Rodney Morris Wins First Big Orange Classic

Rodney Morris Wins First Big Orange ClassicBy InsidePOOL Staff“Rocket” Rocket Morris triumphed in the double-elimination finals against Tony Mougey at the first Big Orange Classic, held at Breakers Sports Bar and Grill in Knoxville, TN. The event drew 64 players to vie for the $5,000 purse the weekend of February 22-23, 2004, with the Hawaiian player coming through the one-loss side of the bracket to take top honors.
Sunday’s matches began with the final 16 players, and within a few hours, only several remained. “The Black Widow” Jeanette Lee, who was joined by husband George Breedlove, both took 9th place in the event. Breedlove was eliminated by Shannon “The Cannon” Daulton, and Lee, who suffered her first loss of the day to Nick Hickerson, was taken out by Morris.Local players Robbie Langford and Nick Hickerson ended up in a fifth-place tie after their matches with Morris and Bill Bailey, respectively. Morris, who is now living in North Carolina, had no problem in his match with Langford and defeated him 9-3, while Bailey’s match went to the hill before he broke and ran out the last rack to win 9-8.With four players remaining, Tony Watson and Tony Mougey played for the hot seat, with Mougey, an Ohio resident, taking a decisive 9-5 victory over the likeable South Carolina gambler. Morris matched up with Bailey but didn’t seem truly interested in the set until he was leading 7-6, at which point he won the final two games and put that match in the bag and went on to play Watson for third place.Watson hung in with Morris at the start, but he stalled at 3-all. Morris allowed his opponent some chances, but even with a 9 ball on the break, Watson wasn’t able to pull this one off, and he eventually succumbed to the Hawaiian 9-6. In the true double-elimination finals, Morris won the first game, broke and ran the next three for a 4-0 lead, and ten proceeded to win the first set 9-2, hardly allowing Mougey a chance at the table. Mougey was quick to retaliate, taking a 4-1 and then a 7-2 lead in the second set, but at that point, Morris turned the tables and made his move. Down 7-2, he won the next five games in a row to knot the score at 7 and then took the hill after Mougey scratched on the 3 ball. In the final rack, Morris played safe on the 2 ball, and Mougey hit but got safe. Morris hit the 2 but left a shot, and Mougey made the 2 but stopped the cueball behind the 9. He kicked and made the 3 with a long-rail shot, but then he bobbled the 5 ball in the corner pocket, and it was all Morris from there as he ran out to take top honors at the first Big Orange Classic.Visit InsidePOOL for the latest in the sport of billiards and pool.

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