With limited opportunity on the Great Southern Billiard Tour due to the recent addition of amateur events, it was obvious Larry Nevel had to jump back into motion quickly and that is exactly what he was able to do this evening. If you don't know what I am talking about, visit here. The remainder of the season primarily will turn its focus to the amateur players of the southeast to offer up another competitive outlet for them.
Back to this weekend (August 16th-17th): The tour stopped into King Street Billiards in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and brought along with them a total field of thirty-eight players and a $4300 prize fund. Included in the field were notable names such as Jeff Pruitt, Larry Kressel, Sam Monday, Keith Bennett, Shannon Daulton, WPBA/Hall of Famer Belinda Calhoun, and Larry Nevel.
By the end of the day on Saturday, the field lessened with only sixteen players returning on Sunday, they included:
Winners side (with eventual outcomes):
Larry Nevel d. Keith Bennett 9-2
Jeff Pruitt d. Mike Pate 9-5
Shannon Daulton d. Sam Monday 9-8
Chris Adams d. Brandon Pureza 9-5
One-Loss side (with Sunday play outcomes):
Belinda Calhoun d. Christy Norris 9-6
Sidney Champion d. Charles McClung 9-2
Steve Murrill d. Mike Danner 9-4
Larry Kressel d. Brian Townsend 9-8
So that is how the Sunday morning started, but it only got better from there. Shortly thereafter, Monday (d. Calhoun 9-2), Pureza (d. Champion 9-5), Murrill (d. Bennett 9-8), and Kressell (d. Pate 9-5) made their way into the next round on the one-loss side. The winners side of the brackets saw Nevel and Daulton progress into the hot-seat match after their wins against Pruitt 9-3 (Nevel) and Adams 9-1 (Daulton). The hot-seat saw another match-up of the two monsters, but Nevel marked his territory with a 9-2 leap over Daulton.
The remaining players on the one-loss side pushed themselves as need-be. Monday sent Pruitt home 9-8, while Kressel bested Adams 9-3. But it would be Monday that would make it to the semis to meet Daulton and for Monday, this was the end of the line for him as well. In the finals, the Daulton/Nevel feud continued from the hot-seat round, but Nevel didn't let Daulton get too far into the set before he ended his weekend with a final score of 9-5. Nevel claims another victory and yet another title on the tour - The North Carolina Open II Champion. We'll see you again in October at the next open event!
Kudos also go out to the top three players in the Sunday only second chance event – 1st Chris Bruner, 2nd David Carver; and 3rd Christy Norris – Norris also received top lady finisher in the main event and $50 for that win.
The revised tour schedule can be located in the link above, and for those that haven't done so yet, get your name in the hat for the Players 10Ball Championship to be held at the same location as this event, King Street Billiards on November 18 - 23, 2008. This event will host a $5,000 guaranteed added one-pocket event and a $20,000 guaranteed added ten-ball event. For more information, contact Shannon Daulton directly at (865) 850-4572 or email thecannon72@yahoo.com
