Junior National Champion Tate wins nine on the loss side to finish as runner-up
When Jason Brown (known as Jaybird) finished in the tie for 7th place at a March 2004 stop on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, and entered the AZBilliards database for the first time, the player he faced in the finals of the August 25-26 stop on the 2018 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour hadn’t been born yet. Brown went undefeated through a field of 82, on-hand for the $1,500-added event, hosted by Steakhorse Restaurant & Billiards in Spartanburg, SC. His opponent in the finals was 13-year-old, two-time BEF Junior National Champion, and member of this year’s Atlantic Cup Challenge team, Joey Tate, who’d lost a match in the third round of play and won nine on the loss side to earn a shot against him in the finals. Tate was one of six juniors who competed in the event.
As Tate was toiling away on the loss side, Brown advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Marcio Smith. Trey Frank and Tyler Mayfield squared off in the other winners’ side semifinal. Brown got into the hot seat match with an 11-3 victory over Smith, and was joined by Frank, who’d sent Mayfield to the loss side 6-4. Brown claimed the hot seat 11-3 over Frank, and waited on the return of the reigning 14 & Under Junior National Champion.
Tate, in the meantime, was mowing ‘em down on the loss side. Four matches into his loss-side winning streak, he defeated Scott Roberts, and then, Jeff Jordan, both 6-3, to draw Smith. Mayfield picked up Jeff Jordan’s brother, Randy, who’d recently defeated Dustin Brown and Matt Lucas, both 10-1.
Tate and Smith battled to double hill before Tate advanced to the quarterfinals (6-6; Smith racing to 7). He was joined by Randy Jordan, who’d eliminated Mayfield 10-3. Tate had allowed Randy’s brother, Jeff, three racks in their earlier matchup, but shut brother Randy out to advance to the semifinals.
In a straight-up race to 6 in those semifinals, Tate completed his loss-side run 6-2 for a shot at Brown in the hot seat. Tate would have needed to defeat Brown twice in the finals to claim the title, but Brown completed his undefeated run with an 11-4 victory over Tate, who presumably went home to prepare for school the next morning.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Dayne Miller and his staff at Steakhorse Billiards for their hospitality, along with title sponsor Viking Cues, 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 (Sept. 1-2), will be a $500-added event, hosted by Speak Eazy Billiards in Sanford, NC.
(l to r): Mike Zingale, Nick Applebee, Steven Richmond, Miguel Batista, and Tony Crosby
In the summer of 2017, Stephen Richmond competed in two events at which he finished as runner-up; to Donny Mills in a June stop on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour, and to Tommy Kennedy in an August stop on the J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour. In both events, Richmond got into the hot seat, only to be defeated in the finals. On the weekend of February 3-4, competing in the Florida Pool Tour’s $5,000-added, 2018 Florida State Amateur 9-Ball Championships, that drew 122 entrants to Zingale’s Billiards Room & Sports Bar in Tallahassee, FL, Richmond opted for a different route. He advanced to the hot seat match, but was defeated by Miguel Batista. He returned from the semifinals to defeat Batista, and claim the event title; his first, according to our available records, since he won a stop on the Pure X Cues All American Tour in April of 2013.
Richmond and Batista got into their first of two matches, battling for the hot seat, following identical 7-5 victories in the winners’ side semifinals; Richmond, over Denny Singletary, and Batista, over Steve Foster. They then proceeded to battle each other to a 7-5 finish that sent Richmond to the semifinals.
On the loss side, Singletary and Foster ran immediately into their second straight losses. Singletary went down in a double hill fight against Nick Applebee, who’d previously defeated Wesley White 5-1 and Matt Bulfin, also double hill. Foster was defeated 5-1 by Mike Delawder, who’d eliminated Jason Wells 5-3 and Rod Rentz 5-1 to reach him.
In what was described by tour officials as an “intense hill/hill (quarterfinal) match,” Applebee and Delawder fought back and forth for the right to meet Richmond in the semifinals. Applebee prevailed, only to be downed by an apparently determined Richmond 5-1.
In an extended race-to-9 final, Richmond and Batista came within a game of yet another double hill match. Richmond, though, pulled out in front to win it 9-7 and claim the event title.
A Second Chance event drew a full field of 64 entrants. It was won by Jeff Jordan.
