Brian White and Hunter White (no relation) battled twice in an annual Christmas event on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. Brian won the first match and they opted out of playing a second one, leaving Brian as the official winner of the $1,000-added event, which drew 52 entrants to The Steakhorse Restaurant & Billiards in Spartanburg, SC on Christmas weekend (December 22-23). It was for record-keeping and point purposes the first event on the 2019 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball schedule.
They met first in the hot seat match, after Brian White had sent Ricky Baughman to the loss side 10-5 and Hunter White had sent Keith Yates over 8-3. Brian claimed the hot seat over Hunter 10-3.
On the loss side, Yates picked up Junior Gabriel, a tour veteran, who, in spite of competing in numerous events on the tour over the past few years, had yet to finish in the money, and was about to. Gabriel had been sent to the loss side by Baughman in a winners’ side quarterfinal, and had defeated James Moore 5-4 (Moore, racing to 7), and, for the first time, into a money round, downed Rob Hart 5-3. Baughman drew Stevie McClinton, who’d eliminated Chuck Cuneo and Billy Fowler, both 7-3.
Baughman advanced to the quarterfinals 7-4, as Gabriel fought a double hill fight versus Yates that eventually moved him (Gabriel) another step on the money ladder, into the quarterfinals against Baughman.
With Baughman racing to 7 in those quarterfinals, Gabriel took yet another step forward, downing Baughman 5-4. Hunter White, though, playing in what was the final match of the weekend, stopped Gabriel’s run 8-2 in the semifinals, for a second shot against Brian White, which, of course, didn’t happen. The Whites split the top two prizes, with Brian earning the official event title.
The tour also awarded the event’s top female finisher a ‘free entry’ prize to an upcoming event. Jordyn Worley, finishing just out of the money in the tie for 9th place, took home that prize.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Dayne Miller and his Steakhorse staff for their hospitality (to include money-added to the event), as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. With the 2019 tour officially underway, the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour will squeeze one more event into the 2018 calendar; a December 29-30 event, to be hosted by Randolph’s Billiards in Hickory, NC.
Three months shy of two years ago, at the age of 13, Cameron Lawhorne made his first of nine successful (meaning, money-earning) appearances on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. He finished 9th in that first March, 2017 stop at Cue Time in Spartanburg, SC, and a month later, finished 5th in a stop at The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA. Throughout 2018, he competed seven more times on the tour, finishing among the top 10 in all of them, including his first tour victory in a come-from-the-loss-side, double dip win in the finals, over one of the tour’s more prolific winners, Don Lilly at the Gate City Billiards Club in Greensboro, NC.
Lawhorne, now 15, returned to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg on Saturday, December 9, and coming from the loss side again, he chalked up his second 2018 win. Before he got into the finals of the event, after winning seven on the loss side, he defeated the tour’s 2018 points leader, Zac Leonard, before double dipping Wes Enoch in the finals. The event, which coincided with a serious snow storm in the area and rendered everyone’s ride home somewhat treacherous, drew 20 entrants to the Clubhouse.
The youngster made it as far as the winners’ side quarterfinals before running into Steve Harrington and being sent to the loss side. Harrington moved on to a winners’ side semifinal against Enoch, while Leonard drew Greg Tibbs. Enoch got into the hot seat match with a 5-3 win over Harrington, as Leonard shut out Tibbs to join him. Enoch claimed the hot seat 5-5 over Leonard (racing to 7) and waited for Lawhorne to complete his loss-side trip.
Lawhorne began that trip with a double hill win over Robert Cuneo, and defeated Brian Bryant 6-5 (Bryant racing to 9) to draw Tibbs. Harrington picked up Chuck Cuneo (brother to Robert), who’d eliminated Michael Moore 7-5 and Jordan Shifflet 7-2.
Lawhorne defeated Tibbs 6-4 and in the quarterfinals, faced Cuneo, who’d defeated Harrington 7-4. Lawhorne then sent the second Cuneo to the figurative showers 6-3 and turned to face the tour’s points leader, Leonard, in the semifinals.
A 6-2 win over Leonard in those semifinals sent Lawhorne to the double elimination finals. He and Enoch would play 14 games. Lawhorne won 12 of them, giving up two in the opening set and none at all in the second set.
