Jesse Link, Justin Toye and Mike DeLawder
The finalists on the Sunshine State Predator Pro Am Tour’s 8th stop last weekend (August 21-22) were both looking for their first major victory. Jesse Link went undefeated to the hot seat at this $500-added event that drew 37 entrants to Q Ball Billiards in Jacksonville, FL, while Justin Toye spent most of his time (9 out of 10 matches) on the loss side of the bracket. They both had to get by veteran competitor, Mike Delawder in the final three matches of the tournament for the chance to face each other in the finals. Both did so. Toye won the extended single race-to-9 final to claim the event title.
After an opening round bye, Toye got locked up in a double hill battle versus Logan Lane that sent him on his loss-side journey, while Link and Delawder embarked on their shorter trips to the hot seat match. Link downed Landon Fox, Eric Neeld, Bill Norrish and Tommy Pauley to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal against David Grossman. Delawder, awarded a bye, then defeated Michele Neeld, John Souders and Christian Daniels to reach the man that had sent Toye to the loss side (Logan Lane).
Link moved into the hot seat match 7-5 over Grossman and was joined by Delawder, who’d sent Lane to the loss side 7-2. Link claimed the hot seat 6-4 over Delawder and waited on Toye.
Meanwhile, on the loss side, Toye was mowin’ ‘em down. He gave up a total of only four racks in his first four games versus Landon Fox (0), Cris Baumgart (1), Brett Agler (2) and Jack Smith (1) before running into Christian Daniels, who gave him a loss-side, double hill run for his money; unsuccessfully as it turned out. Toye advanced to defeat Randall McLuckie 5-2 and picked up Grossman, over from his winners’ side semifinal loss. Lane drew Kristian Dimitrov, who was working on a five-match, loss-side winning streak that was about to end and had just eliminated Tommy Pauley 5-2 and Matt Deweese 5-1.
Toye did his part to assure his rematch against Logan Lane with a 5-2 victory over Grossman. Lane cooperated by surviving a double hill battle against Dimitrov. Toye ‘thanked’ Lane for the extra three matches added to the number of matches he needed to claim the event title, by allowing him only a single rack in their quarterfinal rematch.
Toye moved on to meet and defeat Delawder 5-2 in the semifinals for a shot against Link, waiting for him in the hot seat. He took full advantage of the opportunity he was given and downed Link 9-5 to claim his first event title.
Tour directors Janene Phillips and Bobby Garza thanked the ownership and staff at Q Ball Billiards for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Predator Cues, Kamui, Diamond Stitch It To Me Embroidery, Central Florida USA Pool League, Skills for Rent & AZ Billiards. Stop #9 on the Sunshine State Predator Pro Am Tour, scheduled for the weekend of October 9-10, will be a $1,000-added Open 9-Ball event, hosted by Brewlands in Lakeland, FL.
