Jeff Underwood is something of a newcomer to the AZB Money Leaderboard, having cashed in only two (recorded) events so far; one, this past January when he tied for 7th/8th on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour and on the same tour this past weekend (March 20-21), when, as the occupant of the hot seat, he became the official winner of the $500-added event that drew 38 entrants to Randolph’s Billiards in Hickory, NC. Underwood and Hank Powell (who’d won the January event in which Underwood had competed) played one set of a true double elimination final. Powell won it, giving them each a single loss, when they opted out of a final match and split the top two cash prizes.
Underwood and Powell had recently had their handicaps raised and seemed to prove that they’d earned that upgrade by both making it to the winners’ side semifinals. Underwood faced Bruce Campbell, as Powell squared off against Jonathan Ailstock. Underwood advanced to the hot seat match with a 6-3 victory over Campbell. Powell, though, moved to the loss side, courtesy of Ailstock, who, with Powell racing to 8, defeated him 6-6. Ailstock ended up on the wrong side of his second straight double hill match, as Underwood claimed the hot seat 6-5.
Powell began his three-match journey back to the finals against Chuck Ritchie, who’d defeated Gary South 7-3 and Scott Howard, double hill, to reach him. Campbell drew Andy Bowden, who’d recently eliminated Jeff Abernathy and Jason Rogers, both 5-6 (Abernathy racing to 9 and Rogers to 8).
In the first money round and what proved to be Saturday night’s final matches, Bowden downed Campbell 5-1. He would be joined in the quarterfinals by Powell, who’d sent Ritchie home (late on Saturday night) 8-2.
On Sunday, the final four returned and commenced with the quarterfinals. Powell began the day the same way he’d ended Saturday, with an 8-2 win, this time, over Bowden. It set up a semifinal rematch between Powell and Ailstock, both looking for a second shot at the somewhat ‘new kid on the block,’ Underwood, waiting in the hot seat.
Powell prevailed 8-4 over Ailstock and launched into the opening set of the true double elimination final. He won that set by the same score as he’d defeated Ailstock 8-4, at which point, he and Underwood began negotiating their split of the top two prizes.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Randolph’s Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, BarPoolTables.net, AZBilliards, Federal Savings Bank Mortgage Division and Dirty South Grind Apparel Co. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend, March 27-28, will be a $500-added event, hosted by Break & Run Billiards in Chesnee, SC.
Doubles events are increasing in popularity on a lot of regional tours and the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour is no exception. The tour opened its 2020 season with a $500-added Doubles event that drew 11 teams to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA on the weekend of January 4-5. There will, noted tour directors Herman and Angela Parker, be more team events throughout the coming year. The team of Scott Roberts and Andy Bowden took home the event title* in this one, although they opted to split the last two cash prizes with the team of Trey Frank and Jonathan Ailstock, who’d battled through the loss side for the right to meet Roberts/Bowden in the finals.
Roberts/Bowden advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Bob Sloper and Tony Draper. Collin Hall and Daniel Adams squared off against the father and son team of Paul (father) and Ted Highley. Roberts/Bowden got into the hot seat match with a 6-3 win over Sloper/Draper. They were joined by Hall/Adams, who’d sent the Highley family to the loss side 6-4. In what proved to be the last match for Roberts/Bowden, they claimed the hot seat in a double hill battle versus Hall/Adams.
On the loss side, Sloper/Draper picked up the Frank/Ailstock team, which had won two contrasting matches – a double hill fight and a shutout – against Doug Carter and Rick Sinclair (the double hill fight) and the team of Angela Parker and Josh Carter. The Highley family drew Chris Brannon and Robbie Ward, who’d gotten by Mike Haygood and Chance Kent 6-3, and Hamza Ramadonavich and Chris Roades 6-4.
Frank/Ailstock advanced to the quarterfinals on the heels of a 6-3 win over Draper/Sloper, as Brannon/Ward eliminated the Highleys 6-4. Frank/Ailstock maintained their forward progress with a 6-3 quarterfinal win over Brannon/Ward.
In what proved to be the final match of the night, Frank and Ailstock battled Hall and Adams to double hill, before prevailing in the semifinals for a shot at Roberts and Bowden, sitting in the hot seat waiting for them. The final match, of course, didn’t happen.
