Cameron Hollingsworth, Breaktime owner Sundeep “Sonny” Makhani and Larry Hughes.
Both finalists in the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball’s 10th Tour Championships, held this past weekend (Nov. 19-20), had something to play for, beyond just the cash and whatever bragging rights they might claim later. Larry Hughes and Cameron Hollingsworth were both looking to record their first cash wins. Hollingsworth was also trying to take advantage of the fact that his older brother, the twice-defending champion of this event, Landon Hollingsworth, was in Puerto Rico. Ahead of the final match, each of them had recorded a single loss. Hughes took the last match to claim the title. Though the outcome could be attributed to any one of a number of factors, it would appear to be unlikely that it was due to which of them wanted it more. The $1,500-added event drew 56 entrants to Breaktime Billiards in Winston-Salem, NC.
Winning it was a breakthrough for Hughes. Coming from the loss side, winning seven and the opening set of the true double elimination, not to mention recording his first cash win was a breakthrough for Hollingsworth.
With Hollingsworth on the loss side, having lost a third round match to Billy Walker, Hughes advanced through the field to face Eric Stanton in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Clay Davis and Jason Blackwell squared off in the other one.
Davis defeated Blackwell 8-1, while Hughes was shutting Stanton out. Hughes grabbed the hot seat 6-2 and waited on the as-determined-as-he-was Hollingsworth to complete his loss-side run.
With two notches on that loss-side belt, Hollingsworth defeated Barry Mashburn 5-4 (Mashburn racing to 9) and Trent Talbert 5-4 (Talbert racing to 6), to pick up Stanton. Blackwell drew Josh Heeter, who’d defeated Jeff Howell and Thomas Sansone, both 9-3, to reach him.
Hollingsworth and Heeter advanced to the quarterfinals; Hollingsworth 5-2 over Stanton and Heeter 9-4 over Blackwell. Hollingsworth chalked up wins #6 and #7 with a double hill, quarterfinal win over Heeter and 5-1 victory over Davis in the semifinals.
With Davis racing to 6, Hollingsworth took the opening set of the true double elimination final 5-4. Hughes fought back in the second set to take a lead and stretch it to three games, winning it 6-3 to claim his first event title and the 10th Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour Championship title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked tour sponsor Sundeep Makhani and his Breaktime Billiards staff for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Breaktime Billiards (Winston-Salem, NC), BarPoolTables.net, Dirty South Grind Apparel Co., Realty One Group Results, Diamond Brat, AZBilliards.com, Ridge Back Rails, and Federal Savings Bank Mortgage Division.
The tour will be off for the Thanksgiving weekend and return to the felt on the weekend of Dec. 3-4. The event will be a $250-added event, hosted by Mickey Milligan’s in New Bern, NC.
Billy Joe Walker and Justin Knuckles played twice in the true double elimination final at last Saturday’s (Aug. 7) stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour; Walker looking for his second win on the tour, Knuckles in search of his first. They each won a match, but it was Walker, who’d been waiting in the hot seat, who took the last one and claimed that second title. The $600-added event drew 40 entrants to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
With Knuckles at work on the loss side, Walker advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Travis Guerra. Jake Lebon squared off with Brian Overman in the other one.
Walker downed Guerra 7-4 and in the hot seat match, faced Lebon, who’d sent Overman to the loss side 6-2. Walker claimed the hot seat 7-3 over Lebon and waited for Knuckles to join him for the finals.
On the loss side, Knuckles got by Scott Largen 5-4 (Largen racing to 6) and Sean McGrady, double hill, to draw Overman. Guerra picked up Cameron Lawhorne, who picked up a forfeit win over Clubhouse owner Chris England (The Clubhouse sponsors Lawhorne) and defeated Jonathan Ailstock 8-4. Lawhorne and Knuckles handed Guerra and Overman their second straight loss; Lawhorne over Guerra 8-3 and Knuckles over Overman 5-3.
Knuckles then defeated Lawhorne 5-3 in the quarterfinals and with Jake Lebon racing to 6 in the semifinals, defeated him 5-4 for a shot at Walker, waiting for him in the hot seat.
It would seem that Knuckles caught Walker just a little off guard in the opening set. Knuckles took that set 5-1. Walker settled himself and came out strong in the second set, winning it 7-1 to claim that second event title on the tour since he won it 18 months ago at the same location.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked Chris England and his Clubhouse staff for their ongoing hospitality and continued support of the tour. He also thanked title sponsor Viking Cues, BarPoolTables.net, Dirty South Grind Apparel Co., Diamond Brat, Federal Savings Bank’s Mortgage Division and AZBilliards. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for August 14-15, will be a $500-added ($1k with 64 entrants) event that will be hosted by Rock House Billiards in Gastonia, NC.