Going into this event, one week ahead of the invitation-only Tour Championships, the competition for the tour’s point-standings leader was still on the line and could have been won by any of four competitors. Two of the four (Don Lilly and JT Ringgold) did not compete in Lynchburg, leaving the field and ultimately the point-standings title to Zac Leonard, who, like Travis Guerra in 2017, will receive paid entry to all of the tour’s stops in 2019. The fourth possible winner of the title, Angela Parker, was ineligible by virtue of her position as co-tour director.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The invitational Tour Championships, scheduled for this weekend, December 15-16, will be hosted by Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN. According to Parker, there are presently 82 confirmed entrants for the event. It is the tour’s second Tour Championship of the year, the first of which drew 94 entrants and played out on bar box tables back in September. This weekend’s $1,000-added event will play out on Borderline Billiards’ 9-ft. tables.
The Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour will be getting a jump on the New Year. They will hold the first tour stop of their 2019 season, three days ahead of the actual New Year, on Saturday, December 29, at Randolph Billiards in Hickory, NC.
Two of Collin Hall’s five victories on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour have been accomplished at The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA. He won the first of those two this past July, and on the weekend of October 13-14, he chalked up the second (fifth overall). Hall went undefeated and in lieu of a final match, he split the top two cash prizes with Brent Hensley. The event drew 33 entrants to The Clubhouse.
Hall advanced through the field and arrived at a winners’ side final match against James Blackburn. Hensley, in the meantime, squared off against the owner of The Clubhouse, Chris England. Hall advanced to the hot seat 6-5 over Blackburn (Blackburn racing to 9). He was joined by Hensley, who’d sent England to the loss side 7-3. Hall claimed the hot seat, and, as it turned out, the event title by winning a double hill hot seat match over Hensley.
On the loss side, Blackburn picked up Travis Guerra, who’d defeated Bobby McCoy 6-1 and Lee O’Neal 6-4 to reach him. England drew Brian Bryant, who’d eliminated Chuck Cuneo and Bernie Kirby, both 9-3.
Blackburn got right back to winning, downing Guerra 9-3 and advancing to the quarterfinals. Bryant joined him after chalking up his third straight 9-3 win, over England. Blackburn broke that 9-3 streak and battled Bryant to double hill before Bryant prevailed in those quarterfinals.
Hensley and Bryant battled to double hill in the semifinals, as well, thought it would be Hensley who advanced for a second shot against Hall, waiting in the hot seat. The decision to opt out of the final match was reached and as the undefeated hot seat occupant, Hall claimed the official event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Chris England and The Clubhouse 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 (Oct. 20-21), will be hosted by Mickey Milligan’s in New Bern, NC.
There was reportedly some Mid-Atlantic area competition with tournaments over the weekend of March 17-18, and it had an impact on entrants who signed on to the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour stop at Q Master Billiards in Virginia Beach, VA on that weekend. Chuck Cuneo and Mike Hancock joined the ranks of 22 players who did compete in the $250-added event, and in the end, with Cuneo in the hot seat, and Hancock coming back from the semifinals, they opted to split the top two prizes.
Cuneo advanced through two matches to reach a winners’ side semifinal match against Bernard Andico, while Hancock faced Brian Lane in the other one. Cuneo got into the hot seat match with a 6-6 win over Andico, who was racing to 8. Cuneo was joined by Hancock, who’d sent Lane west 7-1. Cuneo downEd Hancock 6-5 (Hancock to 7) to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, in the first money round, Andico picked up Dwight Cherry, who’d defeated Ken Miller 9-5 and Mike Hughes 9-6 to reach him. Lane drew Jim Bird, who’d gotten by Brandon Fitchett 8-2 and Lance Luke 8-4.
Lane advanced to the quarterfinals 7-6 over Bird (racing to 8), and was joined by Cherry, who’d eliminated Andico 9-7. Lane and Cherry locked up in a double hill fight for advancement to the semifinals, which Lane won (7-8).
Lane got into his second straight double hill match, this one in a straight-up race to 7, against Hancock in the semifinals. It proved to be the last match of the weekend, with Hancock advancing to the finals, and then, by mutual agreement, splitting the top two prizes with hot-seat occupant Cuneo.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Cue Time, 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 March 24-25, will be hosted by Brown’s Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
He took a week off from the winners’ circle. Don Lilly won two straight stops on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, going undefeated through one (January 28) and winning seven on the loss side to dethrone Mark Tademy in the next (February 4). Though he competed last week (February 10-11) he failed to cash in the tournament. He returned to compete on the February 17-18 stop on the tour, which drew 50 entrants to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA. Apparently preferring the undefeated route, Lilly chalked up his third (almost) straight win on the tour.
Lilly faced separate opponents in the hot seat and finals of this one. He advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Chris Bush, while Scott Roberts and Lance Davis squared off in the other one. Lilly sent Bush to the loss side 7-1, and in the hot seat match, faced Roberts, who’d defeated Davis 9-2. Lilly and Roberts battled to double hill, before Lilly closed it out 7-8 (Roberts racing to 9) and waited on the return of Collin Hall.