Tour representatives thanked Mike Zingale and his staff for their hospitality at their brand new location (1147 Apalachee Parkway), as well as sponsors Simonis, Aramith, Stroke-It-Wear, Crosby’s Billiards and Darts, and XL Press Co. The next stop on the Florida Pool Tour, the 2018 Florida State Open 10-Ball Championship, scheduled for March 3-4, will once again be hosted by Zingale’s.
This was almost a story about two brothers, Randy and Jeff Jordan, winning the Pro and Amateur divisions of the season finale stop on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour on the weekend of December 16-17. Instead, thanks to Josh Roberts, it’s about two brothers finishing first (Jeff) and second (Randy) in the Amateur and Pro division tournaments, respectively. And then, there’s an asterisk next to Jeff Jordan’s victory in the Amateur event, because with the two brothers needing to drive back to Georgia on Sunday night, Jeff and Josh Williams mutually agreed to split the top two prizes and not play a final match, leaving Jeff, in the hot seat, as the event’s official winner.
The $2,000-added Pro event, held over the two days, drew 58 entrants, while the $340-added Amateur event, which began and ended on Sunday, December 17, drew 31 entrants. Both events were hosted by Park Avenue Billiards in Orange Park, FL.
The two Jordan brothers ended up in the hot seat in their respective tournaments. Josh Roberts came back from a loss in the Pro hot seat match to defeat the elder Jordan brother, Randy, in the finals of the Pro event, and as noted, Jeff was declared the official winner of the Amateur event when he and Williams opted out of a final match.
Randy Jordan had defeated Mike Delawder 7-5 in one of the Pro event’s winners’ side semifinals to get into the hot seat match. He was joined by Roberts, who’d sent Obbie Cirilo west 7-4. Randy claimed the hot seat 7-3 over Roberts and waited for him to get back from the semifinals.
On the loss side, competition was fierce, as five of the 10 matches between the 9/12 contests and the semifinals went double hill. Cirilo joined the loss-side crowd in the 5/6 matches and picked up the ever-dangerous Anthony Meglino. Delawder drew Bobby Garza. Meglino advanced to the quarterfinals 7-5 over Cirilo, while Delawder and Garza battled to double hill, before Delawder moved on.
Meglino then downed Delawder in a double hill quarterfinal, before himself falling victim to Josh Roberts in a double hill semifinal. Josh Roberts then spoiled the potential brother-party on the soon-to-be ride home to Georgia by defeating the elder Jordan 11-6 in the finals.
An award of $60 was earned by the event’s top-finishing Junior player. It was won by 17-year-old Jordan Burden.
[photo id=48397|align=right]Younger Jordan takes home the Amateur title
In the Amateur event, Jeff Jordan got himself into the hot seat match with a 7-2 win over Trenton White in one winners’ side semifinal, while Josh Williams downed Ted Kershey 7-3 in the other one. Jeff Jordan claimed the hot seat, winning what proved to be his last match of the event, with a 7-2 win over Williams.
On the loss side, on arrival, Kershey and White walked into their second straight loss; Kershey falling to David Grossman 5-2 and White, to Peter Ghostine 5-1 (the 13-year-old White, as the Amateur event’s top-finishing junior, pocketed an extra $20, in addition to the $115 he earned for finishing in the tie for 5th place). Ghostine won the quarterfinal match that followed, double hill, and then fell victim to Williams 5-2 in the semifinals. Jordan and Williams then opted out of the final match, and the Jordan brothers went home with a good (just not as terrific as it might have been) story to tell.
Tour directors Janene Phillips and Bobby Garza thanked Carl Watt and his Park Avenue Billiards staff for their hospitality, as well as sponsors McDermott Cues, Kamui, AZBilliards, BilliardBuzz.com, Jacksonville Roofing USA, Inside Pool Magazine, and Seagram’s 7. The next stop on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour will be the 2018 season opener. Scheduled for the weekend of January 13-14, 2018, the event will be hosted by Stroker’s in Palm Harbor, FL and feature a 10-ball invitational tournament, open to the winner and runner-up of each of the tour’s 2017 stops (10 of them), along with one junior competitor and two ladies. The 2018 tour has already scheduled 14 stops, from Miami to Jacksonville, FL.
