As a late addition to his tour schedule, the event, hosted by Breaker's Billiards in Pittsburgh, PA, drew only 7 entrants. He was fortunate enough to be the player who drew the opening round bye in the 8-player bracket, but was sent immediately to the loss side by Jim Udishes. He returned, though, and double dipped Udishes to take the event title.
Udishes, Nick St. James, and Richard Namie were the opening round winners over Paul Motty, Jr. (owner of Breaker's Billiards), Andy Shaw and Butch Weimer. This created the winners' side final four matchups between Udishes and Brucato, and St. James versus Namie. Udishes shut Brucato out and advanced to the hot seat match against Namie, who'd defeated St. James 6-4. Udishes got into the hot seat with a 6-3 victory over Namie.
Brucato went to work on the loss side. He met up first with Weimer, who'd downed Shaw 6-3. St. James picked up Motty, Jr., who'd been awarded a loss-side bye. St. James and Brucato advanced to the quarterfinals with identical 6-2 victories over Motty, Jr. and Weimer.
Over the next 29 games, Brucato would give up only five racks. He allowed St. James two in the quarterfinals, and gave up only one to Namie in the semifinals that followed. He avenged his first-round loss in mirror fashion, shutting Udishes out in the opening set of the true double elimination finals, and completed his five-match winning streak with a 6-2 victory that sealed the deal.
