Wilson Takes Down World Cup Billiards Field
Great Southern Billiard Tour / Greenville, SC
by Lea Andrews
Though many tried, no man was up to the task of derailing Kenny Wilson on his way to the ultimate victory at the January 16-17 stop of the Great Southern Billiard Tour. The $1,500-added A/B amateur event drew 55 players to World Cup Billiards in Greenville, SC.
B-ranked Wilson rode a strong 7-1 win over A-ranked Dale Philips into the hot seat match, where he met A-ranked Sean Davis, who’d gotten past B-ranked Jerry Cairnes 9-4. Keeping Davis one rack shy of his goal of 9, Wilson claimed the hot seat hill-hill 7-8.
On the one-loss side, AA-ranked Brian White, who’d taken a second-round loss to B-ranked Mike Basha, was on a straight path to the finals. An 11-3 victory over B-ranked Jose Tovar pitted White against Duane Davis, who’d ousted Basha 7-3. Cruising past Davis 11-5, White met up with Philips. Meanwhile, B-ranked Greg Gilliam went hill-hill with A-ranked Joseph Cole, coming out on top 7-8 to meet up with past winner Josh Newman. Newman, who’d held fellow A-player Jim Jennings to five games, managed only three racks against Gilliam. Gilliam moved on to Cairnes, holding him to three games, as well, to reach the quarterfinals against White, who’d sailed past Philips 11-5. Another smooth win for White, this one 11-3, put him in the semifinals against S. Davis, whose four games planted him in third.
In the true double-elimination final match, White needed to take the first set to put him on equal footing with Wilson, but Wilson wouldn’t give him the chance. Taking advantage of some errors made by White, which were perhaps brought on by his having to fight his way through ten elimination-round matches, Wilson got ahead and stayed ahead, earning his first Great Southern Billiard Tour win 7-6.
Though many tried, no man was up to the task of derailing Kenny Wilson on his way to the ultimate victory at the January 16-17 stop of the Great Southern Billiard Tour.
Results:
1st Kenny Wilson $1,000
2nd Brian White $500
3rd Sean Davis $300
4th Greg Gilliam $200
5th Dale Philips $100
Jerry Cairnes
7th Duane Davis $75
Josh Newman
9th Mike Basha $40
Jose Tovar
Joseph Cole
Jim Jennings