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Coe double dips Helton to claim Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball title

Dustin Coe

Dustin Coe missed being the 2020 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour champion last year, by two games. At the Jan. 12, 2021 event in Chesnee, SC, Coe advanced to the hot seat match, and lost, double hill, to Benny Walters. In the semifinal that followed, against the eventual tour champion, Derek Formby, Coe was eliminated in what was a second straight double hill match for both of them. In his first recorded cash-payout finish since that event, this past weekend (April 30-May 1), Coe repeated half of the pattern; advancing to the hot seat and being sent to the semifinals, by Brandon Helton. Coe came back from this one, though, winning three straight double hill matches, double-dipping Helton in the two-set double elimination final to claim the title. The $250-added event drew a short field of 21 entrants to Sonny’s Billiards in Princeton, WV.

It was an event replete with double hill battles. Just under half (7) of the event’s final 15 matches went that route, including five straight from the 5th/6th matches to the two-set final. The first of the seven was fought between Helton and Robert Hamilton in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Helton sent Hamilton to the loss side with that double hill win and in the hot seat match, faced Coe, who’d defeated Joe Swim 7-3 in the other winners’ side semifinal. In a straight-up race to 6, Helton downed Coe 6-4 to claim the hot seat.

On the loss side, two competitors – Derek Bonds and Chris Woodrum – were in the midst of six-match, loss-side winning streaks that would take them as far as the quarterfinals (Bonds) and semifinals (Woodrum). Coming over from the winners’ side semifinal, Hamilton drew Bonds, who’d chalked up loss-side wins #4 and #5 against Mike Robertson 5-3 and Ron Frank 5-5 (Frank racing to 8). Swim picked up Woodrum, who’d chalked up his loss-side wins #3 and #4 versus Thomas Sansone and Dwain Barberie, both 6-2. For those keeping track, Barberie came into the 7/8 match, having chalked up one of the seven, final-15 double hill matches, downing Andrew Farley.

Bonds defeated Hamilton 5-4 (Hamilton racing to 7), as Woodrum eliminated Swim, double hill. Woodrum then stopped Bonds’ loss-side winning streak, double hill, in the quarterfinals.

The final three matches yielded the same double hill scores. Coe eliminated Woodrum in the semifinals (7-5; Woodrum racing to 6) and then double-dipped Helton in the finals (same score; Helton racing to 6).

Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Sonny’s Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, BarPoolTables.net, Dirty South Grind Apparel Co., Realty One Group Results, Diamond Brat, AZBilliards.com, Ridge Back Rails, and Federal Savings Bank Mortgage Division.

The Ron Park Memorial will return for its second year to West End Billiards in Gastonia, NC this coming weekend (May 7-8). The 2nd Annual Ron Park Memorial will be a $250-added, Scotch Doubles tournament. 

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Formby wins two out of three over Walters to claim Q City 9-Ball Tour Championship

Derek Formby

The $1,000-added Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball 2020 Bar Box Tour Championships, postponed until this past weekend (Jan. 9-10), drew 104 entrants to Break & Run Billiards in Chesnee, SC. Derek Formby came from the loss side to double dip hot seat occupant Benny Walters to claim the event title. Formby had met Walters in a winners’ side semifinal and won three on the loss side to meet and defeat him twice in a true double elimination final.

They’d met first in that winners’ side semifinal, as Dustin Coe and Greg Dix met in the other one. Walters and Formby battled to double hill, before Walters won the only match of three that he’d play against Formby and advanced to the hot seat match. Coe joined him after defeating Dix 6-6 (Dix racing to 8). Walters claimed the hot seat over Coe in his second straight double hill win.

On the loss side, Dix picked up tour veteran BJ Ussery, the highest handicap present at this tour championship, who’d defeated Kevin Ping 12-1 and Gary South 12-4. Formby drew Hunter White, another tour veteran, who’d eliminated Jimmy Bird 10-2 and Johnny Walker 10-4 to reach Formby.

With White racing to 10, it was Formby who advanced to the quarterfinals over him, 6-8. Formby was joined by Dix, who’d defeated Ussery 8-9 (Ussery racing to 12). At about midnight on Sunday night, Formby and Dix initiated what would turn out to be a double hill quarterfinal, which eventually advanced Formby into the semifinals against Dustin Coe.

Formby and Coe, in a straight up race to 6, also battled to double hill in those semifinals. Formby survived again to earn a shot at Walters in the hot seat.

In the opening set of the true double elimination final, Formby found himself engaged in his third straight double hill match and for the third straight time, he won. Now tied at one match apiece, Formby and Walters battled for the bar box tour championship. Formby pulled out in front in the second set and stayed there to win it 6-2.

Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Break & Run Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, JB Magic Templates, AZBilliards, Tickler Pool Ball Washing Machine, Skyline Construction, Federal Savings Bank Mortgage Division and Dirty South Grind Apparel Co.

The Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour will be right back at it this weekend, Jan. 16-17. The tour will hold a $1,000-added tournament at Sonny’s Billiards & Bistro in Princeton, WV.