B.J. Ussery once again too the top prize in the Fury Carolina Amateur 9-Ball Tour stop at Babineau's Billiards in Raleigh, N.C. This is stop #17 out of 20 of the $500 added events that have been held in the Carolina area. The last stop of the season will the $1000 added which will also be held at Babineau's Billiards.
With a first round bye Ussery was thought to be already in the lead but Danny Turner sent him to the one-loss side in his second match with a 7-5 score. This put a new light on things for Ussery who had to work his way through the west side of the bracket with a total of 7 straight wins. With all these matches Ussery had proven he was in stroke as he compiled a 35-10 record to get back into the finals.
Johnny Griffin had a few tough players to go up against in the winners bracket as he worked his way to the finals. Griffin was able to send Robert Ray, Dale Russell, Jeff Abernathy, Tommy Cook and Morris Wood to the one loss side leaving him in the hot seat match. When Wood met up with Griffin he had already taken wins from Leroy Bryant, Tidewater last events winner, Ricky Maki, and Adam Davis. Woods loss to Griffin sent him to face Ussery which left him in third place.
The cool down time Griffin had waiting on the hot seat match did not serve him well as the match started with him pitted against Ussery. Griffin and Ussery faced off in the race to 9 match with Griffin starting the first game. Ussery took the first game when Griffin got out of shape on the 8 leaving a 8-9 out. Griffin evened the score in the 2nd game by running out after a miss on the 2 ball by Ussery. Ussery took the next two games and taking a 3-1 lead. In game 5 Griffin took control and kept it when he broke and run the table, but Ussery repeated the break and run in game 6. With Griffin behind by 2 games he was determined to fight back and took game 10 when Ussery scratched on the 7 ball. By game 11 Ussery was in a 7-4 lead but by the 12th game Griffin caught a break when Ussery hooked on the 4 ball, but Griffin also hooked himself on the 7 and Ussery took the game. At 8-4, Ussery miscued on the 1 ball and Griffin had ball in had and ran the rack, but that was as close as Griffin would get to the win. Ussery went on to claim the victory with the final match of 9-5.
1st place- BJ Ussery $415
2nd place- Johnny Griffin $250
3rd place- Morris Wood $165
4th place Robert Ray $90