The Parkers thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the tour, scheduled for January 11-12, will be hosted by Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
Last March, Andy Bowden was runner-up at a Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour stop at the newly-renovated Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA. In that event, he was sent to the loss side when he dropped a set to the eventual winner (Hank Powell) in the winners’ side semifinal. He won three on the loss side and the opening set of a true double elimination final, double hill, against Powell, who won the second set and claimed the event title. On the weekend of July 27-28, in a reversal of fortune scene, Bowden was the winner at a Q City 9-Ball Tour stop in Lynchburg, VA, sent Amory Capers to the loss side in a winners’ side semifinal match, and lost the opening set of the true double elimination final to Capers. Bowden won the second set to claim the title. The event drew 25 entrants to The Clubhouse.
As Bowden and Capers played out their winners’ side semifinal match to its 6-3 Bowden conclusion, Dylan Carr was busy in the other winners’ side semifinal, taking out the tour’s most prolific winner, JT Ringgold, 5-2 (Ringgold racing to 11). Bowden gave up only a single rack to Carr in the match that followed and waited in the hot seat for the return of Capers.
On the loss side, Capers drew Trey Frank, who’d faced and been defeated by Bowden in the semifinals of the March event and had eliminated Jonathan Ailstock 7-4 and Jordan Worley 7-3 to reach Capers. Ringgold picked up Brian Bryant, who’d taken out Scott Roberts, double hill, and David Parker 9-3.
Bryant locked up in a double hill battle against Ringgold and prevailed 9-10 to give Ringgold a rare three-win, two back-to-back losses run in a tournament. Capers downed Frank 7-4 to join Bryant in the quarterfinals.
Bryant ended up on the wrong end of his second straight double hill match, falling to Capers 7-8. Capers then spoiled Carr’s hopes for a rematch by defeating him 7-2 in the semifinals.
Capers took the opening set of the true double elimination final 7-3. He and Bowden battled back and forth to a single deciding 12th game in the second set, but it was Bowden who dropped the last ball to claim the event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (August 3-4) will be hosted by Mickey Milligan’s in New Bern, NC.
Unlike the tournaments that they host, which generally produce only one winner (sometimes, they split the cash and go home), improvements to existing pool rooms are always something of a win-win situation. The Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour arrived at its scheduled stop at The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA on the weekend of March 2-3 to find that owner Chris England had doubled the number of tables in the room and was preparing to open an adjacent steakhouse within the next month or so. The improved room and especially tournament conditions attract more players. More players increase business at the improved location, to include, in this case, a new, attached restaurant and then, they tell their friends. Win-win.
It was win-loss for Hank Powell and Andy Bowden over the weekend; the former, winning and the latter, having to settle for runner-up. The event drew 31 entrants to The (newly-renovated) Clubhouse.
They played their first of three matches in a winners’ side semifinal, as Trey Frank and Scott Roberts squared off in the other one. Powell sent Bowden to the loss side, double hill (7-4; Bowden racing to 5), and in the hot seat match, faced Frank, who’d sent Roberts over 7-7 (Roberts racing to 9). Powell claimed the hot seat 7-5 and waited on the return of Bowden.
On the loss side, Bowden picked up Sean McGrady, who’d defeated Ron Frank (Trey’s father) 5-4 (Frank racing to 9), and junior competitor, Shane Wolford double hill 5-8 (Wolford racing to 9). Roberts drew female competitor Jordyn Worley, who, after being awarded a bye, lost her opening match to Michael Neal and embarked on a seven-match, loss-side winning streak that would take her as far as the quarterfinals. She’d recently won two straight double hill matches against Daniel Adams and Collin Hall, both 4-6.
In a straight-up race to 5, Bowden downed McGrady 5-3. Worley joined him in the quarterfinals with a 4-5 victory over Roberts, who was racing to 9. Bowden ended Worley’s loss-side streak 5-1 in those quarterfinals and then, defeated Trey Frank 5-3 in the semifinals.
With the often-underestimated (and occasionally over-estimated) benefit of momentum, Bowden battled Powell to double hill in the opening set of the true double elimination and dropped the 9-ball to force a second set. Powell came back in the second set and won it 7-3 to claim the event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Chris England and his staff at The Clubhouse for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (March 9-10) will feature two events; A Saturday, March 9 handicapped event, and a Sunday, March 10 Open event. Both will be hosted by a new venue on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour schedule – Wolf’s Den, owned by the Wolford family (parents to Shane Wolford, who will presumably be on-hand to compete) in Roanoke, VA.
