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Getting in practice, Hollingsworth goes undefeated on Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour

Landon Hollingsworth

It’s shaping up as a pretty busy month for junior competitor Landon Hollingsworth. As October moves on and rolls into November, he’ll compete in the Shane Van Boening Junior Open in Atlantic City (Oct.13-15), in the Junior International Championships (JIC) 18 & Under Boys Championship (Nov. 3-5) as part of Pat Fleming’s International Open in Norfolk, VA and a little later in the month, he’ll be competing in Puerto Rico’s 10-Ball Open, the entry to which he earned by being one of the top two competitors in the final rankings of the Junior International Championships’ ProAm division. On his way, sort of, to the first of these events, Landon Hollingsworth stopped off to get a little practice on the regional tour circuit. This past weekend (Oct. 8-9), he went undefeated on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, whose $1,000-added event drew 41 entrants to Action Billiards in Inman, SC.

It’s been kind of an up and down year for Hollingsworth, who finished among the top five in 10 events, including victories in the season-opening ProAm division of the JIC, and the Dynaspheres Cup Junior 9-Ball (20 & Under). Though he’s cashed now in four events on the Q City 9-Ball Tour this year, this past weekend marked his first 2022 win.

Hollingsworth and Matt Lucas battled twice for this most recent title. They advanced on their different ends of the bracket to arrive at the winners’ side semifinals, in which Hollingsworth faced Mike Parkins and Lucas squared off against Marc Rochester.

Hollingworth defeated Parkins 9-3, while Lucas was busy sending Rochester west 6-4. Hollingsworth made his intent clear with a shutout over Lucas in the hot seat match.

On the loss side, Parkins picked up Mani Suri, who’d recently survived a double hill battle against Steven Ellis and eliminated Brandon Brock 7-2. Rochester drew Steve Loftis, who, in his previous 11 games, racing to 5, had given up only a single rack; one to Chris Cody and none at all to Junior Gabriel.

In the first money round, in what must have seemed like a sudden deluge of ‘racks against,’ Loftis downed Marc Rochester, allowing him three racks. Parkins, in the meantime, gave up that many as well, downing Suri 6-3.

Loftis took the quarterfinals that followed, chalking up his five, while allowing Parkins (racing to 6) to chalk up five, as well. The ‘racks against’ caught up to him in the semifinals. Matt Lucas, looking for a rematch against Hollingsworth, earned it with a 6-2 victory over Loftis.

Hollingsworth, perhaps thinking about some of the expenses ahead of him in this very busy month, closed the door. He wasn’t able to shut Lucas out this time around, but Hollingsworth gave up only three racks in the final match and claimed his first 2022 Q City 9-Ball Title.

Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Action Billiards, 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 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour will take off this week and be back in action the following weekend. It will return to Action Billiards, in Inman, SC on the weekend of Oct. 22-23 for a $750-added Scotch Doubles event.

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Brock goes undefeated with a brand-new cue to win Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball stop

(l to r): Marcio Smith & Brandon Brock

When Brandon Brock showed up at the Steakhorse Restaurant and Billiards in Spartanburg, SC last weekend (April 13-14) to compete in a stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, he arrived without a cue stick. Not exactly a way to enter a tournament looking for your first major win. He bought one, though (a stick, not the win); a Viking cue as it turned out and used it to go undefeated through a field of 59 entrants at the $1,000-added event and claim his first event title.
 
Brock faced Marcio Smith twice in this event. Both, according to our records, were looking to chalk up their first major win. Brock defeated Jeff Abernathy 6-4 in one of the winners’ side semifinals, as Smith was busy sending Rob Hart to the loss side 7-5. They met first in the battle for the hot seat, won by Brock 6-6 (Smith racing to 7).
 
On the loss side, Abernathy and Hart ran right into their second straight loss. Abernathy picked up Chris Gentile, who’d defeated Jason Blackwell 8-4 and survived a double hill (8-10) battle versus BJ Ussery. Hart drew Dakota Harris, who’d eliminated Steven Ellis 6-4 and Hunter White, double hill (6-8).
 
Gentile downed Abernathy 8-4 and in the quarterfinals, faced Harris, who’d ended Hart’s weekend 6-4. Gentile then downed Harris 8-3 to meet Smith in the semifinals.
 
A double hill fight ensued, eventually won by Smith (7-7). With Smith racing to 7 in the finals, Brock completed his undefeated run with a 6-5 win over Smith. 
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Dayne Miller and his Steakhorse staff 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 (April 20-21) will be hosted by Randolph  Billiards in Hickory, NC.