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

by InsidePOOL Staff

Mac Herrell charged through the field at the July 30-31 installment of the Great Southern Billiard Tour to take top honors over Greg Smith, pocketing $835 for first place. The $1,500-added amateur event was hosted by Mickey Milligan’s Pub and Billiards in New Bern, NC, and attracted a 41-player field.

Mickey Milligan's Pub & Billiards in New Bern, NC Pictured L-R: Shannon "The Cannon" Daulton, Mac Herrell, Greg Smith, & Gerry Shephard (owner of Mickey Milligan's Pub & Billiards)

Herrell received a first-round bye and then won three matches to reach Larry Faulk in the winners’ side final four. He delivered Faulk to the one-loss side of the chart 9-7 and went on to face Smith for the first time for the hot seat. Smith, who had just sent Chad Pike west 9-6, put up a good fight but fell to Herrell 9-6.

On the left side of the bracket, Pike recovered to eliminate Jason McSorley at fifth place 9-5. Tying with McSorley was Faulk, who fell to Ronny Parks 9-7. In the quarterfinal match Park prevailed over Pike 9-6 and advanced to meet Smith in the semifinals. Smith won the right to seek revenge from Herrell in the finals, but after their double-hill final match, Herrell had hung on to win the title.

View the tournament brackets from Mickey Milligan’s Pub and Billiards in New Bern, NC.

Results:
1st Mac Herrell $835
2nd Greg Smith $600
3rd Ronny Parks $400
4th Chad Pike $200
5th Chris McSorley $125
Larry Faulk
7th Glenn Russell $75
Sam Monday

by InsidePOOL Staff

Jared McGee double-dipped Jared McGee in the finals of the Great Southern Billiard Tour’s April 16-17 stop to take first place. The $1,500-added amateur event was hosted by Fast Eddie’s Sports Bar and Grill in Goldsboro, NC, and attracted a 60-player field.

Jared McGee double-dipped Jared McGee in the finals of the Great Southern Billiard Tour’s April 16-17 stop to take first place. Pictured: Eddie Pate (manager of Fast Eddie's), Larry Faulk, Jared McGee, and Shannon "The Cannon" Daulton

Faulk and McGee first faced off in the final four on the winners’ side, where Faulk eked out a hill-hill, 9-8 win to advance to the hot seat match. Meeting him there was Jeff Abernathy, who had convincingly bested Delton Howard 11-6. In another hill-hill faceoff, Abernathy and Faulk fought tooth and nail in the hot seat match, with Faulk coming out ahead 9-10 in the handicapped race.

After moving past Danny Mastermaker 9-4 and depositing him into seventh place, Brad Shearer went on to meet McGee, who easily handled him 9-5. Meeting McGee in the quarterfinal match was Vernon Rogers, who had suffered a second-round loss to Adam Bryan 9-2 and won seven matches on the one-loss side to make it that far. However, that was the end of Vernon’s run, for McGee sent him home with a 9-4 victory.

In the semifinals McGee was faced with Abernathy, fresh off his loss in the hot seat match. McGee was still on his hot streak and used that momentum to send Abernathy home 9-5. In the true double-elimination final match, McGee won the first set decisively 9-3. Faulk fought hard in the second set, but he ultimately succumbed 9-6 as McGee took first place.

Results:
1st Jared McGee $1,000
2nd Larry Faulk $600
3rd Jeff Abernathy $400
4th Vernon Rogers $250
5th Brad Shearer $150
Delton Howard
7th Tony Williams $95
Danny Mastermaker
9th Josh Roberts
Mike Fuller
Solomon Pope
Sidney Champion

by Lea Andrews

Josh Newman, who last won a Great Southern Billiard Tour in March at Kylie’s Sports Bar and Grill in Cornelius, NC, returned to the scene of the crime the weekend of October 9-10 for a repeat performance. Newman was the last man standing among the field of 25 at the $1,000-added event, which was sponsored by Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Delta-13, and Tiger Products.

Josh Newman, who last won a Great Southern Billiard Tour in March at Kylie’s Sports Bar and Grill in Cornelius, NC, returned to the scene of the crime the weekend of October 9-10 for a repeat performance.

Newman rode a 7-3 win over fellow A-player Chris Turner into the hot seat match against last stop’s winner, AA-ranked B.J. Ussery, who’d just blown past Cliff Cribb 9-2. Managing to get ahead of Ussery, Newman claimed the hot seat 7-6.

On the one-loss side, A-ranked Matt Reed ousted B-ranked Bob Ruffalo 7-1 and A-ranked Larry Faulk 7-3 to meet up with Turner. Meanwhile, A-ranked Chris Adams, who’d fallen in the first round to Reed, took care of B-ranked Jose Tovar 7-2 and B-ranked Art Colors 7-2 to face Cribb. Adams earned his spot in the quarterfinals 7-3, but he was denied a chance at a rematch with Reed, who’d fallen 7-5 to Turner and landed in fifth. Adams continued on his steady path through the field, planting Turner in fourth 7-2 and moving on to Ussery, who fell shy of his goal again and finished in third 7-5.

