Dave Faver, Juan Bautista and Douglas Pitts
Douglas Pitts chalked up his second victory (his first in a couple of years) on the Omega Billiard Tour with an undefeated run on the weekend of May 27-28. He had to get by David Faver twice to do it; once, in a winners' side semifinal and again, in the finals. The $1,700-added, 5th stop on the tour drew 87 entrants to Puckett's in Fort Worth, TX.
For a while there, about three matches, it looked as though Pitts was just going to breeze through the field. He shut out his first opponent (Eric Solomon), gave up three racks to his second (Travis Landsdowne), and surrendered a single rack to Robert Reighter before running into three straight double hill matches that eventually put him in the hot seat.
He survived his first double hill match in a winners' side quarterfinal against Tony Barrington, and then, in one of the two winners' side semifinals met up with Dave Faver, who'd arrived on the scene with a 'back story' that had a way of focusing a lot of attention on what he eventually accomplished as the event's runner-up. Last July, Faver was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and after a tough fall and winter, characterized by chemotherapy, radiation and a bout of pneumonia, had his esophagus (and the cancer) removed in April. Exhausted and weak all weekend, according to tour director Melinda Bailey, Faver literally battled through to his winners' side, double hill semifinal against Pitts, and then won three on the loss side to challenge Pitts a second time in the finals.
As Pitts and Faver struggled through their double hill ordeal, Juan Batista and Phillip Palmer battled in the other winners' side semifinal, won by Bautista 6-5 (Palmer racing to 7). Pitts claimed the hot seat 7-5 over Bautista and waited on Faver's return.
On the loss side, Faver picked up TJ Davis, who'd gotten by Oscar Araujo 9-4 (double hill), and Crispian Ng 9-5. Palmer drew Barrington, who, after his defeat at the hands of Pitts, had defeated Denny Snead 8-3 and Greg Sandifer 8-6. Barrington then downed Palmer 8-6 (double hill), and in the quarterfinals, met up with Faver, who'd eliminated Davis 7-7 (double hill).
As tired and exhausted as he was, Faver locked up in his third straight double hill fight (against Barrington) and won it (7-7). His second (possibly third or fourth) wind kicked in during the semifinals, in which he defeated Batista 7-3. Pitts, in the finals, ended Faver's extraordinary run. He defeated Faver 7-3 to claim the event title.
Tour director Melinda Bailey thanked the ownership and staff at Puckett's as well as sponsors Michael Hoang of OMEGA Billiards Supply, FargoRate.com and OB Cues. The sixth stop on the Omega Billiards Tour, a $1,700-added event, scheduled for June 24-25, will be hosted by Clicks in Arlington, TX. Further information about the Omega Billiard Tour can be found by visiting their Web site at Omegabilliardstour.com