Sent to the loss side by Davis in a winners’ side quarterfinal, Hall opened his trek back to the finals against Randy Tate. He defeated both Tate and Bernie Kirby 7-5 to draw Bush. Davis picked up Michael Wyatt, who’d eliminated Chuck Cuneo, double hill, and Bo Blakely 5-4 (Blakely racing to 6).
Davis and Hall advanced to a rematch in the quarterfinals, Davis downing Wyatt 6-2, as Hall shut Bush out. Hall then gave up only a single rack to Davis, before facing Roberts in the semifinals and defeating him 7-6 (Roberts racing to 9). Lilly completed his undefeated run with a 7-1 victory in the finals over Hall.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at the Clubhouse, 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 the weekend of February 24-25, will be hosted by Pal’s Bar & Grill in Piedmont, SC.
Scott Roberts continued his best recorded year at the tables with a fourth victory on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour on the weekend of October 7-8. All four of his victories have seen him navigate his way through the field undefeated, while a fifth victory (back in March) eluded him, when he and the tour’s ranking leader, J.T. Ringgold, opted out of a final match, after Roberts had won the opening set of a true double elimination final. This past weekend’s event drew 15 entrants to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
Roberts faced different opponents in the hot seat and finals of the event. After sending his eventual finals opponent, Robert Cuneo, to the loss side in a winners’ side quarterfinal match, Roberts advanced to face Bernie Kirby. Bryce Barrow, in the meantime, faced Daniel Adams in the other winners’ side semifinal. Roberts sent Kirby west 9-3, and in the hot seat match, faced Barrow, who’d defeated Adams 5-6 (Adams racing to 8). Roberts claimed his fourth hot seat of the year 9-3 over Barrow and waited for Cuneo to complete a five-match, loss-side streak that put him into the finals.
Waiting on the loss side for Robert Cuneo was his brother, Chuck Cuneo. Robert opened his loss-side campaign with a 6-4 win over Cameron Lawhorne, while the elder Chuck was busy defeating Travis Guerra 8-5. They met in the subsequent round, with Robert advancing 6-6 (Chuck racing to 8) to meet Adams. Bernie Kirby drew Jim Jablonski, who’d defeated the owner of The Clubhouse, Chris England 5-4 (England racing to 6) and shut out Travis Shelton.
With Adams racing to 8, Robert Cuneo advanced to the quarterfinals 6-6 over Adams. He was joined by Kirby, who’d eliminated Jablonski, double hill (7-4). Cuneo moved on with a 6-5 win over Kirby in the quarterfinals (Kirby racing to 7).
Cuneo completed his loss-side run with a 6-4 win over Barrow in the semifinals. Roberts completed his undefeated run with a single-set, 9-1 victory over Cuneo in the finals.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Chris England and his staff at The Clubhouse, 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 October 14-15, will be hosted by Brass Tap in Raleigh, NC.
Hall came back from a third round loss during the March 24-25 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour to meet and defeat hot seat occupant, James Blackburn, and claim the event title. The $1,500-added Clubhouse Amateur drew 44 entrants to The Clubhouse Bar & Billiards in Lynchburg, VA.
Blackburn moved on to meet Albert Otto among the winners’ side final four, and was joined by Jeff Abernathy and Melvin Shelton. Blackburn sent Otto to join Hall 7-4, as Abernathy downed Shelton 10-4. Blackburn got into the hot seat with a double hill, 7-9 win and waited for Hall.
With two loss-side wins already, Hall defeated Chuck Cuneo 10-7 and Brian Bryant 10-2 to pick up Shelton. Otto met up with Brent Hensley who’d defeated Warren Drummond 9-8 and Steve Dye 9-5. Otto moved into the quarterfinals, following a 6-7 win over Hensley, and was met by Hall, who’d defeated Shelton 10-2. Hall then shut out Otto to meet up with the man who’d significantly lengthened his tournament run back in the third round, Jeff Abernathy. He exacted his semifinal revenge 10-7 and moved on to the double set finals.
Hall took the opening set 10-2, and though Blackburn put up more of a fight in the second set, it wasn’t enough. A 10-5 win in that second set gave Justin Hall the ‘just in time’ victory that captured the event title.
Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked Clubhouse owner Chris England and his 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. Next stop for the GSBT is a $1,500-added event, scheduled for March 31-April 2 at Lucky Shot Billiards in Albemarle, NC.
