Hunter White won four stops on the 2019 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, but didn’t win his first that year until August. The year proved to be his best earnings year, eclipsing his efforts in 2016, when he chalked up three victories on the tour. White got himself off to a quicker start this year and on the weekend of January 25-26, recorded his first 2020 tour win, albeit with an asterisk, because he and Ed Hernando opted out of a final match. The $500-added event drew 39 entrants to Break & Run Billiards in Chesnee, SC.

 

White and junior player Landon Hollingsworth battled for the hot seat in this one. White defeated Trey Frank 9-4 in one of the winners’ side semifinals; Frank, having been responsible for sending Hernando to the loss side just prior to facing White. Hollingsworth, in the meantime,  was busy shutting out Dalton Messer in the other winners’ side semifinal. White claimed the hot seat 9-4 over Hollingsworth in what proved to be White’s final match.

 

On the loss side, in the first money rounds, Messer drew Hernando, who, following his defeat at the hands of Trey Frank, had defeated Michael Dill 7-2 and Steve Ellis 7-3. Trey Frank picked up Thomas Manley, who’d defeated Josh Shultz, double hill, and spoiled a potential father-son quarterfinal by defeating Trey Frank’s father, Ron 5-3.

 

Messer forfeited his match against Hernando, who leapfrogged right into the quarterfinals. He was joined by Manley, who’d spoiled a Hernando/Frank rematch by defeating Trey Frank 5-3. Hernando finished Manley’s bid 7-4 in the quarterfinals that followed.

 

In the night’s last match, the semifinals, Hernando completed his five-match, loss-side run with a 7-1 victory over Hollingsworth. White and Hernando opted out of the final match, split the top two prizes and called it a night.

 

Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Break & Run Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the tour, scheduled for Feb. 1-2, will be hosted by Gate City Billiards in Greensboro, NC.