Scott Frost (File photo courtesy of Rick Schmitz)
Shane Van Boening had won six of the last seven Andy Mercer Memorial events at the Rum Runner Lounge in Las Vegas. He took a break after his first win in 2009, which gave Ernesto Dominguez the opportunity he needed to win it in 2010. Van Boening then won four straight, and looking for a fifth, joined 63 entrants in the $3,700-added, 25th Annual Andy Mercer 9-Ball Classic, held at the Rum Runner Lounge on the weekend of March 21-21. In the end, at about 9:30 p.m. (Vegas time) on Sunday, it was Scott Frost, wire to wire, who claimed the 25th Andy Mercer title, defeating Joven Bustamante twice to do it.
In a second-round battle versus Mike Massey that went double hill, Van Boening scratched on the final rack. Massey took ball in hand and sunk a 1-9 combination that sent Van Boening to the loss side. Massey followed soon thereafter and managed to work his way to the quarterfinals.
On the winners' side, Frost and Bustamante met first in a winners' side semifinal, as Jason Klatt, who finished 4th in 2014, squared off against Sal Butera. Frost dominated the first of two against Bustamante 6-1, while Klatt was surviving a double hill battle against Butera. Frost claimed the hot seat 6-2.
Butera moved over and picked up Massey, who'd defeated Max Eberle 6-3 and Johnny Kang 6-1. Bustamante drew Van Boening, who was working on a four-match, loss-side winning streak. that saw him eliminate Oscar Dominguez and Rodrigo Geronimo, before defeating Jeff Schilder 6-3 and Donnie Branson 6-2. It was the end of the streak.
Bustamante ended Van Boening's hope for a fifth straight Andy Mercer title, though it proved to be a double hill thriller. Massey, in the meantime, was ending Butera's weekend 6-4. Bustamante shut Massey out in the quarterfinals and completed his loss-side run with a 6-4 semifinal victory over Klatt, who improved his 2014 performance in the event by a single place/$500.
The Frost/Bustamante re-match was on, and it lived up to advanced billing. About a month ago, in Reno, NV, Bustamante had come out on top, finishing fourth in the US Bar Box 9-Ball Open Championship, while Frost settled for the three-way tie for ninth. Frost reversed the order for this 25th Annual Andy Mercer Memorial, completing his undefeated run with a double hill win in the finals.
