Castle, 12, youngest Championship Tour winner
SHANE Castle, aged 12, is the youngest ever winner of a Cuestars South of England Championship Tour event.
The phenomenal youngster, from Chandler’s Ford SC, emerged victorious from a 26-strong field at Jesters SC, in Swindon.
Castle pocketed £120 after out-potting some of the South’s finest players.
In the final, he defeated former Cuestars Under-21 champion Alex Dunkley 3-1.
Dunkley, 21, Southampton’s Town Champion in 2007, said: “He seemed to get better and better all day. I think the older guys are beginning to realise he can play. He can compete with anyone now.”
Castle accounted for Swindon’s Sebastian Worrall, who won the fifth leg of the tour in Salisbury last month, 3-1 in the last-four.
In the second semi, Dunkley (Stubbington SC) defeated rankings leader Matt Wilson (High Wycombe) 3-0.
England international Castle climbed to seventh place. Wilson takes an almost uncatchable 36-point lead over Ryan Mears into the final two tournaments.
Mears, now based at the Sovereign Snooker Club in Farnborough, went out 3-1 to Dunkley in the last-eight.
The Swindon tournament was the sixth in a series of eight across the South of England. Remaining fixtures: April 18, Salisbury SC; May 16, Jesters SC, Swindon.
BREAKS:
Neil Craycraft: 100, 74, 63, 60.
Alex Dunkley: 83, 53.
Ryan Mears: 72, 56.
Zack Richardson: 72, 55.
Drew Farminer: 54, 52.
Matt Wilson: 51.
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP POSITIONS:
GROUP A: 1st, Alex O’Donoghue (147 SC, Swindon); 2nd, Craig Hollick (Jesters SC, Swindon); 3rd, Sam Jefferson (Jesters SC, Swindon); 4th, James Facey (Rileys, Cardiff).
GROUP B: 1st, Neil Craycraft (147 SC, Swindon); 2nd, Matt Wilson (Liberal Club, High Wycombe); 3rd, Will Meharg (Chandler’s Ford); 4th, Phil Wildman (147 SC, Swindon).
GROUP C: 1st, Zack Richardson (Moulsecoomb Social Club); 2nd, Sebastian Worrall (Swindon SC); 3rd, Michael Collier (Pulborough SC, West Sussex).
GROUP D: 1st, Nathan Williams (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Billy Castle (Cue T’s, Marchwood); 3rd, Drew Farminer (Woolston Cons).
GROUP E: 1st, Ryan Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough); 2nd, Jason Carrick; 3rd, Dave Volante (Jesters SC, Swindon).
GROUP F: 1st, Adam Nash (Woolston Cons Club); 2nd, Richard Cooper (Jesters SC, Swindon); 3rd, Alan Childs (Salisbury SC).
GROUP G: 1st, Alex Dunkley (Stubbington SC); 2nd, Shane Castle (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Kevin Ward (Hassocks Mens Club, West Sussex).
GROUP H: 1st, Lewis Miles (Jesters SC, Swindon); 2nd, Chris Richards (Roath Labour Club, Cardiff); 3rd, Trevor Thorn (Basingstoke Conservative Club).
KNOCKOUT:
LAST-16 (five points): Wilson beat O’Donoghue 2-1, Billy Castle beat Richardson 2-0, Mears beat Cooper 2-0, Dunkley beat Richards 2-0, Craycraft beat Hollick 2-0, Worrall beat Williams 2-0, Nash beat Carrick 2-1, Shane Castle beat Miles 2-1.
QUARTER-FINALS (eight points, £13): Wilson beat Billy Castle 3-2, Dunkley beat Mears 3-1, Worrall beat Craycraft 3-1, Shane Castle beat Nash 3-1.
SEMI-FINALS (12 points, £30): Dunkley beat Wilson 3-0, Shane Castle beat Worrall 3-1.
FINAL (25/18 points, £120/£60): Shane Castle beat Dunkley 3-0.