And then there was 1. Final day of the Steve Mizerak Championship and after all the chalk dust settled, it was who was crowned the new champion.
The day stared with a thrilling match between Alex Pagulayan and Donny Mills. Both players played cautious, as to not make a costly mistake that would put their opponent any advantageous position on the table. The score reached hill hill and it was Mills would send Pagulayan to a fourth place finish and a $6,000 prize.
Up next was the hot seat match between Shane Van Boening and Hunter Lombardo. Both players had been playing superbly all weekend. SVB got up 2-0 early. Lombardo tied it up at 2 games a piece. After that it was all SVB, as he didn't let his foot off of the accelerator and took the rest of the racks to win the hot seat by a score of 8-2.
Lombardo would go on to face Mills in the third place match. This would be yet another match for the ages. Mills would go up by 2 then Lombardo tied the score and went up by 1 himself. Mills would then tied it back up and go up again. Mills would reach the hill first to Lombardo's 6. Of course, Lombardo would tie it up hill hill and set up one final rack to advance to the finals. Mills got a bad roll after sinking the 8ball and left himself a very difficult shot on the none ball. Mills' only option was a tough 9-10 combination in the corner pocket. The crowd held their breath as Mills lined up the shot and cheered loudly when he nailed the shot and sank the 10 ball to win and advance to the finals. Lombardo would finish in third place and claim the $9,000 prize.
This would set up the final between SVB and Donny Mills. SVB would strike first and go up 2-0. Mills, not wanted to let it get too far out of reach tied it up at 2. SVB then went up 8-3. Mills stormed back to win the next two racks to make the score 8-5. SVB seemed like he was going to go up 9-5, but rattled the 7 and allowed Mills to get one step closer at 8-6. Mills then broke and ran the next rack to make it 8-7 and win the following rack too to finally make it square at 8. The finals would come down to a race to 3 for the crown and the $17,000 first place finish.
SVB finally got an open shot on the next rack. He would make the most of it by sinking a sick 1-10 combo to go up 9-8. SVB would win the next rack to go on the hill and be on the brink of the championship. The next rack would seal the deal for SVB and he would win the 2011 Seminole Pro Tour Steve Mizerk Championship. Donny Mills would get second place and the $12,000 prize.
The Seminole Pro Tour would like to thank everyone for their support throughout the season. Until next season Rack On m/.