You’d have thought, given a 9-2 score in the hot seat match, that the finals between Jeff Jordan and Michael Chapman might have been a single, one-sided match. The occasion was a stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour on the weekend of November 25-26; a $500-added event that drew 27 entrants to Cue Time in Spartanburg, SC. Jordan claimed the hot seat, and while Chapman came back from a win in the semifinals and took the opening set of the true double elimination finals, Jordan won the second set to claim the title. All of the event’s final three matches went double hill.
They got into their first of three after Jordan had sent Chad Vinesett to the loss side 9-2 in one winners’ side semifinal, and Chapman had defeated Justin Clark 7-3 in the other one. Jordan chalked up the aforementioned 9-2 win to claim the hot seat, and waited for Chapman to get back and engage him in a grueling, two-set final.
On the loss side, Vinesett picked up Tyler Mayfield, who’d recently defeated Dalton Messer 7-4 and Matt Lucas 7-5 to reach him. Clark drew Jennifer Polik, who’d gotten by Josh Crow 5-1 and Brian Pyle, double hill.
Mayfield and Clark advanced to the quarterfinals; Mayfield 7-4 over Vinesett and Clark 7-2 over Polik. Clark took the quarterfinal match 7-4 over Mayfield, and then engaged Chapman in his first of three double hill matches. Chapman won the first one, over Clark, to earn himself a second and third shot against Jordan in the hot seat.
With Jordan racing to 9, and Chapman racing to 7, Chapman took the first set of the finals 7-8, which forced a second set. It went double hill a third time for Chapman, but Jordan won it to claim the event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Cue Time for their hospitality, 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 this weekend (December 2-3), will be hosted by Gate City Billiards Club in Greensboro, NC.
The purse was $1,500 added, $50 entry, 100% payout, no hidden fees. Starcade Billiards does it right every single time. The format was double elimination, with 9 ball express rules in effect. Winner’s brackets matches were races to nine and loser’s bracket matches were races to seven on Saturday and race to nine for both sides on Sunday.
The Jordan “Cash” team was in top form from start to finish, with both brothers making it to the final four of the undefeated bracket. Jamie Baraks beat Jeff Jordan 9-5. But Randy Jordan easily bested local favorite, Josh Hillard, by a lop-sided score of 9-1. And then Randy proceeded to beat Jamie 9-5 to capture the hot seat.
Meanwhile, on the final four of the one loss side, Pablo Matheu eliminated Denny Singletary, and Stoney Stone gave Denny Fox his marching orders, as well. Then Jeff Jordan sent Pablo to the bleachers, and Josh Hillard handed Stoney Stone his marching orders. This left Jamie Baraks waiting for the winner between Jeff Jordan and Josh Hillard, with Josh besting Jeff 9-6.
So then there were only three…
Out of the three remaining, Jamie Baraks had 5 top 3 finishes, being the runner-up twice. And this time we would crown a new champion. All defending title holders had been eliminated. So Jamie squared off with Josh, and the winner would earn a rematch with Randy Jordan and another title attempt. Josh would earn the opportunity to redeem his previous title attempts with a 9-4 victory over Jamie. And these two have been knocking on the winning door for quite some time now.
Over the last two decades, I have personally witnessed Josh Hillard play in the finals of this tournament at least 3 times, possibly 4, losing to Tommy Kennedy, David Broxson, and Pablo Matheu – making this his 4th attempt to capture the much coveted title.
The championship match would be an extended single race to twelve. This time, however, Josh was holding the winning ticket with some really solid play and defeated Randy 12 to 7.
Dustin Byrd had a lunch date with his Mom on Mother’s Day, May 14. He missed that luncheon date when his performance on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour on Saturday, May 13 dictated a return to the tables on Sunday. He capitalized on that lost lunch and the potential for any Mom ‘payback’ by winning three straight double hill matches to complete an undefeated run, and then dedicating the win to his mother, Denise. The $1,000-added event drew 51 entrants to Mr. Cues II in Atlanta, GA.
Byrd faced Bernardo Hernandez twice in this event; hot seat and finals. He got into the hot seat match with a double hill win over Corey Morphew, as Hernandez was busy sending Greg Burke to the loss side 9-4. Byrd claimed the hot seat, double hill (6-8; Hernandez racing to 9) and waited on Hernandez’ return.