Since he began 2020 with a 5th/6th place finish (tied with John Gabriel) behind Sky Woodward, Dennis Orcollo, Jeffrey DeLuna and Josh Roberts at the Music City Classic’s Open event in January, BJ Ussery has been on a roll, albeit one that’s stumbled a bit thanks to the pandemic. Though he would finish as runner-up in a Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball event in early February, winning the opening set of a true double elimination final to Billy Walker, but dropping the title-winning second set, Ussery went on to win his next three; the VA State 10-Ball Championships, and two stops on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, including last week’s (June 13-14) 1st Annual Brian James Memorial. He made it four in a row with a second straight ‘asterisk’ victory this past weekend (June 20-21). Ussery and Mike Bumgarner (who’d won the June 6-7 stop on the tour at the same location) opted out of a final match and split the top two prizes. As the undefeated occupant of the hot seat, Ussery claimed the official win. The event drew 39 entrants to Randolph’s Billiards in Hickory, NC.
Their first and only encounter, battling for the hot seat, followed a 7-1 victory for Bumgarner over Sammy Manley and a 12-5 win for Ussery versus Graham Swinson. Ussery took what proved to be the title match 12-2 over Bumgarner and sat in the hot seat.
In the first money round, battling for 5th/6th, Manley and Swinson got right back to work and advanced to the quarterfinals; Manley, with a double hill win (5-6) over Harrell and Swinson 7-3 over Zayas. Swinson then downed Manley 7-2 in those quarterfinals.
In what was the final match of the day on Sunday (an Open event, which was scheduled for Sunday, did not materialize), Bumgarner foiled Swinson’s hope for a rematch against Ussery with a 7-5 victory in the semifinals. Ussery and Bumgarner negotiated their split of the top two prizes, with Ussery claiming the official event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Randolph Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZBilliards, and Tickler Pool Ball Washing Machine, Skyline Construction, 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 (June 27-28) will be hosted by Pal’s Billiards in Piedmont, SC.
Billy Walker and BJ Ussery met three times in last weekend’s (Feb. 8-9) Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour stop in Lynchburg, VA. According to FargoRate calculations, Walker, rated at 532, came into the match with a 10.2% chance of defeating the 732-rated Ussery in a match, with Ussery racing to 11 and Walker to 6. They met three times; once, in the hot seat match and twice in the finals. Walker took two out of three of those matches to claim the event title and presumably up his Fargo Rate in the process. He was looking for and eventually secured his first Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour title and, in fact, his first recorded title anywhere. The $1,000-added event drew 46 entrants to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
Ussery’s races to 11 can make his path to a winners’ circle tricky. Case in point: his winners’ side semifinal match against Billie Spadafora, who was racing to 5. They battled to double hill before Ussery won his 11th game and advanced to the hot seat match. Walker joined him after defeating Zach Hampton 6-4 in the other winners’ side semifinal. Walker then took the first of three against Ussery 6-8 to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Hampton picked up Janet Atwell, who’d defeated Victor Williams 7-1 and Dylan Carr 7-2. Spadafora would have drawn Jordyn Worley, who’d shut out Jonathan Ailstock and downed Collin Hall 4-3 to reach him (Hall racing to 7), but Spadafora did not make it back to the event’s second day.
Worley leapfrogged into the quarterfinals, where she was joined by Hampton, who’d eliminated Atwell 9-4. Worley took another step, downing Hampton 4-3 (Hampton racing to 9) in those quarterfinals.
Ussery put a stop to Worley’s aspirations with an 11-2 win in the semifinals that followed and then, riding that intangible mount known as momentum, took the opening set of the final against Walker. But just barely, with Walker chalking up a 5th rack to force a deciding 16th game. Ussery won that game and the opening set. Walker, though, had plenty left in the ‘tank’ and took the second set 6-9 to claim his first event title on the tour.
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 tour, scheduled for Feb. 15-16, will be a $1,000-added Scotch Double event (combined high handicap of 15), hosted by Break & Run Billiards in Chesnee, SC.
