He’s been competing more, and it shows. Dalton Messer closed out 2018 with a Saturday, Dec. 29 victory on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. Messer, who, until 2018, had cashed in a total of only four of the tour’s events over the past two years, cashed in six events on this year’s tour, including two runner-up and two third-place finishes. He’s earned over five times as much this year as he earned in 2016 & 2017 combined. Messer went undefeated through a field of 41 entrants at the event hosted by Randolph’s Billiards in Hickory, NC.
Messer had to get by different opponents in the hot seat match and finals. He’d worked his way through to a winners’ side semifinal against David Lear, while his eventual opponent in the finals, Matt Harrell, was squaring off against Brian Francis. Messer got into the hot seat match with a double hill win over Lear, as Francis sent Harrell to the loss side 6-2. Messer claimed the hot seat in a 5-2 win over Francis and waited on what turned out to be Harrell’s three-match, loss-side trip back to the finals.
Harrell gave up only a single rack to Newman, and advanced to the quarterfinals 6-1. Lear and Canipe locked up in a double hill fight that eventually sent Lear to join Harrell. Harrell downed Lear 6-5 (Lear racing to 7) and then, defeated Brian Francis 6-2 in the semifinals.
With Harrell, looking for his second win on the tour, racing to 6, Messer, looking for his first win on the tour, defeated him 5-4 in the only set necessary to secure the event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Randolph’s, 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, the third of the tour’s ‘official’ 2019 calendar is scheduled for this weekend (Jan. 5-6) and will be hosted by Brown’s Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
Rob Moreno, a former Marine who's recently returned from Japan, where he became a master certified pool instructor and owner of two pool halls, has returned after 25 years and settled in Jacksonville, NC. He joined 24 other competitors at a stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour on the weekend of August 27-28, and went undefeated to win it. The event was hosted by Smokin' Cue in Charlotte, NC.
Playing as an "8" in a handicapped tournament, Moreno advanced to defeat David Lear 8-4 in a winners' side semifinal, as Taz Holliday downed Stevie McClinton 5-5 (McClinton racing to 7). Moreno claimed the hot seat in a double hill match over Holliday and waited on what turned out to be the return of Lear.
Lear moved to the loss side to meet Matt Lucas, who'd defeated Blade Best 4-2 and shut out Trey Frank to reach him. McClinton picked up Daniel Adams, who'd gotten by Edwin Delacueva 7-6 and Bruce Campbell 7-4.
Lear defeated Lucas 7-2 and, in the quarterfinals, faced McClinton, who'd eliminated Adams 7-3. Lear took care of McClinton 7-4, and by the same score, defeated Holliday in the semifinals. The wait did little to stem the Moreno tide, as he allowed Lear only a single rack to claim the event title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Smokin' Cue, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta-13 racks, and Ruthless Billiards Apparel. The next stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for Labor Day weekend (Sept. 3-4), will be hosted by Janet Atwell's Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
Greg Burke and Todd Noble opted to let their hot seat match stand as the title match at the conclusion of the Saturday, August 29 stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour. The undefeated Noble claimed title to the event that drew 27 entrants to The Smokin' Cue in Hickory, NC.
Noble defeated Josh Padron 6-3 in one winners' side semifinal, while Burke sent David Lear over 7-3. Noble claimed the hot seat 6-5 (Burke racing to 7) in what proved to be his last match of the evening.
Padron and Lear moved to the loss side and picked up Jeff Pate and Matt Lucas. Lucas had defeated Justin Clark 4-2 and David Best 4-4 (Best racing to 6) to reach Lear. Pate, who'd been sent to the loss side by Padron, was in the midst of a six-match, loss-side winning streak that would carry him to the semifinals. He'd gotten by Stevie McClinton 8-5 and Cameron Tuten 8-3 to draw his rematch against Padron.
Pate successfully navigated that re-match 8-2 and in the quarterfinals, faced Lear, who'd eliminated Lucas 7-3. Pate then chalked up his sixth and final loss-side victory 8-4 over Lear.
In the event's final match, Burke stopped Pate's loss-side streak 7-3. He and Noble opted out of the final match, leaving the undefeated Noble as the event winner, while the two split the top two money prizes.
The Q City 9-Ball Tour will visit Hickory, NC on Labor Day weekend (September 5-6). The event will be hosted by Randolph's Billiards.