In the true double-elimination final match, Adams forced the second set 7-2, but Newman already had his eyes on the prize. The second set went to Newman 7-3, his third tour win to date.

Results:
1st Josh Newman $500
2nd Chris Adams $300
3rd BJ Ussery $200
4th Chris Turner $100
5th Matt Reed $55
Cliff Cribb

by Lea Andrews

Sam Monday, who last won a Great Southern Billiards Tour Event in November, nabbed his second event this season the weekend of September 11-12. Monday and 52 other competitors gathered at Fast Eddie’s in Goldsboro, NC, for the $1,500-added event, which was sponsored by Nick Varner Cues and Cases and Andy Gilbert Custom Cues.

Monday, who last won a Great Southern Billiards Tour Event in November, nabbed his second event this season the weekend of September 11-12.

AA-ranked Monday breezed by A-ranked Larry Faulk 11-6 to reach the hot seat match against recent winner Steve Page, who’d sent another past winner, A-ranked Tony Morrison, west 9-2. Monday claimed the hot seat 11-7, leaving Page to try fight his way back from the semifinals.

On the one-loss side, Chris Vollmar got past fellow A-players Chris Adams 9-1 and Montez Lloyd 9-8 to face Faulk, while AA-ranked Michael “Bulldawg” Fuller, who’d taken a third-round hit from Adams, notched up his own solid string of wins. Fuller took care of B-ranked Dillon Whaley 11-4 to meet up with A-ranked Greg Taylor, whom he ousted 11-3 to face Morrison. Their face-off landed Morrison in fifth 11-4, while Fuller advanced to the quarterfinals against Faulk, who’d edged out Vollmar 9-8. Another hill-hill match ensued for Faulk, but he was on the wrong end of this one, and he finished in fourth 11-8, while Fuller moved on to Page in the semifinals. On a roll, Fuller held Page to seven games to earn the right to face Monday in the alternate break, true double-elimination final match.

The first set was undeniably Fuller’s—he ran out nearly every time he broke and took advantage whenever Monday scratched on the break to push the second set 11-1. Monday gained control, though, and he got ahead and stayed there to earn a decisive 11-4 win.

Results:
1st Sam Monday $1,000
2nd Michael Fuller $500
3rd Steve Page $300
4th Larry Faulk $200
5th Tony Morrison $125
Chris Vollmar
7th Greg Taylor $75
Montez Lloyd
9th Dillon Whaley $50
Mike Frowein
Darrin Blitch
Chris Adams

by Lea Andrews

Keith Bennett, who last won a Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina event in January, found himself back in the winner’s circle after getting past the best in the Carolinas. The $1,000-added twelfth stop of the tour was held at Break Time Billiards in Wilmington, NC, the weekend of July 24-25.

The final four on the winners’ side were a fearsome bunch—all past winners—and Bennett swept past Sam Monday 7-3 to reach the hot seat match against Michael “Bulldawg” Fuller, who’d just sent last month’s winner B.J. Ussery west 7-4. Another 7-3 victory for Bennett secured him the hot seat and sent Fuller to the semifinals to try for another chance.

On the left side of the bracket, two of Bennett’s early victims were fighting for their own second chances. Jared McGee edged out Larry Faulk 7-6 and junior player Jackson “Smokey” Jeffreys 7-2 to face Ussery. Meanwhile, Hindu Williams ousted Rodney Strickland 7-4 and Arnold Hamlett 7-6 to face Monday. That was as far as McGee and Williams got, though, as they landed in fifth 7-6 and 7-5, respectively. In the quarterfinals, Monday notched another 7-5 win to earn his spot against Fuller in the semifinals, where the two battled for the right to fight Bennett once again. It was Monday who reached the goal first, while Fuller stayed behind in third 7-4.

Keith Bennett, who last won a Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina event in January, found himself back in the winner’s circle after getting past the best in the Carolinas.

In Friday’s early bird tournament, Barry Irving took home $140 for his 7-6 win in the finals over Dana Hallett, who took home $85. Hindu Williams earned $50 for third, and Sam Monday earned $25 for fourth. Jackson Jeffreys was a two-time winner this weekend, pocketing $35 for topping the break contest, and $60 for his 7-6 win in the finals of the juniors’ division over Gabe Grissom. Terry Faulk once again took the ladies’ event, and Anton Hall won a $600 limited-edition Jacoby cue in the raffle. The break and run pot went unclaimed at this event, and will move to $105 per ball at the next. In Sunday’s second chance event, Larry Faulk swept past Nolan Leonard 7-2 in the finals, earning $100, while Leonard earned $40.