2019 Tour Championships to end tour season this weekend in Chesnee, SC
On the weekend of December 14-15, BJ Ussery chalked up his seventh win* on the 2019 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. It was also the 9th time that he had finished as either the winner or runner-up this year, and also the 11th time that he’d finished among the top five. He competed in 13 of the tour’s events, as well as the Star City 10-Ball Shootout in Roanoke, VA, where he was runner-up to James Aranas and one Atlanta stop on the J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour, which he won, downing Bernardo Esteban in the finals. In fact, 2019 was Ussery’s best recorded earnings year, dating back to AZBilliards’ first notations of his winnings, nearly 20 years ago, when he finished 65th at the US Open 9-Ball Championships in 2000.
Ussery and Earl Kent were to have met in the finals of the $1,000-added event that drew 42 entrants to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA. By mutual agreement, they split the top two prizes and opted out of a final match.
Kent came through the loss side to earn the right to face Ussery in the finals. It was Ussery and James Blackburn who met in the hot seat match. Ussery had faced and defeated Billy Walker 11-4 in one of the winners’ side semifinals, as Blackburn downed Jason Holmes 9-3 in the other one. In what proved to be Ussery’s final match, he claimed the hot seat 11-5 over Blackburn.
On the loss side, Kent defeated Jason Evans 5-3 and then, Scott Roberts 5-2 to advance into the event’s first money round against Jason Holmes. Walker picked up Joshua Shultz, who’d defeated Daniel Adams, double hill, and Dylan Carr 6-2 to reach him.
Walker moved into the quarterfinals on the heels of a 6-4 win over Shultz. Kent joined him after eliminating Holmes 5-2. Kent took the quarterfinal match 5-3 over Walker.
Kent and Blackburn squared off in the event’s final match, the semifinals. Kent downed Blackburn 5-2 and earned himself a split with Ussery.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and 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 will be its annual Tour Championships, this year scheduled for December 21-22. The $1,000-added event will be hosted by Break & Run Billiards in Chesnee, SC.
Over the past three years, Collin Hall has been ‘bringin’ home the bacon’ with moderate regularity on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. He won his first tour event in 2015, and two more the following year. He was runner-up in two events in 2017, and after finishing as runner-up to Don Lilly this past February, he chalked up his first 2018 tour win with an undefeated effort on Saturday, July 21. The event drew 28 entrants to The Clubhouse in Lynchurg, VA.
Hall advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Lee O’Neal, as his eventual hot seat and finals’ opponent, Wes Campbell faced Billy Walker in the other winners’ side semifinal. Hall and Campbell advanced to the hot seat match with identical 6-4 scores over O’Neal and Walker. Hall claimed the hot seat by the same score over Campbell.
On the loss side, O’Neal picked up Dustin Coe, who’d defeated Matt Ward 6-1 and Chris England, double hill, to reach him. Walker drew Shane Wolford, who’d eliminated Don Lilly and Bernie Kirby, both 8-5 (the match against Kirby, racing to 6, was double hill).
Wolford advanced to the quarterfinal with a shutout over Walker. Coe joined him following his 6-1 victory over O’Neal. Wolford gave up only two racks to Coe and advanced (8-2) to meet Campbell in the semifinals.
The semifinals went double hill, which, with Campbell racing to 6 and Wolford racing to 8, was tied at 5-7 and won by Campbell 6-7. In the finals, Campbell and Hall were playing a straight-up race to 6, and as he had done in the hot seat match, Hall prevailed 6-4 to claim the event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse for their hospitality, 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 – July 28-29 – will be a $1,000-added ($1,500 with 80 entrants) event, hosted by The Steakhorse in Spartanburg, SC.
KC Hawley and Shawn Miller fought three times to claim victory at the May 19-20 stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. Miller took the hot seat opener of the series, but Hawley returned from the semifinals to take the next two in a double elimination final. The event drew 32 entrants to Rooster’s 21 Pool Room in Sissonville, WV.
To get to their three-match opener battling for the hot seat, Hawley sent Mike Gulley to the loss side 7-2 in one winners’ side semifinal, whiLe Miller downed Brian James 7-5 in the other one. Miller claimed the hot seat, double hill, and waited in it for Hawley to come back.
On the loss side, Gulley picked up Lee O’Neal, who’d defeated Billy Walker 6-5 and Taz Holliday 6-4 to reach him. James drew Jonathan Ailstock, who’d eliminaTed Dean Buckhammer 6-5 and Dustin Booth 6-4. James and O’Neal advanced to the quarterfinals with identical 6-2 victories over Ailstock and Gulley.
James downed O’Neal 6-4 in those quarterfinals, before having his brief trek on the loss side ended by Hawley 7-5 in the semifinals. Hawley and Miller fought back and forth to double hill in the opening set of the true double elimination final. Hawley kept the second set out of double-hill territory with a 7-5 win that earned him the event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Rooster’s 21 Pool Room, 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 Memorial Day weekend, will be hosted by BreakTime Billiards in Cary, NC.
