Back To Back Wins For Danny Lauby Jr

Danny Lauby Jr continued his great form, securing his second consecutive title of the year, defeating Gary Mawson in the finals of Event #2 in Tampa, Florida.

This is the fourth career tour win for Lauby, and second in a row. He joins the club of back-to-back winners with DJ Sayre (2016) and Gary Mawson (2017), and in Event #3 he’ll attempt to tie the record of three straight wins, currently held by Larry Butler (2016) and Danny Baggish (the last event of 2019 and the first two of 2020).

Lauby was in complete control for most of the day, ending with an 87.15 average, eleven 180s, and a 38% checkout success. He opened with a 5-3 win over Chris Cherry, and followed with convincing 5-2 wins in round two and three, against Stan Perry and Howard Minor respectively.

The quarter-finals would be his closest match. Lauby defeated Nick Linberg 6-4 in a back-and-forth affair, with both players playing at a high level. That win set up a semi-final rematch from Event #1 with Chuck Puleo. Puleo stormed out to a 3-0 lead, but would not reach another out shot after that. Lauby averaged just shy of 100 over the last 6 legs to secured another 6-3 semi-final win over Puleo, and advance to the finals.

The final would be a clash of the last two Continental Cup champions, and a rematch of the 2019 final. Gary Mawson dispatched Event #1 finalist, Leonard Gates in the quarter-finals, and an in-form Chris Lim (89.14 average, highest average for the event) in the semi-finals, but couldn’t overcome Lauby in the finals. Lauby raced out to a 5-0 lead before securing a 6-1 win, and his second title in as many days. Mawson led the way with fifteen 180s during the event, but could not connect on one in the finals.

The biggest shock of the tournament came in the first round, where #1 seed Darin Young was upset up Joe Efter. Efter came out strong and built a 4-0 lead, and despite turning things around and winning the next two legs, Young could not complete the comeback, losing 5-2.

The tour continues with Event #3 in Tampa on Sunday, July 11, at 3:00pm EST.

Article by Brian Fraser July 10, 2021