Results:
1st Keith Bennett $1,000
2nd Sam Monday $500
3rd Michael Fuller $225
4th B.J. Ussery $75

by Lea Andrews

Paul Mullins is no stranger to the Great Southern Billiard Tour, but he found himself in uncharted territory when he reached the finals, and he staked his claim when he sunk the final 9 ball. “The Cheetah” sprinted through the strong field of 52 that gathered at Speakeazy Billiards in Sanford, NC, on May 1-2 for the $1,500-added event.

Mullins edged out fellow B player Glen Smith to reach the hot seat match against AA-ranked Jeff Abernathy, who’d breezed by Mike Hagood 11-2. A strong 7-6 victory earned Mullins the ticket to the finals, while Abernathy moved over to the other side of the bracket to try for a rematch.

On the one-loss side, another of Mullins’ victims was already on his own quest for a rematch. A-ranked Glenn Russell, who’d fallen to Mullins 7-5, ousted B-ranked Steve Jenkins 9-3 and A-ranked Brad Shearer 9-7 to meet up with Hagood. Meanwhile, B-ranked Shawn Ray took care of A players Larry Faulk 7-2 and Greg Taylor 7-7 to face Smith, whom he put in fifth 7-6 to reach the quarterfinal match. There he faced Russell, who’d had a smooth 9-3 win over Hagood. A 9-6 victory over Ray put Russell one step closer to a rematch with Mullins, but Abernathy had other ideas, and holding Russell to six games, Abernathy claimed the rematch for himself.

Both Mullins and Abernathy were in the finals of the Great Southern Billiard Tour for the first time, and they fought back and forth for the victory that had so far eluded them. But Mullins, overcoming a tendency toward late-tournament timidity, snatched the win in one set 7-9.

Paul Mullins is no stranger to the Great Southern Billiard Tour, but he found himself in uncharted territory when he reached the finals, and he staked his claim when he sunk the final 9 ball.

by Lea Andrews

A big obstacle—Southern superstar Sam Monday—stood in Mike Basha’s way at the February 27-28 Great Southern Billiard Tour stop, but Basha stood his ground to earn his spot in the winner’s circle. Basha and Monday were among the field of 51 that gathered at Fast Eddie’s Sports Bar in Goldsboro, NC, for the $1,500-added A/B amateur event.

B-ranked Basha got past fellow B-player Justin Ward to reach the hot seat match against B-ranked Tony Williams, who’d managed to fend off Monday, who was racing to 11, 7-9. Taking care of Williams 7-2, Basha claimed the hot seat, while Williams took his spot in the semifinals.

On the left side of the bracket, B-ranked Rick Royster made his way past B-ranked Bobby Hicks 7-6 to face recent winner Tony Morrison, who’d ousted A-player Zach Wilson 9-6. After easing past Morrison 7-7, Royster moved on to Ward. Meanwhile, AA-ranked Sparky Ferrell blew through A-ranked “Pokey” 11-1 to meet up with Larry Faulk, who’d breezed by fellow A-player Montez Lloyd 9-3. Ferrell edged out Faulk hill-hill 11-8, but that score got flipped on him by Monday, and he landed in fifth. Monday advanced to the quarterfinals against Royster, who’d squeaked past Ward 7-6, and looking for the rematch with Williams in the semifinals, Monday put Royster in fourth 11-5. Against Williams, Monday more than made up for the last match, earning his spot in the finals 11-2.

In the first set of the true double-elimination final match, Basha reached the hill first, but Monday took the next two racks to make it hill-hill 10-6. His break and run in the final rack pushed the second set, which he opened with another break and run. Allowing Basha few chances at the table, Monday stretched his lead to 5-0, but after topping a safety battle, Basha got on the board, and he took advantage of some unlikely opportunities in the next racks to keep it close at 7-3. He made it 7-4 with a 3-9 carom and 7-5 with a 4-9 combination, but Monday took three in a row to reach the hill. In the alternate-break format, Basha broke open the next rack, putting more into his final break than he’d put into others in the set, but his reward was a cue ball on the floor and what looked like no more chances at the table. The ultimate reward came late, though, as Monday missed what was, for him, a routine shot on the 6 ball, allowing Basha back at the table to make it hill-hill. It was Monday’s turn to break, and after making a delicate cut on the 1 ball, he found himself bridging behind the 8 ball for a shot on the 2. He overcut it and Basha pocketed it instead, and though he was faced with tough position on the 4, a thin cut all the way down the rail put the 4 in the pocket and the cue ball in position for the 5. Basha’s win was just a matter of staying in line, and he pocketed the rest of the balls to notch his first GSBT victory 7-10.

The next $1,500-added stop will be at Raising Cain’s in Inman, SC, March 6-7.

Basha and Monday were among the field of 51 that gathered at Fast Eddie’s Sports Bar in Goldsboro, NC, for the $1,500-added A/B amateur event.

1st Mike Basha $1,000
2nd Sam Monday $500
3rd Tony Williams $300
4th Rick Royster $200
5th Justin Ward $100
Sparky Ferrell
7th Tony Morrison $70
Larry Faulk
9th Bobby Hicks $40
Zach Wilson
Montez Lloyd
“Pokey”