Shannon Daulton, Alex Olinger, Ryan Stone, and April Dobbins (manager of Murfreesboro Billiard Club)
Alex Olinger went undefeated on the Great Southern Billiard Tour's stop on the weekend of October 23-24, but not without having to hold off a one-loss side challenge from Ryan Stone, who won five straight to face him in the finals. The $1,500-added event, sponsored by Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Delta-13 racks and Tiger Products, drew 31 entrants to the Murfreesboro Billiard Club in Murfreesboro, TN.
From among the winners' side final four, Olinger got into the hot seat with first, a 9-5 win over Hamilton Boss. He followed that up with a 9-6 win over Steve Lagace, who'd defeated Nick Hickerson in a double hill match. Olinger sat in the hot seat, as Stone, who'd been sent west by Hickerson from among the winners' side final eight, worked his way back.
Stone's first stop on his five-match march back to the finals was an 11-3 win over Billy Thorpe, which he followed with an 11-2 win over Rick Powers, to pick up Boss. Hickerson drew Josh O'Neil, who'd defeated Jamie Crouch 11-6 and Justin Cone 11-10. A Stone/Hickerson re-match in the quarterfinals was avoided, when O'Neil dropped Hickerson into the tie for fifth place 11-4. Stone, in the meantime, finished up a three-match, 33-6 run with an 11-1 victory over Boss.
Stone then chalked up two straight 11-5 wins; over O'Neil in the quarterfinals and Lagace in the semifinals, for his chance at the stop final against Olinger. A handicap advantage for Olinger in the true double elimination final resulted in a 9-9 victory for Olinger that secured the first place prize.
This 28th stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour was the last before the $10,000-added Tour Championships, set for November 11-14 at Fast Eddie's in Goldsboro, NC.
