Back and Murphey Best on Great Southern Billiard Tour
Great Southern Billiard Tour / Fairfield, OH
by InsidePOOL Staff
T. J. Back and Shannon Murphey both won titles at the November 17-18 installment of the Great Southern Billiard Tour, taking the amateur 8-ball and 9-ball divisions, respectively. Michael’s Billiards and Games in Fairfield, OH, hosted the events, which each featured a $1,000-added prize purse.
T. J. Back and Shannon Murphey both won titles at the November 17-18 installment of the Great Southern Billiard Tour, taking the amateur 8-ball and 9-ball divisions, respectively. Michael’s Billiards and Games in Fairfield, OH, hosted the events, which each featured a $1,000-added prize purse.
Back went unchallenged through the 29-player field, defeating Rick Brown 5-1 to reach the hot seat match. Meeting him there was Lucas Hawkins, who had just bested D. J. Holloway 6-3. The B-rated Back eked out a 5-5 win over Hawkins to secure the hot seat.
On the west side, Cody Meyers ousted Brown in fifth place 5-2, as Louis Altes eliminated Holloway 6-3. Meyers took the quarterfinal match over Altes 5-3 but wasn’t strong enough to stand up to Hawkins in the semifinals. With a 6-4 win over Meyers, Hawkins advanced to face Back for the second time, and Back again bested him 5-5, this time for the title.
In the 30-player 9-ball division, Murphey streaked to the hot seat match, trouncing David Cole 11-2 in the winners’ side final four. Louis Altes, after a 9-5 victory over Rick Brown, met him there, with Murphey claiming the hot seat 11-7.
Back was making his way through the left side, eliminating Brown in fifth place 7-5. Tying with Brown was Cole, who was ousted by Dale Eury 7-3. Back sent Eury home in fourth place with a 7-4 win and then eked out a 7-7 victory over Altes in the semifinals. But Murphey dominated Back in the final match, only allowing his opponent one rack before winning 11-1.
8-Ball Results:
1st T. J. Back $550
2nd Lucas Hawkins $375
3rd Cody Meyers $275
4th Louis Altes $150
5th Rick Brown $75
D. J. Holloway
9-Ball Results:
1st Shannon Murphey $600
2nd $400
3rd $300
4th $150
5th $75