Billy Walker came back from a defeat in a winners’ side semifinal match against Brian Bryant to win the opening set of a true double elimination final against him. Bryant, though, rallied in the second set to claim the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball title, at a stop held on Saturday, April 29. The event drew 21 entrants to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
In their first of three matches, Bryant downed Walker 9-3 (Walker racing to 7). Scott Largen, in the meantime, defeated Lee O’Neal 7-2 in the other winners’ side semifinal. Bryant and Largen battled to double hill in the hot seat match, before Bryant won it and waited on Walker’s return.
On the loss side, Walker ran into Chris Woodrum, who’d defeated co-tour director Angela Parker 6-5 and the previous week’s Q City 9-Ball Tour winner, Cameron Lawhorne 6-1. O’Neal drew Kelly Farrar, who’d eliminated Brian Glisson 6-3 and Greg Taylor 6-4.
Walker got into the quarterfinals with a 7-2 win over Woodrum. He was joined by O’Neal, who’d survived a double hill fight versus Farrar. Walker then defeated O’Neal 7-3, and spoiled Largen’s hopes for a re-match against Bryant with a 7-2 win in the semifinals.
Walker took the opening set of the true double elimination final 7-4. Bryant won the second set 9-4 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, Delta 13 Racks, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for May 5-6, will be hosted by Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
D. Mastermaker, G. Taylor, L. Kressel, J. Dickerson
The Virginia State 8 Ball Bar Table Championships was held on July 10, 2014 at The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, Virginia. Turnout was low, 19 players, since the event was held during the week. The final four on the winner’s side had Danny Mastermaker playing Billy Walkerand Greg Taylor playing Daniel Adams. Walker beat Mastermaker 5-2 and Taylor beat Adams 5-1. One the one loss side, Mastermaker had to play his brother, Joey, whom he dispatched 5-1 as Adams eliminated Darren Musser 5-4.
While Mastermaker and Adams matched up to see who would finish 4th, Taylor played Billy Walker for the winner of the hot seat. Each match went to the hill with Mastermaker and Taylor each winning 5-4. After a quick break, Walker and Mastermaker played to see if Walker would get a second chance at Taylor. Mastermaker would prove to spoil Walker’s chance and also extract some revenge for his loss in the tournament earlier to Walker. In the finals, race to 7, Taylor surged to an early lead of 5-3 when Mastermaker got a roll. Taylor had a difficult shot where his last ball was close to the eight ball. He hit the shot so well he made them both and lost the game. Mastermaker managed to tie the set at 5 before Taylor dug deep and was able to close the set out.
1st – $750 – Greg Taylor
2nd -$450 – Danny Mastermaker
3rd – $250 – Billy Walker
4th – $150 – Daniel Adams
The Virginia State 9 Ball Bar Table Championships was held 2 days later and drew a crowd of 27. Many of the same players from the 8 Ball event returned and there were a few other additions from Richmond. From the beginning, it appeared that Mastermaker was set to defend his title which he won in 2012. In his first 4 matches he won a combined score of 28-11. Waiting for him in the winner’s side final was Larry Kressel. Kressel had an as impressive track record winning his first 4 matches by a combined score of 28-13. It was a tight match but Kressel won by a score of 7-5.
Mastermaker would end up playing his long time friend Chris Bruner to see who would go to the final to challenge Kressel in the finals. With the race on the one loss side shortened to 5, it would be anyone’s match. Bruner won the first 3 racks and one miss in rack 4 would be fatal. Mastermaker took advantage of the miss and through good play and solid safety play won the match 5-3; earning a rematch with Kressel in the finals. Kressel jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the match before Mastermaker would get his first game on the board. They would soon exchange games until the score was 7-7. Mastermaker would be the first player to reach the hill. With a solid break, he would make 2 balls and proceed to run out. Suddenly, the four ball hung in the corner pocket. This would allow Kressel to close out the rack and set up a hill-hill final. Kressel would break dry and give Mastermaker one more opportunity to defend his title. One more opportunity would be all he needed as he proceeded to run the rack out and defend his Virginia State 9 Ball Bar Table Championship.
1st – $1000 – Danny Mastermaker
2nd – $500 – Larry Kressel
3rd – $300 – Chris Bruner
4th $200 – Mike Haygood
5th $100 – Greg Taylor
6th $100 – Paul Oh
