Dave Grau went undefeated to capture first place on the Western New York Pool Tour, on Saturday, October 8. It took him five matches to complete the task; three rounds of single elimination pool, and a double elimination final that occurred because his opponent – Mark Cramer – took advantage of a $20 buy-back for a second chance in those finals. The event was hosted by Six Pockets in Rochester, NY and drew only five entrants.
Tour director Nick Brucato drew a bye in the opening, single elimination round, as Grau faced Terry Bowman and a player known only as Hero faced Cramer. Grau advanced to a second round with a 7-2 victory over Bowman, as Cramer got by (the) Hero, also 7-2.
In the second round draw, Bowman squared off against Cramer, while Grau drew Brucato. Both Cramer and Grau advanced to the next round with 7-4 victories over Bowman and Brucato. Cramer then drew a bye, as Brucato bought back into another match versus Grau. Grau defeated him 7-5, and the Grau/Cramer finals were on.
Grau won the opening set 7-4, and when Cramer bought in to a second chance, defeated him again 7-5 to capture the event title. In addition to the monetary prize, Grau's victory earned him free entry to the tour's next stop, scheduled for October 15, at Steel City Billiards in Brentwood, PA.
In spite of the short field, Brucato had high praise for Six Pockets owner Terry Horan and his staff for their hospitality. He also thanked Dave Leckinger, owner of Triton Cues, who was on hand throughout the day for cue repairs.
