Archer Hits a Bullseye

Archer Hits a BullseyeBy Bill Rosenberger, InsidePOOL StaffAn exhausted Johnny Archer finished off John Schmidt late Thursday night to win the inaugural event of the North American Open Tour at the Hilton Sandestin Resort in Destin, FL. Archer finished undefeated and took home a $7,000 payday.The five-day event concluded on a winning note, after a earlier incidents dampened the tour. Sunday’s opening matches started late because tour pro Nick Mannino suffered a minor heart attack. Then, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Cory Deuel and Larry Nevel quit in the middle of their matches, angering tournament director Scott Smith. But Thursday’s intense and dramatic matches more than made up for the earlier stains.
Four players remained in the final day including Archer, Schmidt, Charlie "Hillbilly" Bryant, and Jeremy Jones. All four overcame tough situations, with Bryant and Jones plowing through the west side, and Archer and Schmidt overcoming hill-hill matches and tough opponents.Bryant and Jones faced in the west side quarterfinals, and Bryant edged out a victory in a close 11-9 match. Schmidt, whose dramatic run propelled him into the limelight, faced Archer in the hot seat. While Schmidt played well, Archer was seemingly great, taking an 11-6 win and a spot in the finals. In the semifinals, Bryant and Schmidt put together a great contest, with both players trading games back and forth. Schmidt surged in the later matches and came out on top 11-9.The finals sported a rematch of Schmidt and Archer, but the outcome was the same, with Archer coming out on top 11-6. A second non-UPA sanctioned event was scheduled to start today and run through Sunday, but it was canceled because of a low sign-up. UPA promoter Jim Dawson said he will concentrate on planning the North American Tour’s next stop in Pittsburgh, PA, in February. Results:1st Johnny Archer $7,0002nd John Schmidt $4,0003rd Charlie Bryant $3,0004th Jeremy Jones $2,3005th Rodney Morris, Danny Basavich $1,600Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news from the North American Tour hosted in Hilton Hotels.

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