Scott Ward won 11 matches in a row to win the February 24-25 stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour; his first on the tour. He won nine of those 11 matches after losing his opening match, and the last two in the double elimination finals against Kirk Hixon. The $200-added event drew 38 entrants to Pal’s Bar & Billiards in Piedmont, SC.

 

After he’d sent Ward to the loss side in the opening round, Jim Jennings eventually advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against David Shipman. Hixon, in the meantime, whose father, Brett, owns Pal’s Bar & Billiards, squared off against Ryan Hollinsworth in the other winners’ side semifinal. Shipman prevailed 6-4 over Jennings, sending him over to the loss side for an immediate re-match against Ward. Hixon Hollinsworth 6-7 (Hollinsworth racing to 9). Hixon laid claim the hot seat 6-2 over Shipman and waited for Ward to complete his loss-side run.

 

When Jennings ran into his re-match against Ward, Ward was six matches into his loss-side run, and had most recently eliminated teenager Landon Hollinsworth 8-3 and Don Lilly 8-6 (Lilly was looking for his fourth win on the tour since late January). Ryan Hollinsworth picked up David Lassiter, who’d defeated Scott Thorne and Chris Zayas, both 6-3, to reach him.

 

Jennings put up a double hill fight in his re-match against Ward, but Ward finished it to advance to the quarterfinals. Lassiter defeated Hollinsworth 6-1 and joined him. Ward and Lassiter battled to double hill, as well, and for the second time in a row, Ward came out on top.

 

Apparently dissatisfied with the double hill idea, Ward came out gunning in the semifinals against Shipman and shut him out. He carried that momentum into the finals and defeated Hixon twice (8-3, 8-4) to claim the event title.

 

Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the Hixons and their staff 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 will be the 4th Annual North Carolina State 9-Ball Championships. Scheduled for the weekend of March 3-4, the $500-added event ($1,000-added with a full field of 64), with its defending champion, Mike Davis expected to be in attendance, will be hosted by Brass Tap in Raleigh, NC.

Thomas Jones had himself quite a weekend. Looking for his first win on the Great Southern Billiard Tour on the weekend of March 1-2, he found his goal almost immediately frustrated by one Chris Zayas, who fought him to double hill and then prevailed. Jones moved to the loss side and began a nine-match winning streak that would carry him all the way back to the finals, where he'd win two more against hot seat occupant, Tracie Majors. The $1,000-added event drew 62 entrants to Legends Billiards (formerly Raisin' Cain's) in Inman, SC.

 

Zayas would move on past Jones and eventually found himself in a winners' side final four match against Steve Walton. Majors, in the meantime, squared off against Marty Free. Walton hung on to win 5-4 over Zayas and met up with Majors, who sent Free to the loss side 5-3. Majors moved into the hot seat with a 5-2 win over Walton.

 

Jones, in the meantime, had chalked up four, shut out Chandler DeGusman and eliminated Josh Newman 5-5 (Newman racing to 10). This set him against Free, coming off the winners' side semifinal. Zayas picked up Wendell Thompkins, who'd gotten by Gage Edwards 9-4 and Dayne Miller 9-1. Jones chalked up another 5-5 win; this time, over Free (also racing to 10), and was denied a re-match against Zayas, when Thompkins defeated him 9-5.

 

Jones battled Thompkins to double hill in the quarterfinals before prevailing to take on Walton in the semifinals. He brought the semifinals to double hill, as well, finally advancing for a double-elimination shot against Majors in the hot seat. Jones chalked up identical 5-2 wins in both sets to claim his first GSBT title.

 

Tour director Shannon Daulton thanked Legends' new owners, Marty Opyd and April Bradley, who were hosting their first-ever tournament. He also thanked sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta-13, Ozone Billiards, Tiger Products, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Lomax Cues, and Universe Clothing for their continuing support of the tour. The next stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour is scheduled for March 9-10 at Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.