About 13 months ago, Wendell Thompkins, an A player, got into the hot seat of a Great Southern Billiard Tour stop at Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC, and eventually stopped a five-match, loss-side run by Jared McGee (AA) to claim his first GSBT title. On the weekend of April 6-7, with 20 fewer entrants than the first meeting, he did it again, in much the same way, although this time, they played three matches, as opposed to two in their previous meeting. The $1,000-added Amateur tournament drew 40 entrants to Shore Thing Billiards.
They met first among the winners' side final four, where they battled to double hill before Thompkins advanced to the hot seat match. B.J. Hucks, in the meantime, defeated Phillip Britt 9-6 in the other winners' side semifinal (Thompkins had defeated Britt among the winners' side final four in last year's matchup). In a straight-up race to 9, Thompkins battled in yet another double hill match to gain the hot seat over Hucks.
McGee, whose path back to the finals would be two matches shorter than it had been last year, moved over to pick up Jason Martin, who'd gotten by Terell Mincy 6-4 and Jerry Hilton 6-5 to reach him. Britt drew Greg Dix, who'd defeated Gatlin Askins 9-4 and Brian Capps 9-3.
McGee defeated Martin 11-3, and in the quarterfinals, faced Britt, who'd eliminated Dix 9-4. McGee took the quarterfinal match 11-7, leaving Britt one place higher than he'd finished last year. McGee then faced and defeated Hucks 11-4 in the semifinals to once again, get a second crack at Thompkins.
As he'd done the year before, McGee came out strong in the opening set of the true double elimination final. He'd defeated Thompkins 10-6 the previous year, and took him down 11-3 this year. Thompkins, though, repeated his performance from the previous year, right down to the score, 9-8, to capture his second GSBT title.
Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Shore Thing Billiards for their continuing hospitality and support of the GSBT, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Tiger Products, Delta-13 Racks, and Steve Lomax Cues.
1st Wendell Thompkins $700
2nd Jared McGee $430
3rd B.J. Hucks $250
4th Phillip Britt $200
5th Greg Dix $125
7th Brian Capps $50
Jerry Hilton
