Blade Best and Taz Holliday split the top two prizes on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour stop on the weekend of July 29-30. As the undefeated player, Best chalked up the official title win of the event that drew 39 entrants to Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.

 

Best advanced through the 64-player bracket to face Scott Howard in one of the winners' side semifinals, as Bill Eisenhard faced Brandon Kidwell in the other one. Kidwell had just sent Holliday to the loss side. Best sent Howard over 6-6 (Howard racing to 8), as Eisenhard was at work defeating Kidwell 7-3. Best claimed the hot seat over Eisenhard 6-5 (Eisenhard racing to 7) in what proved to be his last match.

 

On the loss side, Holliday opened his trip to the finals with a double hill win over renowned trick shot artist Chris Woodrum, and followed it with a shutout over Terry Lawson. This set Holliday up against Howard, coming over from his defeat in the winners' side semifinal. Kidwell picked up Jerry Varnado, who'd defeated Jerry Hilton 8-6 and Matt Shaw, double hill, to reach him.

 

Holliday won a double hill battle against Howard to advance to the quarterfinals. Varnado spoiled a Holliday/Kidwell re-match with an 8-1 victory over Kidwell to join Holliday.

 

Holliday eliminated Varnado 6-3 and then fought his third loss-side double hill match against Eisenhard in the semifinals, winning it for a shot against Best in the hot seat. They opted out of that final match, granting Best the official title.

 

Tour director Herman Parker thanked Janet Atwell and her staff at Borderline Billiards, 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 Aug. 5-6, will be hosted by Legends Billiards in Inman, SC.

 

Though Bruce Luttrell would win the opening set of the finals, Zach Robbins ended up defeating him twice on the weekend of September 6-7 to claim his first Great Southern Billiard Tour title. The $1,000-added event drew 64 entrants to Legends Billiards in Inman, SC.

 

Robbins and Luttrell met first in a winners' side quarterfinal, which sent Luttrell on a five-match, loss-side journey to meet Robbins again in the finals. Robbins went on to face Cliff Cribb in a winners' side semifinal, as Marty White squared off against Robb Hart. Robbins got into the hot seat match with an 8-6 win over Cribb, and faced White, who'd sent Hart west 5-3. Robbins got into the GSBT hot seat for the first time with an 8-4 win against White. It would be Robbins' second trip to a GSBT final, having come from the loss side to face Mike Wise in the finals of a December 2012 event at the same location.

 

On the loss side, Luttrell began his trip back to the finals with a 7-7 win over Paul Bailey, and followed it with a 7-2 victory against Brian Ervin. This set Luttrell up to face Hart. Cribb drew Jake Medlin, who'd shut out John Bannister, and defeated Bill Eisenhard 3-4. Medlin chalked up another 3-4 victory, this time against Cribb, and in the quarterfinals, faced Luttrell, who'd eliminated Hart 7-2.

 

Luttrell downed Medlin 7-2, and got his second chance against Robbins with a 7-3 victory over White in the semifinals. Luttrell took the opening set of the finals 7-3, but Robbins came back in the second set to win 8-5, claiming his first GSBT title.

The 2011-2012 Lucasi Hybrid Cues All American Tour – presented by the American CueSports Alliance (ACS) – featured its 10th Tour stop at Q’s Sports Bar & Girl in Port Charlotte, FL, Saturday, November 12.  The $500-added 8-ball scratch tourney on 7-foot Valley bar boxes drew 17 players.  On the A-side semifinals, Tim Barron (Bradenton, FL) dispatched Albert Baker 4-1 (Port Charlotte, FL), while Ken Coulter (Punta Gorda, FL) took out Bill Eisenhard (Bradenton, FL) 4-2.  Coulter then claimed the hot seat by clipping Barron 4-3 in the finals.  On the B-side Eisenhard eliminated Baker at 4th place 4-2; but then Eisenhard was eliminated at 3rd place at the hands of Tim Barron 4-1.  Tim Barron almost made the best of his rematch with Ken Coulter in the tourney finals, by winning the first set 4-3.  The second set went to the hill as well, but Ken Coulter emerged 4-3 for the title!

 

By virtue of Ken Coulter being the highest-finishing ACS member in the event, he qualified for a free 9-Ball singles entry into the 2012 Lucasi Hybrid ACS Nationals at the Tropicana Las Vegas – courtesy of the ACS.  Mindy Lyles (Punta Gorda, FL) won the raffle for the Lucasi Hybrid Cue.  The ACS wishes to thank sponsors Lucasi Hybrid Cues, Championship Billiard Fabric and Nick Varner Signature Cases for their support in donating “Value-In-Kind” product for this and all stops on the Lucasi Hybrid All American Tour. Sponsorship opportunities and tour stop openings are still available for the 2011/2012 All American Tour by contacting the ACS.

 

The Tour showcases one stop over the Thanksgiving weekend: the annual $1,000 Added 8-Ball Turkey Shoot at Match-Ups in Fort Collins, CO, November 26-27 (contact Mike or Nicole Hellmer at 970-482-2337).  Further information, entry details and schedules for the 2011/2012 Lucasi Hybrid All American Tour are available at www.americancuesports.org.