On the loss side, Morphew picked up Steve Thompson, who’d lost his opening match and was in the midst of a nine-match, loss-side winning streak that had advanced him through the first money round (9/12), defeating Justin Clark 6-5 and then downed Hadi Lee 6-3. Burke drew Matt Lucas, who’d eliminated Jeff Jordan and Henry Cofer, both 5-3, to reach him.
With Morphew racing to 9, Thompson advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-8 win over him. He was joined by Burke, who’d defeated Lucas 7-1. Thompson chalked up his last, loss-side win with a 6-4 victory over Burke.
Hernandez defeated Thompson 9-4 in the semifinals to earn himself a second shot against Byrd in the hot seat. Hernandez may have forgotten that it was Mother’s Day, and possibly didn’t know that Byrd had something of a promise to keep. Byrd reminded him with a second double hill win that allowed him to claim the title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Mr. Cues II, 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 May 20-21, will be hosted by Gate City Billiards in Greensboro, NC.
Mike Lear, Mike Delawder, Benji Buckley and Tony Crosby
Benji Buckley cut his eye-teeth playing in Great Britain on the GB9 Tour, that country's "official professional 9-ball tour," and as late as last August, was still competing there. In May of last year, he competed in the Open division of a stop on the Florida Pool Tour and finished fourth, behind Donny Mills, Tony Crosby, and Anthony Meglino. In October, he competed in Florida State's Amateur 9-Ball Championship and finished ninth. On the weekend of January 16-17, 2016, he went undefeated to capture the Florida Pool Tour's $4,000-added Florida State Open 10-Ball Championships that drew 65 entrants to Zingale's in Tallahassee, FL.
Buckley got into the hot seat by first sending his eventual finals' opponent, Mike Delawder, to the loss side 8-5. Jeff Jordan, in the meantime, was busy sending Nathan Rose over by the same score. Buckley claimed the hot seat 8-3 over Jordan and waited on Delawder's return.
Delawder and Grossman battled to double hill before Delawder prevailed to face Owen, who'd defeated Rose 7-5. Delawder and Owen battled to a somewhat predictable double hill quarterfinal before Delawder prevailed again, to take on Jordan in the semifinals.
Delawder spoiled Jordan's plans for a re-match against Buckley with a 7-2 win in the semifinals. Buckley then spoiled Delawder's plans for a successful rematch with a 9-4 win in the finals to capture the Florida State Open 10-Ball Championship title.
The purse was $1,500 added, $50 entry, 100% payout, no hidden fees. Starcade Billiards does it right every single time. Robert Harris, Harris Cues, co-sponsored the event and raffled off a beautiful $1,500 cue and awarded another cue to the Champion, as well. The format was double elimination, 9 ball express rules were effect, winner’s brackets races to nine and loser’s bracket races to seven on both days. However, this was the first time the Magic Rack was implemented. So it’s safe to say that many balls were made on the break, which amounted to many break-and-runs and some very lop-sided matches.
Mike Davis captured the hot seat basically uncontested, and it’s worthy to mention he skunked Tommy Kennedy 9-0, allowing him only one shot the entire match!
Meanwhile, Jamie Baraks and Nathan Rose were in dead stroke. Mike was waiting for the winner of the Rose-Baraks match, and it was Rose who prevailed this time. Baraks made it to the finals the past event in February this year where Davis also won, but this time had to settle for the 3rd place envelope of cash.
The final match was a single race to 12. Mike took the crown undefeated by a score of 12-3 over Rose.
Shannon Daulton, Jeff Jordan, James Miracle and manager Sandi Teet
Brothers Randy (older) and Jeff Jordan came within a match of facing each other during the June 6-7 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. Jeff went on to win the $1,000-added event that drew 48 entrants to The Rail in Athens, GA, coming from the loss side to down James Miracle in the finals.
The Jordan brothers were two of the four opponents in the two winners' side semifinals, but did not play against each other. Randy faced Miracle, while Jeff squared off against Chris Cox. Jeff went on to defeat Cox 8-5, and met up with Miracle, who'd sent Jeff's brother to the loss side 5-6 (Randy racing to 9). Miracle captured the hot seat 5-3 over Jeff.
Randy moved west and ran into Steve Cox (no relation to Chris), who'd defeated Matt Bulfin 6-1 and Angelo Rodriguez 6-5. The other Cox (Chris) picked up Jesse Middlebrooks, who'd gotten by Chris DeLee 8-5 and Shane Looney 8-4. A Cox versus Cox quarterfinal was avoided when Middlebrooks downed Chris 8-3. Steve advanced to meet Middlebrooks with a 6-7 victory over Jordan (racing to 9).
