Having been the proverbial ‘bridesmaid' on a number of Great Southern Billiard Tour occasions, Sam Monday traded in that role to go undefeated and win the event on the weekend of November 7-8. The $1,500-added amateur event drew 72 entrants to Speakeazy Billiards in Sanford, NC.
From among the winners' side final four, Monday advanced to the hot seat with back-to-back 11-2 victories over Larry Faulk and Scott Johnson. Johnson, who'd sent Eric Charlton west in a double hill battle moved to the semifinals, where he would meet up with Chuck Cuneo, who was in the midst of 11-victory run on the one-loss side that propelled him into the finals.
Cuneo, who'd moved west in the opening round of play on the heels of a victory by Kevin Boggs, had won six in a row when he entered the money rounds among the event's final 12 against James Blackburn. He advanced past Blackburn 7-2, and Mike Fuller 7-7 to meet up with Faulk. Fuller, who'd defeated venue owner, Jimmy Bullis, had to get to 11 in his match versus Cuneo. Boggs, in the meantime, also among the event's final 12, defeated Adam Pendley in a double hill contest and Brad Shearer 9-2, for the right to face Charlton. A quarterfinal re-match between Boggs and Cuneo was avoided when Boggs fell to Charlton 9-6. Cuneo advanced with a 7-7 win over Faulk.
It was nine down and three to go for Cuneo, who proceeded to drop Charlton into fourth place 7-3 and prevailed in a double hill battle against Scott Johnson in the semifinals. Monday, however, was not to be denied. He took command early in the true double elimination finals and made a second set unnecessary with an 11-4 win in the opener that sealed his first GSBT win.
A $50 prize was awarded to Terri Faulk as the top female finisher at the event.
