At his only other event victory on the 2019 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour (May 11-12), Billy Fowler faced Brian Bagwell three times, taking two out of the three to capture the event title. At the annual Tour Championships, the season finale of the tour’s 2019 season on the weekend of December 21-22, Fowler and Bagwell repeated that scene, with a minor alteration or two. In May, it was Fowler who grabbed the hot seat, and though Bagwell took the opening set of the true double elimination final, Fowler took the second set and claimed that title. On this most recent, just-before-Christmas weekend, it was Bagwell who claimed the hot seat, with Fowler winning his two, back to back, in the true double elimination final to grab the Tour Championship title. The $1,000-added event drew 63 entrants to Break and Run Billiards in Chesnee, SC.
They’d both gotten by their individual opponents in the winners’ side semifinals; Fowler 9-2 over Gary South and Bagwell over Ricky Baughman 7-4. Bagwell took the first of their three 7-6 (Fowler racing to 9) to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Baughman and South got right back into things with victories over their first opponents. Baughman faced Kelly Piercy, who’d been defeated by the tour’s Point Standings leader, BJ Ussery, in the opening round of play and then mounted a nine-match, loss-side winning streak that had most recently included victories over Tyler Mayfield 5-4 (Mayfield racing to 6) and a successful rematch against Ussery, which he won 5-8 (Ussery racing to 11). South drew Anthony Mabe, who’d eliminated Landon Hollingsworth 7-3 and Joe Upchurch 7-4.
Boughman ended Piercy’s nine-match streak 7-3 and in the quarterfinals, faced South who’d ended Mabe’s 2019 tour season 7-5. Baughman inched a match closer to a potential shot at the finals with a double hill win over South in those quarterfinals.
Fowler put an end to Baughman’s thoughts of a spot in the finals. Fowler, as anxious as Boughman to face Bagwell, got his second shot at Bagwell with a 9-2 win in the semifinals.
Fowler took the opening set of the double elimination final 9-3. Bagwell chalked up two more racks in the second set, but Fowler chalked up his nine to claim the Tour Championship title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Break and Run Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The season opener of the 2020 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour will be held on the weekend of January 4-5 at a site to be determined.
Like criminals to a crime scene, pool players love returning to the sites of previous triumphs. It could be a home room, near to their actual home, or just a place where, for whatever reason, the balls were rolling well on a given day. On the weekend of July 13-14, Raed Shabib returned to Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN, where he’d won the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour Championships last December. He went undefeated through a field of 39 entrants this time and got by Brian Bagwell twice to claim the event title.
They met first in the hot seat match. Shabib had defeated Ron Frank 9-6 in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Bagwell, in the meantime, accepted a forfeit from his son, Josh Miller, in the other winners’ side semifinal and advanced to the hot seat match against Shabib. Shabib defeated Bagwell the first time 9-5.
On the loss side, Frank picked up Gary South, who’d defeated Mark Hurst 7-3 and John Pallaria 7-4 to reach him. Miller, looking to work his way back to a possible finals rematch against his Dad, drew Jeff Abernathy, who arrived having just given up only three racks in 21 games (Abernathy racing to 9); two to Ryan Fossum and only one to Doug Schulz.
South downed Frank 7-3, whiLe Miller was busy chalking up more racks against Abernathy than his previous two opponents combined. With Abernathy again racing to 9, Miller advanced to the quarterfinals 5-6.
South ended any hopes for a father-son final by defeating Miller 7-2 in the quarterfinals. Bagwell then put an end to South’s run 7-3 for a second shot against Shabib in the hot seat. Shabib completed his undefeated run with a second victory over Bagwell; this time 9-4.
Herman and Angela Parker thanked Janet Atwell and her Borderline Billiards staff, 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 (July 20-21), will be hosted by the Gate City Billiards Club in Greensboro, NC.
As general manager of the Steakhorse Restaurant & Billiards facility in Spartanburg, SC, it stands to reason that Billy Fowler would have intimate knowledge of the room’s pool tables and whatever eccentricities they might (or might not) display at any given time. At the very least, one would expect that Fowler would end up with a lot of practice on those tables. But then, you’d expect Steakhorse Restaurant & Billiards owner, Dayne Miller to have an equal, if not greater familiarity with the same tables. Fowler and Brian Bagwell played three matches to determine the winner of last weekend’s (May 11-12) Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour stop. Fowler took two out of the three to capture the event title. Miller, however, finished out of the money altogether and, one would suspect, went back to work when he was so eliminated. The $500-added event drew 44 entrants to the Steakhorse venue.
