Van Sy went undefeated through a field of 45 entrants, who were on hand for an Open, A-C handicapped stop on the Rack 'Em Up 9-Ball Tour, but not before he was brought to the brink of defeat twice by 12-year-old Jake Alpert, whose father, Alex, runs the USA Pool League out of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The event was hosted by The Fan Club in Wareham, MA.
The two met first among the winners' side final four. In most of the matches, the youngster had to win only three games against his opponents' five or six. To advance among the winners' side final four, Alpert gave up only a single rack defeating Todd Brocklehurst, who needed six to win. Alpert then fought Sy to double hill at 4-2 before Sy prevailed to get into the hot seat match. Sy faced Josh Gormly, who'd just sent Choneyi Tenzin west double hill (4-4; Tenzin needing five). In a straight-up race to four, Sy gained the hot seat 4-2, and awaited the return of Alpert.
The youngster moved to the loss-side, where, over the next three games that put him back into the finals, he gave up only five racks, total. He first faced Kevin Picinnin, who'd defeated Bill Cole 4-2 and Joey Dupuis 6-4 to reach him. Tenzin, in the meantime, faced Ricky Matarazzo, who'd gotten by Danny Alonzo 6-2, and Brocklehurst, double hill.
Alpert moved into the quarterfinals with a 3-2 victory over Picinnin (needing 5), and was joined by Tenzin, who'd survived a double hill battle versus Matarazzo. Tenzin needed to win six games in the quarterfinal match that followed, but managed only one, sending Alpert to the semifinals against Gormly.
Gormly (needing five games to win) chalked up just one more game against Alpert than Tenzin did. The 3-2 win by Alpert gave him a second crack at Sy, sitting in the hot seat waiting for him. With Sy needing five, Alpert, for the second time, brought Sy to the brink at 4-2. Sy won the seventh and deciding game to capture the event title.
Two names were drawn for the event's Break and Run raffle, and it was Joey Dupuis, both times. Having collected $75 for his 7th/8th place finish in the main event, he added $584 to that when he sunk eight balls off the break, and then added $20 more when his name was drawn a second time and he failed to make a ball.
