It was sort of like biting the hand that feeds you. Horace Goodwin went undefeated through a field of 42 entrants, on-hand for the $1,500-added, Great Southern Billiard Tour stop on the weekend of June 25-26. To complete his quest for the first place prize, Goodwin had to get by one of the owners of the hosting room - Cue's Billiards, in Marietta, GA - twice.
Cue's Billiards, recently acquired by professional poker player, Josh Arieh and pool player, Terry Stewart, was hosting its first GSBT event, and it was Stewart who faced Goodwin twice. He did so first in the hot seat match, after Stewart had sent Jesse Middlebrook west double hill, and Goodwin had sent Dustin Byrd over in the same way. Goodwin prevailed to sit in the hot seat, awaiting Stewart's return.
Over on the one-loss side, Middlebrook moved over and faced Eddie Adams, who'd defeated Corey Morphew and JR Rossman, both 9-6. Byrd ran into Kim Bennett, who'd been sent west by Middlebrook from among the winners' side final eight and was on a collision course back to a second meeting with him in the quarterfinals. Bennett got by Sean Davis 9-8 and Jeff Jordan 9-2 to pick up Byrd, and beat him 9-6. Middlebrook downed Adams 9-4 and the quarterfinal rematch was on.
Bennett avenged the earlier 9-5 victory by Middlebrook with a 9-3 win that put him into the semifinals versus Stewart. Stewart ended Bennett's four-match trek on the one-loss side with a 9-4 win that gave him a second chance against Goodwin. Goodwin, though, repeated his earlier performance, allowing Stewart one less rack and completing his undefeated weekend with a 9-4 win.
Tour director Shannon Daulton thanked Stewart and Cue's Billiards co-owner, Josh Arieh, as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products, and Delta-13 Racks.
