Ashley Benoit secured her second consecutive Palmetto State Women's Championship title in Spartanburg, South Carolina, by going undefeated through a field of 26 players during the September 12–13 event hosted at The League Room Grill & Billiards. Ranked #19 on the WPBA list heading into the tournament, Benoit utilized a tiered-entry system that granted her an opening-round bye and advanced past Crystal Jackson and Kaitlyn Giddens by shutout scores before reaching the winners' side semifinals against Arianna Houston.
In the elimination rounds, Christy Norris from North Carolina defeated Tiffany Stidman, Heather Smith, Lisa Cossette, and Nikki Brown to reach Benoit in a decisive hot seat match won 8-2. Meanwhile, on the loss side of the bracket, junior competitor Arianna Houston eliminated Kim Pierce after winning her semifinal against Kaitlyn Giddens; however, she was defeated by Nikki Brown in their quarterfinal rematch before facing Benoit in the final where she lost 3-8.
Benoit expressed satisfaction with her performance following the event on Facebook, noting that it felt good to see hard work translating into results and thanking tournament organizers Josh and Alicia Ball for running a smooth competition. The host venue also highlighted upcoming events, including an announced 9-ball Open scheduled for October 2–4 featuring competitors such as Mike Dechaine, Johnny Archer, and Tommy Kennedy.
Would you like to discuss Benoit's strategy in the hot seat matches or compare this result with her previous championship win?