Smith a Smash on Great Southern Billiard Tour
Great Southern Billiard Tour / New Bern, NC

by InsidePOOL Staff

Greg Smith came back from a late loss at the November 26-27 stop of the Great Southern Billiard Tour to double-dip Adam Bryan in the finals to take the title. The $1,500-added amateur 9-ball stop was held at Mickey Milligan’s Billiards and Pub in New Bern, NC, and attracted a field of 32 that Thanksgiving weekend.

A hill-hill defeat in the winners’ side final four at the hands of Smith 9-8 sent Sidney Champion to the one-loss side of the chart, as Smith advanced to the hot seat. His opponent was Bryan, who had just squeaked past Larry Faulk 7-8. Bryan went on to best Smith 7-5 and await a finals opponent, while Smith headed west.

On the left side, Charlie Brinson whitewashed Champion 7-0 and sent him home in fifth place, as Faulk defeated Montez Lloyd 9-6, who tied with Champion. Faulk gave Brinson a taste of his own medicine in the quarterfinals, handing him a donut 7-0.

But Faulk reached the end of his event in the next round as Smith eliminated him 9-7 to advance to the double-elimination final match against Bryan. Smith only allowed Bryan to win a total of 5 racks as he himself claimed 18 by winning the finals 9-2, 9-3 to take first place.

Greg Smith came back from a late loss at the November 26-27 stop of the Great Southern Billiard Tour to double-dip Adam Bryan in the finals to take the title. Daulton, Adam Bryan, Greg Smith, and Gerry Shephard (owner of Mickey Milligan’s Billiards & Pub)

Results:
1st Greg Smith $1,000
2nd Adam Bryan $500
3rd Larry Faulk $350
4th Charlie Brinson $205
5th Montez Lloyd $100
Sidney Champion

Daulton Dominates U.S. Open Warm-up Event
Great Southern Billiard Tour / Sanford, NC

by InsidePOOL Staff

It was a grind, but ultimately Shannon “The Cannon” Daulton took home the top prize at the October 8-9 installment of the Great Southern Billiard Tour over Keith Bennett. The stop opened up to allow pros as well as amateurs to their U.S. Open warm-up event, hosted by Speak Eazy Billiards in Sanford, NC, and the $1,500-added prize purse attracted a field of 71 hopefuls.

Ranked as an AAA player, Daulton raced to 13 against double-A-ranked B.J. Ussery in the winners’ side final four, sending him to the one-loss side with a 13-8 win. AA-ranked Bennett and A-ranked Tony Morrison raced to 11 in the other winners’ side match, with Bennett routing Morrison 11-3. In the following round, Daulton and Bennett went head to head for the hot seat, where Bennett eked out an 11-11 win.

Larry “The Truth” Nevel was taking advantage of the opportunity to warm up for the Open, eliminating Carlos Cruz at seventh place 13-8. Tying with Cruz was Sam Monday, who was sent home by Mike Fuller 11-4. Nevel went on to dominate Ussery 11-2, while Morrison ousted Fuller at fifth 9-10. In the quarterfinal match, Morrison held Nevel back from reaching the required 13, winning there 9-11.

It was a grind, but ultimately Shannon “The Cannon” Daulton took home the top prize at the October 8-9 installment of the Great Southern Billiard Tour over Keith Bennett.

Eagerly awaiting an opponent after his hot seat match loss, Daulton devoured Morrison 13-2 in the semifinals to earn a rematch with Bennett in the double-elimination finals. The first set saw Daulton win over twice as many racks as Bennett did to take it 13-6 and force a second set. There Daulton again dominated, winning this time by the score of 13-8.

Results:
1st Shannon Daulton $1,100
2nd Keith Bennett $600
3rd Tony Morrison $425
4th Larry Nevel $325
5th Mike Fuller $160
B.J. Ussery
7th Sam Monday $90
Carlos Cruz
9th Antonio Slaydon $50
Mike Higgins
Steve Page
B.J. Hucks

Olinger and Shuffett Snag Great Southern Billiard Titles

Great Southern Billiard Tour / Fairfield, OH

by InsidePOOL Staff

Alex Olinger and Stan Shuffett took two different routes to the winner’s circle at the Great Southern Billiard Tour, but it was the end result that mattered. Olinger went undefeated to take the $1,500-added 9-ball division, and Shuffett went the long way through the $500-added short-rack banks event. Both were held at Michael’s Billiards and Games in Fairfield, OH, September 24-25.

The 9-ball division attracted a field of 50, with Olinger besting Jason Thomas in the winners’ side final four. Also on the winners’ side was Shuffett, who sent Brad Farmer to the west side of the chart 9-4. Olinger and Shuffett met in the hot seat match, in which Olinger routed Shuffett 10-1 to take a break and wait for the finals.

Thomas and Farmer did not fare well on the left side and were ousted by Shannon Murphey 10-4 and Chris Lawson 7-1, respectively. Murphey continued to cruise forward with a 10-1 victory over Lawson in the quarterfinals. He then eliminated Shuffett in third place 10-7 to earn a chance at the title. But Olinger had other plans, and while Murphey put up a good fight, it was Olinger who won the title 10-7.

In the 32-entrant short-rack banks event, it was Mike Medley besting Chris Lawson 3-1 and young gun Billy Thorpe whitewashing TJ Back 3-0 to meet in the hot seat match, where Thorpe triumphed 3-1. Lawson was quickly eliminated in fifth place on the one-loss side by Stan Shuffett 2-1, as was Chris Hutchison by Back 2-1.

Alex Olinger and Stan Shuffett took two different routes to the winner’s circle at the Great Southern Billiard Tour, but it was the end result that mattered.

Shuffett barreled through Hutchison in the quarterfinals 2-0 and then ousted room owner Mike Medley 2-1 at third place. In the double-elimination final match, he showed determination by winning the first set over Thorpe 3-2 and the second 2-1 to earn the victory.

9-Ball Results:
1st Alex Olinger $1,000
2nd Shannon Murphey $600
3rd Stan Shuffett $325
4th Chris Lawson $245
5th Jason Thomas $140
Brad Farmer
7th Brandon Williams $95
Russ Edwards

Banks Results:
1st Stan Shuffett $500
2nd Billy Thorpe $350
3rd Mike Medley $250
4th Chris Hutchison $160
5th TJ Back $100
Chris Lawson
7th Greg Ranson $50
Steve Hancock