Benzey claims Gold as Cuestars returns

CONNOR Benzey didn’t drop a single frame out of the 12 he played in the first leg of the Cuestars Under-21 Gold Tour at Waterlooville Sports Bar.

Five straight victories earned the 19-year-old from Eastleigh £100 in prize money from tournament sponsor Marc Lockley, who runs www.snookercrazy.com.

Benzey recorded the day’s highest break of 86 in the round-robin group stages and overcame two Londoners in the knockout stage.

He beat Evan Plummer 3-0 in the last-four and then Marcos Dayao 3-0 in the final with runs of 76 and 65 on the club’s professional standard Star table.

“It was a good tournament,” he said. “I played steady all day. My safety was good and I just did what I needed to do.”

Dayao, from Battersea Park, topped the first group by a single frame from Plummer and Oliver Sykes before defeating Steven Hughes 3-1 in his semi-final.

Benzey, who is sponsored by Devlin Cues, Mick Sawkins, Hillcrest Structural and GH Property Management, admitted he needs to improve his matchplay after a first stab at Q School earlier this year in Sheffield.

But last season’s EPSB Under-21 Premier Development Tour runner-up added: “It was a good experience and I take the positives from it.”

Chandlers Ford Snooker Club hosts the second leg of six on Sunday, August 15.

BREAKS

Connor Benzey: 86, 76, 71, 65, 54, 52, 52.
Evan Plummer: 74, 51, 43, 43.
O’Shay Scott: 63.
Steven Hughes: 50, 43.
Marcos Dayao: 40, 40.

GOLD RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Marcos Dayao (Cousins SC, London); 2nd, Evan Plummer (Frames, Coulsdon); 3rd, Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Aristos Pampouris (Cousins, London); 5th, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Connor Benzey (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Steven Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Dan Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC).

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Dayao 3-1 Hughes, Benzey 3-0 Plummer.

FINAL (£100/£25, 25/18 points): Benzey 3-0 Dayao.

Picture by Tim Dunkley

From left, Marcos Dayao, Marc Lockley (from snookercrazy.com), Connor Benzey