As the Fury Carolina Amateur 9-ball tour winds down, the action is heating up. With only one more stop remaining to earn championship points, the players were pushing their games to the limit at Babineau?s in Raleigh on October 22, 2005. Always a favorite stop on the tour for the equipment, great food, and hospitality, the players enjoyed a great day of strong competition.
Robert Ray, always a top contender, made a run through the winner?s bracket with a 28-10 record, sending Cary Dunn, Michael Mercer, Jeff Pruitt and Eddie Little to the left side of the bracket. Mercer was the only player to score more than two games on Ray, dropping his match with a 7-5 score. Meanwhile, Jeff Pruitt and Eddie Little were going strong at the same time. Little sent Don Lily, Gene Clifford and Woody Bonner to the other side with a combined 21 and 10 record before dropping his first match to Ray. Pruitt grabbed a pair of 7-2 victories over Voytec Partyka and David Brown before Ray moved him over. Pruitt then had to send Dunn, Bonner and Little home in order to get another shot at Ray in the finals.
The final race to 9 gave Pruitt the rematch he wanted with Ray, and he came out swinging. Pruitt scored 3 straight wins before Ray got on the board, but though Ray was down, he couldn?t be counted out. Five straight wins by Ray gave him a 2 game edge, but Pruitt then grabbed 3 of the next 4 to tie the match up at 6-6. Game 13 looked like another run out for Jeff, but a scratch on the 7 ball gave Ray ball in hand and the game. Pruitt then got out to an 8-7 lead with two straight wins. Ray took the match to hill-hill setting up a one game finish to determine the top spot. Ray broke, but couldn?t find the run out he hoped for and Pruitt got his chance. That chance came to an end with a miss that left Ray a four ball run. The first three went in as planned, but with the 9-ball on the rail, Ray?s cue ball rolled up within an inch, forcing Ray to attempt a thin cut while shooting straight toward the rail. With the cue elevated just a bit too much, and a bit too much speed, Ray?s shot had the cue ball jumping up over the rail, and hitting the floor. Ray conceded the ball in hand 9-ball and the match. This was Pruitt?s first tour victory, and one that is certainly well deserved.
Results:
1st Jeff Pruitt $350
2nd Robert Ray $210
3rd Eddie Little $140
4th Woody Bonner $80
