The quarterfinals of the Dec. 1-2 stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour proved to be of particular significance, because it happened to be the last match of the event. There were, at the time, as there always are in the quarterfinals of any double elimination bracket, four competitors left; the two competing in those quarterfinals and the two who either had or were about to compete for the hot seat. Because, as it turned out, the last three players opted out of further competition, the two who squared off in the quarterfinals were battling for the right to share in a split of the event’s top three cash prizes.

 

Split evenly (and there’s no way to know if it was split evenly; the competitors’ negotiations are generally private), each of the event’s final three competitors was in line to collect $491.66. The prize for 4th place was $125. The difference between 3rd and 4th place was to have been $150 ($275 for 3rd, $125 for 4th), but with the final three splitting the top three prizes, the cash difference at stake in the quarterfinals more than doubled, from the original $150 to $366 (and change).

 

The two competitors who squared off in that quarterfinal match were BJ Ussery and Cameron Lawhorne. Sitting in the hot seat was Keith Bennett, while Ms. Jordyn Worley was waiting to compete in the semifinals against whoever won the quarterfinal match. It was Ussery who joined Bennett and Worley in the split disposition of the event’s top three prizes. As the undefeated occupant of the hot seat, Bennett claimed the official event title. The $500-added event drew 34 entrants to Speakeazy Billiards in Sanford, NC.

 

The four had met in the winners’ side semifinals; Bennett vs. Ussery and Worley vs. Lawhorne. Bennett defeated Ussery 11-6, while Worley was sending Lawhorne to the loss side 4-4 (Lawhorne racing to 6). Bennett and Worley locked up in a double hill fight for possession of the hot seat, with Bennett prevailing (11-3; Worley racing to 4) in what was the last match for both of them.

 

On the loss side, Ussery picked up Anthony Mabe, who’d defeated Brent Kyles 7-5 and Solomon Pope 7-3 to reach him. Lawhorne drew Robert Ash, who’d eliminated Billy Ethridge and Zac Leonard, both 5-3.

 

Ussery earned his slot in the last-match-of-the-night quarterfinals with an 11-4 victory over Mabe. Lawhorne earned the right to join him with a 6-0 shutout over Ash. Lawhorne then battled to within a game of double hill before Ussery edged out in front to win those quarterfinals 11-4. Lawhorne claimed his $125, as Ussery joined the negotiations with Bennett and Worley to split $1475.

 

Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Speakeazy Billiards, 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 (Dec. 8-9), will be hosted by The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.

The current BEF Junior Champion in the Under-14 Boys category (two years in a row), recent competitor in the WPA World Junior 9-Ball Championship event in Moscow (Oct. 30-Nov. 3) and member of the 2018 USA Atlantic Cup Challenge team, which is set to compete, beginning on Thursday (Nov. 27) in Las Vegas, Joey Tate warmed up for his appearance on that team with a victory on his ‘home’ tour, the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. At an event held on the weekend of Nov. 10-11 at the Gate City Billiard Club in Greensboro, NC, the teenager went undefeated through a field of 56 entrants to claim his second Q City 9-Ball title. The event featured a ‘first’ for the tour – two junior players, Tate and Cameron Lawhorne – competing in the finals.

 

Tate worked his way through the field to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal match against Robert Ash, as Lawhorne squared off against Brent Kyles in the other one. Tate got into the hot seat match with a 6-3 win over Ash. He was joined by Lawhorne, who sent Kyles to the loss side, double hill (6-7). Tate claimed the hot seat 6-3 and waited for Lawhorne’s return from the semifinals.

 

On the loss side, Ash and Kyles walked right into their second straight loss. Kyles fell to Collin Hall, double hill (6-7), while Ash was defeated 7-2 by Don Lilly. Hall took the quarterfinal match against Lilly 6-2, and then, in the semifinals, was defeated by Lawhorne 6-3.

 

Lawhorne chalked up one more rack against Tate in the finals than he had in the hot seat match, but it wasn’t enough. Tate completed his undefeated run with a 6-4 win that gave him his first non-asterisk (final match played) win on the tour. 

 

Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Gate City Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball.

Clint Clark came back from a defeat in a winners' side semifinal to win three on the loss side and then double dip hot seat occupant Rick Roper in the finals of the October 17-18 stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour. The event drew 56 entrants to Chandley's in Statesville, NC.

 

Clark began his loss-side campaign, after a 6-3 victory by Taz Holiday in one of the winners' side semifinals. Roper defeated Brent Kyles 7-6 to meet Holiday in the hot seat match. Roper claimed the hot seat 7-3 over Holiday and waited on Clark's return.

 

Clark's first opponent on the loss side was Zac Leonard, who'd gotten by Mike Chapman 7-3 and Colin Hall 7-2 to reach him. Kyles drew Joey Fox, who'd eliminated Jerry Varnado and Bryan Pate, both 7-2. Clark and Kyles advanced to the quarterfinals; Clark 9-3 over Leonard and Kyles, 8-6 over Fox.

 

Clark then chalked up two straight 9-4 wins, ousting Kyles in the quarterfinals, and then, in a rematch, Holiday in the semifinals. He took the double elimination opening set 9-3 over Roper, and though Roper would force a deciding game in the second set, Clark prevailed 9-6 to claim the event title.

Trey Frank took two out of three matches against Bobby Clinton to win a July 4th weekend stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour. The handicapped, 9-ball event drew 38 entrants to the Gate City Billiard Club in Greensboro, NC.

 

They met first in the battle for the hot seat. Frank had defeated Norris Brady 6-9 (Brady racing to 11), as Clinton was sending Brent Kyles to the loss side 7-3. Clinton took the first of three against Frank 7-3 and waited in the hot seat for him to get back.

 

On the loss side, Norris Brady ran into David Tickle, who'd defeated Scott Largen 8-2 and Austin Sawyer 8-4 to reach him. Kyles drew Jerry Varnado, recent winner over Mike Davis 8-10 (Davis racing to 13), and Mike Bumgarner 8-5. Brady and Kyles advanced to the quarterfinals; Brady 11-6 over Tickle and Kyles 8-4 over Varnado.

 

Brady then eliminated Kyles 11-4 for a second shot at Frank in the semifinals. Frank stepped up his game in his second meeting versus Brady, allowing him only five racks of the 11 he would have needed to win, while scoring six to earn himself a second, and, as it turned out, third shot against Clinton in the hot seat.

 

Frank downed Clinton in both sets of the true double elimination final. Both times, they battled to double hill, which, with Frank racing to 6 and Clinton racing to 7, was a deadlock at 5-6. Frank closed it out 6-6 both times to claim the event title.