Fowler and Bagwell met first in the hot seat match. Fowler had sent Hank Powell to the loss side 8-5 in one of the winners’ side semifinals, while Bagwell sent Jason Gardner over 7-2 in the other one. Fowler took the first of the three against Bagwell 8-4 and sat in the hot seat, awaiting his return.
On the loss side, in Sunday matches, Powell and Gardner ran straight into their second loss. Powell, actually, did not return on Sunday and forfeited his match to Danny Rinehart, who’d defeated Steve Ellis and Nick Gaines, both 5-3 to reach him and then jumped right into the quarterfinals. He was joined by Jeff Abernathy, who’d defeated Dayne Miller 9-0 and Barry Mashburn, double hill, to draw and then defeat Jason Gardner 9-1.
With Abernathy racing to 9, Rinehart eliminated him in the quarterfinals 5-4. He then had his loss-side winning streak ended by Bagwell 7-3 in the semifinals.
Fowler was giving Bagwell a single game on the wire in a race to 8. Bagwell, with some momentum on his side, won the double elimination’s opening set 7-3. Tied now at one match apiece, Fowler woke up soon enough to engage Bagwell in a double hill fight in the second set. Fowler won that second set to claim the event title, his fourth in as many years on the tour.
Fowler thanked tour directors Herman and Angela Parker for the first place prize, as the Parkers thanked Miller and Fowler and the 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 (May 18-19), will be hosted by Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
What the Saturday, June 30 stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour lacked in attendance, it more than made up for with a set of tight, double-hill competitive matches in the event’s final 14. Six of those final 14 matches went double hill, including the last two won by Norris Brady, who completed an undefeated run by winning the hot seat and finals that way. The $200-added event drew 21 entrants to Pal’s Billiards in Piedmont, SC.
Brady faced different opponents in the hot seat and finals of this one. He advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Colby King, as his eventual opponent in the finals, Steven Ellis, squared off against Dalton Messer. Brady sent King to the loss side 9-3, as Messer sent Ellis over in one of the six double hill matches. Brady and Messer fought another one, battling for the hot seat. Brady won it and waited on the return of Ellis.
On the loss side, Ellis picked up Brian Bagwell, who’d gotten by Kirk Hixon, double hill, and Shane Copeland 7-3. King drew Tom Manley, who’d eliminated James Hall 5-2 and then, his own cousin, Sammy Manley 5-3. Ellis downed Bagwell 6-3, and in the quarterfinals, faced Manley, who’d defeated King 5-1.
It was all double hill fights from here to the finals. Ellis downed Manley, double hill, in the quarterfinals, and then, eliminated Messer that way in the semifinals. With Ellis racing to 6, Brady completed his undefeated run through the field with a first-set, double hill win over Ellis.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Pal’s 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 this weekend (July 7-8) will be hosted by Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
Brown goes undefeated to win following week’s stop in Garner, NC
Viking Cues’ Q-City 9-Ball Tour director Herman Parker had nothing but the highest praise for his newest venue – The Steakhorse Restaurant and Billiards in Spartanburg, SC – which hosted a recent stop on the tour. Parker spent a good deal of time in the restaurant over the weekend and described it as the best pool room’s restaurant he’s ever eaten in. Owner Dayne Miller, a player in his own right, who won a stop on the tour this past January, added $1,500 to the event that drew 84 entrants (70 men/14 women & junior players) to the site on the weekend of June 2-3. According to Parker, arrangements are already in progress to have the site host his annual Tour Championships in the fall.
Jonathan “Hennessee from Tennessee” Pinegar, who’d won seven on the loss side took the opening set of the true double elimination final over hot seat occupant, Matt Harrell. Harrell, though, rallied to take the second set and claim the first-ever event title at The Steakhorse.
With Pinegar already at work on the loss side, following a defeat (by Derek Pierce) in the fourth winners’ side round, Harrell advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Mackie Lowery. Brian Bagwell squared off against Mike Bumgarner in the other winners’ side semifinal. Harrell downed Lowery 6-5 (Lowery racing to 7) and in the hot seat match, faced Bagwell, who sent Bumgarner west 7-5. Harrell claimed the hot seat with a double hill win (6-6) over Bagwell.
