Daniel “Little D” McKinney held off a strong, one-loss side challenge by Guy Devaney to take first place in the Great Southern Billiard Tour stop on the weekend of December 5-6. The $1,000-added event drew 23 entrants to Breaker's Billiards in Mobile, AL.
The small field put McKinney among the winners' side final four in the third round of play, where he faced Vernon Steinke. John Macias, in the meantime, was working against John Jones. McKinney got by Steinke 9-7, as Macias was busy sending Jones west 10-4. McKinney prevailed in the hot seat match 9-7, and waited for the player, Devaney, who'd been sent west by Macias from among the winners' side final eight.
Devaney began his one-loss side march back to the finals with a 7-9 victory over Josh Hilliard (Hilliard needed to reach 10) and followed it with a 7-4 win over C.K. Brown, that set him up against Steinke. Justin Ledford, in the meantime, moved past Charlie Conway, Jr. 9-1 and Stacy Toomer 9-4 to meet Jones. Jones dropped Ledford into the tie for fifth place 7-4, as Devaney did likewise to Steinke 7-6 (not hill-hill; Steinke needed to reach 9).
Jones and Devaney battled to a true double-hill finish that sent Devaney to the semifinals against Macias, who'd sent him to the one-loss side in the third round. Macias had to reach 10 to win those semifinals, but Devaney exacted his measure of revenge with a 7-6 win that put him into the true double elimination final matchup versus McKinney.
In a back and forth, opening set struggle, which required McKinney to reach 9 before Devaney reached 7, Devaney prevailed with the score tied at 7-7. McKinney caught something of a second win in the second set. He reached his 9 games, well ahead of Devaney, who'd only managed four racks and took home the first place prize.
