Travis Guerra's been poking at the winners' circle on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour all year long. He was runner-up at a stop in January (to Greg Taylor), and a couple of weeks later, finished fifth in the 2016 Tour Championships. He made it as far as the semifinals, twice; once in April and once in May. He broke through to chalk up his first event victory of the year at a stop on July 1-2, which drew 30 entrants to Randolph's Billiards in Hickory, NC. It was his first win on the tour since he'd gone undefeated in an 8-ball event, two years ago. This time around, though he made it to the hot seat, Brian Capps gave him a run for his money in the double elimination finals, taking the first set.
They'd missed battling for the hot seat by a match. Guerra advanced to that hot seat match with a 6-4 win over Matt Lucas in one winners' side semifinal. Justin Clark, in the meantime, racing to 6, downed Capps (racing to 10) 6-1 in the other winners' side semifinal. In a straight up race to 6, Guerra claimed the hot seat over Clark and waited on the return of Capps.
On the loss side, Capps picked up Trey Frank, who'd just eliminated Tim Monk and Jeff Young, both 7-2. Lucas drew Clint Clark (no relation to Justin), who, racing to 10, had shut out Joe Sims, and given up only a single rack to Steve Reece.
With Clark and Capps both racing to 10, they both advanced to the quarterfinals; Clark 10-4 over Lucas, and Capps 10-3 over Frank. In what was arguably the best match of the weekend (two top-tier players racing to 10) Capps and Clint Clark battled back and forth to double hill, before Capps prevailed to take on his second Clark in a row (Justin) in the semifinals.
Justin put up a bit of fight in those semifinals and came within a game of forcing a deciding game against Capps, but Capps closed it out at 10-4, for a shot at Guerra in the hot seat. With a dose of momentum on his side, Capps gave up only a single rack to Guerra in the opening set of the true double elimination final. Fortunes reversed in the second set, as they often do when it's nearing 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning after two days of pool shooting, and Guerra got out in front in the second set and stayed there, winning it 6-3 to claim the event title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Randolph 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 8-9, will be hosted by Mickey Milligan's in New Bern, NC.
Chris Walsh and Daniel Gambill played two matches during the Saturday, February 4 stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour. Walsh took the first one to claim the hot seat and Gambill won the second in the first set of a true double elimination final. They opted out of a second set and split the top two prizes, leaving Walsh as the official winner. The event drew 45 entrants to Randolph's Billiards in Hickory, NC.
The first match followed a 9-3 victory by Gambill over Dustin Barkley, and a 7-2 win by Walsh over Rick Roper in the two winners' side semifinals. Walsh claimed the hot seat and his last match victory 7-3 over Gambill.
Barkley and Roper moved to the loss side and met up with Tim Monk and Brandon Canipe, respectively. Monk had downed Rocky Hawk 7-3 and Brian Capps 7-6 (Capps racing to 10) to draw Barkley. Canipe eliminated Jake Medlin 6-1 and Jeff Young 6-2 to draw Roper.
Barkley and Roper advanced to the quarterfinals; Barkley 6-1 over Monk, and Roper 7-5 over Canipe. Barkley gave up only a single rack to Roper in the quarterfinals that followed, and then had his short, loss-side streak ended 9-3 in a re-match against Gambill in the semifinals.
As noted at the outset, Gambill took the opening set of the finals 9-5 over Walsh. They left it at that, allowing to Walsh to claim the official event title, while the two split the first two cash prizes.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Randolph's Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, GoPlayPool.com, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball. Parker also noted that through a combination of cash donations (approximately $800) and goods and services ($500) by local businesses, the tour was able to raise money to help long-time tour member and supporter, Josh Newman, in support of medical expenses for his mother, who was recently diagnosed with lung cancer.
The next stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for the weekend of February 11-12, will be a guaranteed $500-added event ($1,000-added with a full field of 48), hosted by Mister Cues II in Atlanta, GA.
Sixteen-year-old Hunter White went undefeated on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour stop on the weekend of October 1-2, to become the first player to win three stops in a single tour season. As a result, his handicap is likely to edge upward to '9' in the weeks ahead. The event drew 33 entrants to Randolph's Billiards in Hickory, NC.
White's victory was chalked up without benefit of a final match. Having defeated Brian Capps in the hot seat match, the two finalists opted out of the final, leaving the undefeated White as the official winner.
White and Capps got into what proved to be their last match, battling for the hot seat, on the heels of two double hill wins in the winners' side semifinals. White downed Steve Hughes 8-6 (Hughes racing to 7), as Capps sent Scott Howard to the loss side 10-6 (Howard, as well, racing to 7). With Capps racing to 10, White claimed the hot seat, and in effect, the event title, with an 8-7 win.
On the loss side, Hughes picked up Aaron McClure, who'd defeated Jeff Abernathy, double hill, and Robert Moreno 6-3. Howard drew Rick Roper, who'd shut out Robert Ash and eliminated Paul Canterbury 7-4.
Roper squeaked by Howard, double hill, and in the quarterfinals, facEd Hughes, who'd downed McClure 7-4. Hughes won the 'first money round' quarterfinals 7-5, and then had his short, two-match, loss-side run ended by Capps in the semifinals 10-3.