On the loss side, with two notches on his loss-side belt, Pinegar ran into Don Lilly, winner of three straight Q-City 9-Ball stops earlier this year (one in late January and two in February). Pinegar eliminated him 12-5, and then defeated Rob Hart 12-3 to pick up Bumgarner. Lowery drew Derek Pierce, who’d defeated Collin Hall double hill (5-5) and Daniel Adams 5-2 to reach him. A re-match between Pinegar and Pierce was two matches away.
Pinegar did his part, defeating Bumgarner 12-6 to advance to the quarterfinals. Pierce, though was defeated by Lowery 7-4. Pinegar leapfrogged over the quarterfinal match when Lowery forfeited due to a work commitment.
The semifinal match wasn’t as easy. Bagwell came to the table with five games on the wire, racing to 12. Pinegar was on the hill at 11, but Bagwell had chalked up six to force a deciding match. Pinegar closed it out and turned to face Harrell in the hot seat.
Harrell entered the double elimination final with six on the wire, racing to 12. Both sets went double hill with Pinegar defeating Harrell in the first, 12-5, and Harrell, in the second, defeating him 6-11.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Dayne Miller and his Steakhorse staff for their hospitality and added money, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball.
The following week, on Saturday, June 9, the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour made a stop in Garner, NC and held an event which drew 20 entrants to Shotmaker’s Billiards. David Brown went undefeated in this event, downing Collin Hall 8-4 in the hot seat match, and Scott Roberts, double hill, in the only set necessary in the finals. The Parkers thanked their hosts and the same sponsors of this event.
The Parkers also noted that beginning this Wednesday (June 13-19), they will be directing a tournament not affiliated with (though sponsored in part by) their Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. They have been asked to run the Doug Beasley Custom Cues Open (Formerly the Don Coates Memorial), a $10,000-added event that has already drawn a number of the country’s top-notch players, with more expected to come over the next couple of days. Among those already scheduled to compete are Johnny Archer, Rodney Morris, Neils Feijen, Ronnie Alcano, Charlie Bryant, Justin Bergman, Sky Woodward, and Tony Chohan, to name just a few. Also competing in the event will be the two finalists in this past Memorial Day weekend’s George “Ginky” Sansouci Memorial Tournament in New York – winner Klenti Kaci and runner-up Dennis Orcollo – as well as the competitor who downed Klaci shortly afterwards to win the recent Maryland State 9-Ball Championship, Zoren James Aranas. The event will feature a number of mini-tournaments, and a live stream by LiveActionMedia and AZBTv, with perennial host UpstateAl. The stream will offer daily ‘chat room’ prize giveaways. The event is being hosted by Brass Tap Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
Two years ago, at the Super Billiards Expo, Jason Brown downed Corey Deuel in the One Pocket tournament of that annual event. A month later, he joined Danny Smith, Mika Immonen, and Deuel in the tie for 9th at the Buffalo Billiards Pro One Pocket event. Last year, his best in recorded earnings since first appearing in the AZ database in 2004, he cashed in the One Pocket (20th), 9-Ball (17th) and 9-Ball Banks (28th) events at Derby City, as well as the 9-Ball (13th) and One Pocket (5th) events of the annual Don Coates Memorial in Raleigh, NC. In other words, "Jaybird," as he's known, has some history at the Pro level, particularly playing One Pocket.
Brown brought that resume with him to Spartanburg, SC on the weekend of June 24-25, at a stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball tour. It was the $1,000-added 1st Annual South Carolina State 9-Ball Bar Box Championships, which drew 38 entrants to Cue Time Billiards in Spartanburg, and though Brown would relinquish the hot seat to Brian White, he came back from the semifinals to defeat White and claim that inaugural title.
The final three matches on the winners' side were all decided by 9-7 scores. Brown defeated 16-year-old (soon to be 17-year-old) Hunter White to get into the hot seat match. He was met by Brian White (no relation to Hunter), who'd defeated Tim Heath. White then claimed the hot seat over Brown in what proved to be his last win.
On the loss side, Hunter White picked up Brian Bagwell, who, following a defeat at the hands of Matt Bulfin, was in the midst of a six-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him as far as the semifinals against Brown. He'd recently survived a double hill fight against J.T. Ringgold, and eliminated Zack Baker 7-5. Heath drew Mike Bumgarner, who had also survived a double hill match, versus Mackie Lowery, and also defeated an opponent in the 7th/8th place matches, Corey Morphew, by a score of 7-5.
