David Grossman, playing in an Open event, and Bill Ferguson, playing in an Amateur event, were the ‘official’ winners of the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour’s latest double stop event on the weekend of August 4-5. Both of them split the top two prizes with their respective runner-ups – Anthony Garza in the Open event and Clint Nichols in the Amateur event. The $700-added events ($500 for the Open and $200 for the Amateur) drew 34 (Open) and 30 (Amateur) entrants to Park Avenue Billiards in Orange Park, FL.
Grossman, in the Open event, faced separate opponents in the hot seat and (unplayed) finals. He advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Anthony Meglino and sent him to the loss side 7-3, from which he would return to challenge Grossman in a final that didn’t happen. Bobby Garza downed Billy Burke 7-5 in the other winners’ side semifinal and faced Grossman in the hot seat match. Grossman sent Garza off to the semifinals and sat in the hot seat, awaiting what turned out to be a split with Meglino.
On the loss side, Meglino opened his loss side trek against Mike Delawder, who’d defeated Marcus Murillo 7-3 and Scott Rohleder 7-4 to reach him. Burke picked up Tommy Kennedy, who’d gotten by Clint Nichols (who’d show up as runner-up in the Amateur event) 7-3 and James Sandaler 7-2. Meglino and Burke advanced to the quarterfinals; Meglino, double hill, over Delawder and Burke, 7-2 over Kennedy.
Meglino downed Burke 7-2 in the quarterfinals and completed his loss-side run with a double hill win over Garza in the semifinals. The split was arranged, and Grossman became the official event winner. The event's top junior player was awarded $40.
Bill Ferguson and Clint Nichols battled once for the Amateur title. In the hot seat match, as it turned out. Ferguson had downed Bobby Hicks, double hill, in one of the winners’ side semifinals, while Nichols was busy sending Chuck White to the loss side 7-5. In their one and only match, Ferguson defeated Nichols 7-4 and claimed the hot seat.
On the loss side, Hicks picked up Matthew Wilson, who’d gotten by Thomas White 5-1 and Bobby Garza, double hill. Chuck White drew Wes Hammam, who’d defeated Jack Smith 5-2 and James Sandaler 5-3 to reach him.
Hicks downed Wilson 5-2 and in the quarterfinals, matched up with Hammam, who’d sent White to the figurative showers 5-1. Hammam then downed Hicks, double hill in the quarterfinals, before he was eliminated by Nichols 5-2 in the semifinals. Nichols and Ferguson agreed on the split, leaving Ferguson as the official winner. The Amateur event awarded $40 to its top junior, Trenton White.
Tour directors Janene Phillips and Bobby Garza thanked the ownership and staff at Park Ave Billiards, as well as sponsors Cyclop, Kamui, Play the Game Clothing Co., Predator, Jacksonville Roofing and AZBilliards. The next stop on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour, scheduled for September 1-2 will be another double event (9-Ball Amateur, 10-Ball Open), hosted by K & K Billiards in Miami.