Until the weekend of March 11-12, Jeff Young had cashed in only three Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball events; two in 2016, including a runner-up finish in November, in which he took the opening set of a true double elimination final, only to be defeated in the second set. He finished in the tie for 7th place last month (February) in Hickory, NC. On the March 11-12 weekend, he brought his game to Corner Pockets in Fayetteville, NC and went undefeated through a field of 44 entrants to claim his first major title.
Young had to get by Ron Canterbury twice to claim that title. They met first in the hot seat match, after Young had sent Stevie McClinton to the loss side 5-2 in one winners' side semifinal, and Canterbury had survived a double hill battle versus Chris Baumann in the other. Young, for the first time, found himself as the proverbial 'last man standing' after defeating Canterbury 5-3 in the hot seat match.
On the loss side, McClinton picked up Andy Bowden, who'd defeated Doug Flynn 5-2, and Kimberly Young (Jeff's wife), double hill, to reach him. Baumann drew Daniel Adams, who'd eliminated Justin Clark and Wayne Miller, both 7-3.
McClinton got right back to winning work with a 7-2 win over Bowden, but Baumann fell to Adams 7-4. Adams and McClinton locked up in a double hill quarterfinal that eventually sent Adams to the semifinals against Canterbury.
In those semifinals, Adams ended up on the wrong side of his second straight double hill match, which sent Canterbury back for a re-match against Young in the hot seat. With Canterbury racing to 6, Young completed his first win, undefeated, at 5-4.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Corner Pockets, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (March 18-19), will be hosted by Breaktime Billiards in Cary, NC.
Robert Hart and Billy Fowler fought two double hill matches during the Saturday, November 26 stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour. Hart won the first one, battling for the hot seat, and Fowler won the second, in the first set of the true double elimination final. Just ahead of 3 a.m., they let it go at that, with Hart as the hot seat occupant, capturing the official event title. The $500-added event drew 44 entrants to Cue Time in Spartanburg, SC.
In the lead-up to their first meeting, Hart squared off against teenager Hunter White, while Fowler faced Samantha Kielson in the two winners' side semifinals. Hart sent White to the loss side 5-4 (White racing to 8). Fowler sent Kielson over 7-2. With Fowler racing to 7, Hart took the first of their two 5-6, double hill.
On the loss side, White and Kielson ran right into their second loss. White was defeated, double hill, by Steve Loftin, who'd eliminated Greg Burke 4-2 and Andy Bowden 4-3 (Bowden racing to 5). Kielson fell 6-2 to Dayne Miller, who'd eliminated Travis Guerra 6-1 and Philip "Monk" Denton 6-4 before meeting her.
Miller downed Lofton 6-2 in the subsequent quarterfinals. Fowler, though, ended Miller's loss-side streak 7-4.
With Hart racing to 5 and Fowler to 7, Fowler took the opening set of the true double elimination final 7-4, which was double hill. It was at this point that they opted out of a second deciding match, choosing to split the top two prizes and allowing Hart to claim the official event title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Cue Time, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, Ruthless Billiards, GoPlayPool.com, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for December 3-4, will be hosted by the Gate City Billiards Club in Greensboro, NC.
J.R. Poste won two straight double hill matches to get into the hot seat of a Q City 9-Ball Tour stop on the weekend of July 30-31. Poste and B.J. Hucks ended up splitting the event's top two prizes, while, undefeated, Poste claimed the event title that drew 39 entrants to Breaktime Billiards in Wilmington, NC.
Poste's first double hill win of the final two came in a winners' side semifinal match against J.T. Ringgold, as Joe Blanton was busy defeating Andy Bowden in the other semifinal. Poste claimed the hot seat, double hill, over Blanton in what proved to be his last match.
Ringgold moved to the loss side, where he picked up Taz Holiday, who'd defeated Frank Owens (runner-up on the tour's last stop, July 23) 5-4, and Mickey Hucks (no relation to B.J.) 5-3. Bowden drew B.J., who'd gotten by Ed Leggett and Brandy Hodges, both 7-3.
Hucks, racing to 7, gave up only a single rack to Bowden, advancing to the quarterfinals. He was joined by Ringgold, who'd eliminated Holiday 9-4. With Ringgold racing to 9, Hucks survived a double hill fight, winning it 7-7, and advancing to take on Blanton in the semifinals.
Hucks chalked up his last of the night, 7-2, over Blanton. He and Poste then opted out of the final, declared Poste the official winner, and split the top two prizes.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Breaktime Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, and Delta-13 racks. The next stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for August 6-7, will be hosted by Brown's Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
