Shannon Daulton, Tyler Hess with his girlfriend, owner Brent Hudgens and Matt Hall
Handicaps, as they apply to the varied billiard sports, are often debated, though few would argue that they are a reasonable means for leveling the playing field between two players with a discernible gap in their skills. On the Great Southern Billiard Tour, players race to their ranking, giving, as a relevant example, Tyler Hess, racing to 4, an advantage over a veteran like Phillip Britt who has to win nine games, before Hess wins his four. Hess took advantage of that handicap to down Britt in the finals of the June 13-14 stop on the GSBT and chalk up his first win on the tour. The $750-added event drew 38 entrants to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Advancing to a winners' side semifinal, Hess faced another GSBT veteran racing to 9 - Greg Dix - as Britt squared off against Matt Hall, racing to 4, in the other. It was Hall and Hess advancing to the hot seat match; Hall 4-6 over Britt and Hess 4-7 over Dix. In a straight-up race to 4, Hess took the hot seat 4-1 and waited on Britt's return from a three-match run on the loss side.
In the first of his three, Britt faced Robert Otto, who'd defeated Andy Bowden 5-4, and Eric Norton 5-2 to reach Britt. Dix drew Dave Brown, 7-4 winner over Scott Crane and 7-3 winner over Tony DeGuzman. Britt eliminated Otto 9-3, as Dix was busy winning a double hill match over Brown. In the quarterfinal, straight-up race to 9 between the two GSBT vets, Britt prevailed 9-7. for a shot at the man who'd sent him to the loss side, Matt Hall.
Once again, Hall's handicap advantage proved to be important, as he defeated Britt a second time, by the same score he'd defeated him in the winners' side semifinal, 4-6. So it was the 4-rated players squaring off in the finals. The fought to double hill before Hess finished things up to claim his first GSBT title.
Shannon Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Shore Thing Billiards, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Lomax Custom Cues, Tiger Products, Ozone Billiards, Delta-13 and AZBilliards. The next stop on the GSBT, scheduled for June 27-28, will be hosted by the Coliseum in Greenville, SC. With 40 entrants, $1,000 will be added to this event. With 64 entrants, that amount will be increased to $2,000.
