As is known to be the case with real estate, success at the tables could arguably be about “location, location, location.” On the weekend of March 10-11, Billy Fowler won his second Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball title by going undefeated through a field of 70 entrants, gathered for a $500-added event, hosted by Cue Time in Spartanburg, SC. It was the same location where he’d won his first Q City 9-Ball title, about two years ago (August 2016).

 

The two wins were almost identical. In the earlier, first victory, Fowler’s bid at an undefeated run was spoiled by Billy Carroll, who took the opening set of a true double elimination final. Fowler rallied to take the second set and the title. In this most recent event, Fowler’s match record went unblemished, in spite of a seven-match (one forfeit), loss-side run by Greg Burke, who’d been defeated by Fowler, double hill in an earlier winners’ side match.

 

Fowler benefited, as well, from a forfeited match, same player, in a winners’ side semifinal. Unable to attend the second day of this tournament, Mike Wise was forced to forfeit his winners’ side semifinal match, which put Fowler into the hot seat match. He faced Brian Warren, who’d sent Daniel Rutledge to the loss side 6-2. Fowler claimed the hot seat 8-4, and waited for Burke to finish his loss-side run.

 

On the loss side, Burke chalked up wins #3 and #4 against Danny Turner (8-1), and Matt Shaw (8-4) before, thanks to a second forfeit by Wise, advancing directly to the quarterfinals. Rutledge had drawn Matt Gibson, who’d defeated Calvin Lee 5-4 and Jim Jennings 5-3, before downing Rutledge 5-4 (Rutledge racing to 6) and joining Burke in the quarterfinals.

 

Burke eliminated Gibson 8-3 in those quarterfinals, and gave up only a single rack to Warren in the semifinals that followed. The momentum didn’t help much. Fowler took the opening set of the true double elimination final 8-4 over Burke to end it and claim his second Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball title.

 

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 17-18, will be a $500-added event, hosted by Q Master Billiards in Virginia Beach, VA. 

 

The Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour played host to a few fleeing Floridians on the weekend of September 9-10. Escaping torrential downpours and widespread damage, they traveled north to Spartanburg, SC, where Cue Time hosted a $500-added tour stop that drew 53 entrants and saw Chase Smith take two out of three against Matt Bulfin to claim his first event title.

 

Smith and Bulfin battled first in the hot seat match. Bulfin sent Robert Davis to the loss side 10-3 in one winners’ side semifinal, while Smith downed Chris Gentile (Florida State’s Amateur Champion in 2011) 7-5. Smith claimed the hot seat by the same 7-5 score and waited for Bulfin to get back from the semifinals.

 

On the loss side, Davis picked up Daniel Rutledge, who, after being sent over by Justin Duncan, was on a six-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him as far as the semifinals. He eliminated Steve Loftin 6-4, and Brett Underwood 6-2 to get Davis. Gentile, in the meantime, drew Dalton Messer, who’d gotten by Mike Bumgarner 6-4 and eliminated any possibility of a Rutledge/Duncan re-match by defeating Duncan 6-3.

 

Rutledge and Gentile gave up one rack each in their victories over Davis and Messer and faced each other in the quarterfinals. With Gentile racing to 9, Rutledge then chalked up what proved to be his last loss-side win, 6-6 over Gentile. Bulfin ended Rutledge’s bid for a shot at Smith with a 10-3 victory in the semifinals.

 

Smith and Bulfin fought to double hill in the first set, before Bulfin finished it at 10-6. Smith came back in the second set and won it 7-5 to claim the event title.

 

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 September 16-17, will be hosted by Mr. Cues II in Atlanta, GA.