Bay exponent reflects shiny 8-ball career

HOT POTTER: Dean Garnett's late decision play in the Levin Classic 8-Ball tournament paid off big time. PHOTO/Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay cueist Dean Garnett almost didn't go to last weekend's Levin Classic 8-Ball tournament.

"Our youngest daughter Macey was in Hawke's Bay Hospital the day before it started. We thought she had appendicitis ... Fortunately it was just a scare and she was released on the Friday morning," Garnett recalled.

The Taradale Club player travelled to Levin and got there in time to start the Friday afternoon session of the 25th annual three-day event which attracted 80 of the country's best players.

In his fourth appearance at the biggest prizemoney tournament in the North Island Garnett won the $5000 first prize with a 5-3 win against Queenstown's Simon Singleton in the final.

"This is the highlight of my eight years' playing the game in New Zealand. I was always ahead in the final but Simon kept coming back," Garnett, 48, who started playing in Britain as a 12-year-old, said. When Garnett, who finished second in Levin three years and had also recorded semifinal and last 16 finishes at the event, took a 4-3 lead he left Singleton with six balls on the table. In the next frame which would prove to be the last Singleton, who finished second in last year's Clubs New Zealand nationals, almost fluked the black before Garnett sunk his final three balls and then the black.

"The money went towards a few bills including a big tax one," Garnett recalled.

Garnett beat his Taradale Club clubmate and Clubs New Zealand 2013 national champion Bayden Jackson 4-2 in his semifinal. Singleton beat last year's Clubs New Zealand national champion Phyl Wlkinson of Tokoroa 4-1 in his semifinal.

"Simon is a pretty good snooker player and two weeks before coming to Levin had won the Lone Star Classic snooker tournament in Hamilton," Garnett said.

Jackson and Garnett were among five Bay players in Levin. Jackson's wife Tara was the other Bay qualifier.

Garnett used to play snooker but 8-ball is his priority these days. He plays eight to 10 tournaments each year and has regular small training sessions on a table at home. "Because 8-ball is so popular these days venues who host the tournament have to get a lot of tables in and our biggest challenge in Levin was adjusting to the speeds of all the different tables," Garnett said.

During Anzac Weekend later this month the Zeagold Foods merchandiser will play in the Tokoroa-hosted Super League qualifier. The top eight players at this event qualify for the national Super League final which has a $10,000 first prize.

Next month he will play in the McInnes Memorial event in Auckland the North Island champs in Hamilton at Queen's Birthday Weekend. The Auckland-hosted nationals in September is next. In November Garnett and Jackson will attempt to win a fourth consecutive Taradale Open Pairs tournament. Add last year's win at the Greytown Open and 4-3 loss to Capital City kingpin Harry Haenga in the final of the Golden Coast Open to his Levin success and it's obvious Garnett is on the national 8-ball scene.