Bagwell chalked up another double hill win, defeating Hunter White, as Bumgarner was busy eliminating Heath 7-3. Bagwell chalked up his sixth, and last loss-side win with a 7-4 victory over Bumgarner in the quarterfinals. He was then defeated, same score, by Brown in the semifinals. It was a single race to 11 for the first SC State 9-Ball Bar Box title, and Brown sealed the deal 11-5.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Cue Time 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 July 1-2, will be hosted by Randolph's Billiards in Hickory, NC.
(l to r): Mike Voelkering, Jay Murillo, David Gutierrez
Seventeen years ago, David Gutierrez chalked up a win at the 27th Annual Texas Open. It was his first appearance in the payout lists of the AZBilliards database, which, with two exceptions, has included cash winnings for him every year since then. The exceptions were 2006 and last year. He won the Texas Open a second time in 2005, and cashed in that event on a number of other occasions. A regular and regular winner on the Fast Eddie's Tour in Texas, and the Lone Star Billiards Tour, he's appeared and cashed in major events like the Derby City Classic, The US Open 9-Ball Championships and The US Bar Table Championships. His best year, according to our records was 2004, in which he won a stop on the Fast Eddie's and Top Dawg Billiards Tour's One Pocket division, along with cash appearances in (among others) two Carolina Opens, a stop on the Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour, and the Music City Classic.
On the weekend of June 24-25, after a year of absence from any of our payout lists (which means, basically, that if he won any tournaments, we didn't hear about them), he returned to the Texas stage and chalked up a win on the sixth stop of the Omega Billiards Tour. Gutierrez went undefeated through a field of 85 in the $1,700-added event, that was hosted by Click's Billiards in Arlington, TX.
Five matches that included two shutouts brought Gutierrez to a winners' side semifinal against Amos Bush, the first opponent he faced who was, at the time of the match, ranked among the Omega Tour's top 20 players (#17). Mike Voelkering (#9), in the meantime, met up with Ray Amarro. Gutierrez downed Bush 9-5, and was met in the hot seat match by Voelkering, who'd defeated Amarro 7-4. Gutierrez claimed his first (known) hot seat since 2015 with a 9-1 victory, and waited on Voelkering's return from the semifinals.
On the loss side, Bush picked up Jay Murillo, who, after being defeated by Aram Hasan in the third round, was on an eight-match, loss-side winning streak, that included a victory over the tour's #1-ranked player, Rick Stanley, and would take him as far as the semifinals. He'd recently defeated TJ Davis 6-4 and George Merchan 6-2 to reach Bush. Amarro drew Robbie Cleland, who'd been one of Gutierrez' shutout victims in one of the winners' side quarterfinals and on the loss side, defeated Doug Winnett 7-3 and Greg Sandifer 7-6 (Sandifer racing to 8).
Murillo downed Bush 6-4, and in the quarterfinals, ran into Cleland, who'd eliminated Amarro 7-2. With Cleland racing to 7, Murillo chalked up his last win 6-6 over Cleland, before running into Voelkering, who ended Murillo's loss-side streak 7-1. Voelkering put up a bit more of a fight in the finals than he had in the hot seat match, but Gutierrez prevailed 9-4 to claim the event title.
Tour director Melinda Bailey thanked the ownership at staff at Click's for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Michael Hoang of OMEGA Billiards Supply, FargoRate.com, and OB Cues. The next stop on the Omega Billiards Tour, scheduled for July 15-16, will be a $1,700-added event, hosted by Open Table in Azle, TX.
Shannon Daulton, Greg Dix, Jennifer Dix ,Christian Dix, Scott Crain and host Caitlin Pettipas
Playing against the lower echelon of skills in a handicapped tournament can be daunting, as six of the final 12 players on the Great Southern Billiard Tour's October 10-11 stop discovered. Greg Dix, racing to 8, was one of those six, picking up a defeat in the hot seat match against a "5" – Scott Crain – but coming back to double dip Crain in the true double elimination finals. The $700-added event drew 28 entrants (including this reporter) to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Dix and Crain advanced to the winners' side semifinals, with Dix facing Justin Marten and Crain squaring off against Kenny Wilson. Dix sent Marten over 8-2, as Crain was sending Wilson over 5-5 (Wilson racing to 8). Crain claimed the hot seat 5-7 (double hill) and waited for Dix to get back from the semifinals.