With Middlebrooks racing to 8, Steve Cox took the quarterfinal match 6-6, only to be eliminated by Jeff Jordan 8-4 in the semifinals. Jordan took a commanding lead in the first set of the true double elimination final against Miracle, and gave up only a single rack to force a second set. Jordan took that second set 8-4 to claim the event title.
Tour director Shannon Daulton thanked Joe Kirkland and his staff at The Rail for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Lomax Custom Cues, Tiger Products, Ozone Billiards, Delta-13 and AZBilliards. The next stop on the GSBT, scheduled for June 12-13, will be hosted by Shore Thing Billiards, in Myrtle Beach, SC.
It was technically stops # 7 and #8 on the Shark Billiard Tour, or as tour representative Kristen Bennington put it, "or 7 and 7A." Whichever. It was a double stop on Memorial Day weekend at Zingale's in Tallahassee, FL; a $1,000-added event that drew 48 on Saturday, May 23, and a $500-added event that drew 38. Jeff Jordan took the Saturday event. Jesse Middlebrooks was the runner-up and then went on to win the Sunday tournament, with Josh Lewis playing the runner-up role.
Five of the players among the final 12 on each day competed in both tournaments, all improving from Saturday to Sunday, except for Jeff Abernathy, who finished 4th on Saturday, and in the tie for 9/12 on Sunday. Josh Lewis went from 9/12 on Saturday to runner-up on Sunday. Chris Gentile improved from a 7/8 on Saturday to 4th on Sunday, and Benji Buckley advanced two slots from 9/12 to 5/6. And of course, Middlebrooks, who took second on Saturday and won Sunday.
With Middlebrooks already at work on the loss side, Saturday's event saw Jeff Jordan advance to the hot seat. He'd sent Doug Johnson to the loss side 8-4 in one winners' side semifinal, while Tour Director Nick Applebee sent Howie Gordon loss-side packing 8-5 in the other. Jordan gave up only one rack to Applebee and claimed the hot seat.
Middlebrooks, in the meantime, got by Jamie Chapman and Detroit Griffin 6-2, to draw Gordon. Johnson picked up Jeff Abernathy, on his way to a fourth place finish and fresh off victories over Josh Lewis 6-4 and Chris Gentile 6-3. Gordon and Johnson picked up their second straight losses; Gordon 6-2 to Middlebrooks and Johnson 6-3 to Abernathy. Middlebrooks took the quarterfinal match over Abernathy 6-4 and then battled to double hill against Applebee in the semifinals. Middlebrooks prevailed and then, in the finals, was defeated by Jeff Jordan 11-7.
Having spent time there on Saturday, Middlebrooks wanted no part of the loss side on Sunday. He advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Josh Lewis while Denny Singletary and Derek Fowler met in the other. It was Singletary 8-6 over Fowler and Middlebrooks 8-5 over Lewis. Middlebrooks claimed the hot seat 8-5 over Singletary, guaranteeing himself at least as high a finish as he'd chalked up on Saturday.
On the loss side, Benji Buckley advanced past Arthur Win 6-2 and survived a double hill battle against Randy Jordan, to draw Lewis. Fowler picked up Chris Gentile, recent double hill winner over Jeff Abernathy and 6-4 winner over Raymond Linares. Lewis eliminated Buckley 6-2 and in the quarterfinals faced Gentile, who'd defeated Fowler 6-4. Lewis took the quarterfinal match against Gentile 6-4 and got a second shot at Middlebrooks with a commanding 6-1 victory over Singletary in the semifinals.
Lewis carried that momentum into the finals, opening up a three-point lead (4-1) early. He would chalk up only two more racks in the next dozen games, as Middlebrook battled back to claim the event title 11-6.
Tour director Nick Applebee made note of $100 prize to the top junior player in Sunday's event, Bobby Bruce, Jr. He thanked Applebee thanked Mike Zingale and his staff for their hospitality, as well as Kristen Bennington and all the players who came out to support the tour. Stop # 8 on the Shark Billiard Tour, scheduled for Saturday, June 6, will be hosted by Anastasia Billiards in St. Augustine, FL.