White and Capps then opted out of a final match. White, as the undefeated hot seat occupant, claimed the official event title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff of Randolph's Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta-13 racks and Ruthless Billiards. The next stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for the weekend of October 8-9, will be hosted by Diamond Billiards in Midlothian, VA.
In the hot seat match and finals of the Great Southern Billiard Tour stop on the weekend of June 9-10, Mike Slaughter, looking to chalk up his first win on the tour, found himself facing an opponent, Josh Roberts, who was looking for his fourth trip to the finals since April of 2011. Slaughter got by Roberts both times to finish the weekend undefeated. The $1,500-added, 9-ball event on bar tables at Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC, drew 51 entrants.
In a straight-up race to 7, among the winners’ side final four, Slaughter defeated Chase Gilbert 7-4. Roberts (AA), in the meantime, downed Larry Faulk (A) 11-5. In their first of two, with a four-game handicap, Slaughter sent Roberts to the semifinals 7-5 and waited for his return.
Faulk moved over to pick up Brian Capps, who’d defeated both Dylan Letchworth and Shawn Padgett, both 7-4, to reach him. Gilbert picked up Billy Thorpe, who was looking for his second straight win on the tour, having won the previous week in Havelock, NC. Thorpe had defeated Alex Olinger 9-7 and Josh Newman 9-3 to reach Gilbert. Both B players (Gilbert and Capps) defeated their A opponents (respectively; Thorpe and Faulk) 7-6. In the straight-up, race-to-7 quarterfinals, Gilbert prevailed 7-5.
Gilbert got within a game of forcing a double hill match in the semifinals, and facing Slaughter a second time, but Roberts prevailed 11-5, and got his second chance. He took the opening set 11-4, but Slaughter came back to win the second set 7-4 and secure the event title.
Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked the ownership and staff of Shore Thing Billiards (to where the tour will return next month), as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks.
Though challenged by Jared McGee, who won five straight on the loss side and then, the opening set of a true double elimination final, Wendell Thompkins came back to win the second set, and for the first time, take home top honors at a stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. The $1,500-added event drew 60 entrants to Shore Thing Bar & Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC, on the weekend of March 10-11.
From among the winners’ side final four, Thompkins met up with Phillip Britt, who’d just sent McGee to the loss side. Joining them in the winners’ side semifinals were Larry Jackson and Bobby Hicks. Thompkins defeated Britt 9-6, and faced Jackson, who’d downed Hicks 9-3. Thompkins got into the hot seat with a 9-4 win over Jackson and waited for McGee.
It was Hicks drawing McGee on the loss side; McGee having opened his loss-side campaign with victories over William Foster 10-5 and Clint Clark 10-8. Britt picked up Chase Gilbert, who’d gotten by Nick Van Allen, double hill, and Brian Capps 7-7 (Capps, a double-A, had to reach 10). Hicks and Britt both fell in their first loss-side match; Hicks to McGee 10-1 and Britt to Gilbert 7-5, thus denying McGee a re-match opportunity versus Britt. McGee took the quarterfinal match that followed against Gilbert 10-5.
McGee ended Jackson’s semifinal bid for a re-match against Thompkins, defeating him 10-8. McGee then took the opening set of the true double elimination finals 10-6. Thompkins, though, came back to take the second set 9-8 to chalk up his first event win on the Great Southern Billiard Tour.
Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked Brent and Ann Hudgins for hosting the event, as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks. Next stop on the GSBT is a $1,500-added, bar table tournament scheduled for March 17-18 at Raisin’ Cain’s in Inman, SC.
Brent Hensley went undefeated on the Great Southern Billiard Tour’s stop on the weekend of October 29-30, but not before Ron Park returned from an earlier defeat at his hands and challenged him in the finals. The $1,500-added amateur 9-ball event drew 50 entrants to Janet Atwell‘s Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
Hensley sent Park west from among the winners’ side final eight, 7-4, and turned to face Russ Edwards among the final four. Joining them were Buffy Jolie and Wes Covington. Jolie shut Covington out, while Hensley advanced to the hot seat match with a 7-6 victory over Edwards. Hensley gained the hot seat with a 7-2 win over Jolie and awaited Park’s return.
Following loss-side victories over Brian Capps 9-9 (Capps needing 11), and Robert Green 9-6, Park drew Covington. Edwards picked up Brian White, who’d gotten by both Jonathan Frassrand and Walt Newsome 11-3. Edwards dominated his match against White 9-1, while Park advanced to join him in the quarterfinals with a 9-4 victory over Covington.
With three down and two to go for a re-match against Hensley, Park dropped Edwards 9-6, and then defeated Jolie 9-3 in the semifinals. Hensley, though, repeated his earlier performance against Park, allowing him only one more rack in the opening, and as it turned out, only set of the true double elimination final.
Brandon Kidwell, Jonathan Frassrand, Charlie Taylor and Brian Capps received free entry ($60 value) for their finish in the tie for ninth place. Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked Janet Atwell and her Borderline Billiards staff for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks.
