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. 

 

Scott Ward won 11 matches in a row to win the February 24-25 stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour; his first on the tour. He won nine of those 11 matches after losing his opening match, and the last two in the double elimination finals against Kirk Hixon. The $200-added event drew 38 entrants to Pal’s Bar & Billiards in Piedmont, SC.

 

After he’d sent Ward to the loss side in the opening round, Jim Jennings eventually advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against David Shipman. Hixon, in the meantime, whose father, Brett, owns Pal’s Bar & Billiards, squared off against Ryan Hollinsworth in the other winners’ side semifinal. Shipman prevailed 6-4 over Jennings, sending him over to the loss side for an immediate re-match against Ward. Hixon Hollinsworth 6-7 (Hollinsworth racing to 9). Hixon laid claim the hot seat 6-2 over Shipman and waited for Ward to complete his loss-side run.

 

When Jennings ran into his re-match against Ward, Ward was six matches into his loss-side run, and had most recently eliminated teenager Landon Hollinsworth 8-3 and Don Lilly 8-6 (Lilly was looking for his fourth win on the tour since late January). Ryan Hollinsworth picked up David Lassiter, who’d defeated Scott Thorne and Chris Zayas, both 6-3, to reach him.

 

Jennings put up a double hill fight in his re-match against Ward, but Ward finished it to advance to the quarterfinals. Lassiter defeated Hollinsworth 6-1 and joined him. Ward and Lassiter battled to double hill, as well, and for the second time in a row, Ward came out on top.

 

Apparently dissatisfied with the double hill idea, Ward came out gunning in the semifinals against Shipman and shut him out. He carried that momentum into the finals and defeated Hixon twice (8-3, 8-4) to claim the event title.

 

Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the Hixons and their staff 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 will be the 4th Annual North Carolina State 9-Ball Championships. Scheduled for the weekend of March 3-4, the $500-added event ($1,000-added with a full field of 64), with its defending champion, Mike Davis expected to be in attendance, will be hosted by Brass Tap in Raleigh, NC.

As the two presidential candidates banter back and forth about their stamina (or lack, thereof), pool players have to be thinking that if that's a significant qualification, they should be up there trading thoughts with the candidates. The grind of a weekend tournament, or a single-day tournament that ends up racing the dawn are common on the pool circuit, and often, when it comes down to a final that could well be lit by natural daylight, the two opponents figure that the prize differential between the top two cash amounts is not significant enough to warrant playing that final game. So it was, on Saturday, September 24, when Justin Duncan and Greg Burke, after a full day, opted out of their final match on the Viking Cues' Q-City 9-Ball Tour. Having defeated Burke once, and sitting in the hot seat, Duncan claimed the official title, as 3 a.m. loomed on the event horizon. The $500-added event drew 39 entrants to Legends Billiards in Inman, SC.

 

They met first in a winners' side semifinal, when it was still Saturday. Aaron McClure, in the meantime, squared off against Kirk Hixon. Duncan downed Burke 5-3, and in the hot seat match faced McClure, who'd sent Hixon west 6-3. Duncan claimed the hot seat over McClure in a hard fought double hill battle, which proved to be his last.

 

On the loss side, Jim Jennings was doing his level best to get a shot against Duncan. An opening round bye was followed by a loss to Thomas Jones, at which point, Jennings went on a six-match, loss-side streak that would take him as far as the quarterfinals. Three matches in to that streak, he downEd Scott Ward 7-3, and then, wreaked his vengeance on Jones, defeating him 7-1, to draw Hixon. Burke drew Boyd Best, who'd won two straight double hill matches, against Steve Ellis and Romeo Malonzo, to reach him.

 

Jennings advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-4 victory over Hixon. Burke joined him after allowing Best only a single rack in their matchup. Burke ended Jennings' streak in those quarterfinals, but not before Jennings forced a case game to decide it.

 

In what would prove to be the final match of the event, Burke downed McClure in the semifinals 7-2. Duncan and Burke opted out of the final, leaving the undefeated Duncan to claim the event title.

 

Tour director Herman Parker thanked Legends Billiards' co-owners Marty Opyd and April Bradley and their staff, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta-13 racks and Ruthless Billiards. The next stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for the weekend of October 1-2, will be hosted by Randolph's in Hickory, NC.