On the loss side (with me, long gone), Marten picked up John Phillips, who'd defeated Tim Nash 4-2, and shut out Cliff Crib. Wilson drew Dan Woods, who'd defeated Brian Bagwell and B.J. Hucks, both 3-3 (Bagwell and Hucks, both racing to 8). Woods and Marten advanced to the quarterfinals; Woods 3-4 over Wilson (racing to 8), and Marten 8-2 over Phillips.
Woods then eliminated Marten in the quarterfinals 3-4 (Marten racing to 8). Though Marten would put up a double hill fight in the semifinals, Dix prevailed 8-2 for a second shot and, as it turned out, third shot at Crain in the hot seat. Dix took the opener 8-1, and won the second set 8-3 to claim his fourth GSBT title since 2007.
On the weekend of May 17-18, Joe Blackburn, 69, became the oldest player to ever win a stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. He came from the loss side to do it, defeating Corey Morphew in the finals. The $1,000-added event drew 39 entrants to Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
Blackburn and Morphew met first in a winners' side semifinal, as Corey Sykes met up with Jerry Vernado in the other. The two Coreys advanced to the hot seat match; Sykes 9-5 over Vernado and Morphew surviving a double hill battle. Morphew then defeated Sykes 9-6 and waited on Blackburn.
On the loss side, Blackburn picked up Jay Miller, who'd defeated Daniel Autry 4-3 and Scott Howard 4-4; Howard racing to 7. Vernado drew Brian Bagwell, who'd eliminated Borderline Billiards owner Janet Atwell and James Miracle, both 7-4. Once Blackburn had eliminated Miller 7-2 and Vernado had downed Bagwell 6-3, they faced each other in the quarterfinals.
Blackburn and Vernado locked up in a hill-hill quarterfinal that eventually advanced Blackburn to face Sykes in the semifinals. Another hill-hill victory, over Sykes, gave Blackburn a second shot against Morphew.
Morphew failed to chalk up a single rack in the opening set of a true double elimination final. He rallied in the second set, but racing to 9, fell a game short of forcing a deciding game against Blackburn, who completed his loss-side run with a second win (7-7) to claim the event title.
Tour director Shannon Daulton thanked Janet Atwell and her staff at Borderline Billiards, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta-13, Ozone Billiards, Tiger Products, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Lomax Cues, and Universe Clothing. The next stop on the GSBT, scheduled for the weekend of June 21-22, will be hosted by Legends Billiards in Inman, SC.
It was two Double-A battles between B.J. Ussery and Sam Monday on the Great Southern Billiard Tour’s August 13-14 stop in Raleigh, NC, and it was two victories for Ussery, as he completed an undefeated weekend. The $1,500-added event drew 58 entrants to Brown’s Billiards in Raleigh.
Ussery got into the hot seat match with a commanding 7-1 victory over Mike Fuller, as Monday was sending Norris Brady to the west bracket 11-6. In their first of two, battling for the hot seat, Ussery and Monday fought back and forth to double hill before Ussery prevailed, and waited in the hot seat for the re-match.
Fuller and Crawford got their re-match in the quarterfinals, after Fuller had downed Cook 11-4 and Crawford had squeaked by Brady 9-8. Crawford wreaked his vengeance on Fuller with a second squeaker, a 9-10 victory (Fuller going to 11). Crawford’s four-match winning streak came to an end in the semifinals, at the hands of Monday who, after an 11-8 victory, went on to his own re-match against Ussery.
In a straight-up race to 11, Ussery took the opening set of the true double elimination final against Monday 11-8 to complete his undefeated weekend. It was Ussery’s first win on the GSBT in his second 2011 appearance (he’d finished second in March at Speak Eazy Billiards in Sanford, NC). This most recent victory marked the 10th time since January that Ussery has finished either first or second on either the GSBT or the Jacoby Custom Cue Carolina Tour.
Though not included in site payouts registering dollar amounts, Chris Vollmar, Larry Faulk, Ronny Park, and Ray Floyd received free entries for their 9th place finish. Tour director Shannon Daulton thanked David Huffman and his staff at Brown’s Billiards, as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products, and Delta-13 Racks.
