The Joss NE 9-Ball Tour was at Hippos House of Billiards in Yorkville, NY over the weekend of November 6-7 for the 2nd Annual Al Conte Memorial. Shane Winters went through the field of 39 players undefeated for the tournament win.
If close matches were what the fans were there for, then they certainly got their money's worth. Winters took the hot-seat with a 9-7 win over Dave Grau and the matches just got closer from there.
Spencer Auigbelle won on the one loss side, hoping for another shot at Winters after losing in the semi-finals. He would get that chance with a 9-8 win over Grau, sending Grau to the bleachers in third place.
It was another close one in the first set of the finals as Winters was taken to hill-hill by Auigbelle before winning the case game for the win.
Winters pocketed $1100 for first, while Auigbelle took home $800.
In the Sunday second chance tournament, Dwight Dixon went home one game shy of a great comeback. Dixon lost his first match of the event and came back through the one loss side with six straight wins, including a 3-1 win over hot-seat occupant Mike Donnelly in the first set of the finals. Unfortunately for Dixon, the finals were true double elimination and he fell short with a 3-2 loss to Donnelly in the second set of the finals.
Donnelly earned $300 for first, while Dixon won $200 for second.
Next week is the 22nd Annual Ocean State 9-Ball Championship at Snookers Billiards in Providence, RI. The event will feature $5000 in added prize money.
Players are still urged to get their entries in for the Turning Stone Classic XVI on December 16 - 19. The field is limited to 128 players and only a handful of entries are still open for this event.
