It’s been a good year for Billy Fowler, his best since he entered our database in 2004, when he won a stop on the old Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour. On Saturday, blending into early Sunday this past weekend (Sept. 17), Fowler was in the hot seat, waiting for Antonio Belton to complete a nine-match, loss-side winning streak on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. Fowler went on to remain undefeated and claim his first 2022 title and seventh overall on the tour. The $250-added event brought 37 entrants to West End Billiards in Gastonia, NC.
With Belton already at work on the loss side of the bracket, having lost his opening match to Dustin Barkley, Fowler advanced to a winners’ side semifinal versus Kirk Hixon. Zach Martin, in the meantime, squared off against Matt Lucas.
Both matches to determine who’d play for the hot seat went double hill; Fowler over Hixon 10-5 (Hixon racing to 6) and Martin over Lucas 6-5. Fowler dominated the hot seat match 10-3, dispatching Martin to a semifinal versus Belton.
On the loss side, it was Lucas who drew Belton, six matches into his loss-side streak that had just eliminated Jonathan Ailstock and Katie Bischoff, both 5-3 (Bischoff had spoiled Belton’s opportunity for a rematch against Barkley by defeating him 5-3 in the previous round). Hixon picked up David Honeycutt, who’d defeated Trevor Stanley 6-3 and Matt Lowe, double hill, to reach him.
Hixon got back on the winning track with a 6-4 win over Honeycutt, while Belton handed Lucas his second straight loss with a double hill win. Belton then downed Hixon 5-2 in the quarterfinals.
With eight down and at most, three to go (he would have to defeat Fowler twice in a true double elimination final), Belton chalked up loss-side win #9, eliminating Martin 5-4 (Martin racing to 6).
Fowler apparently wanted no part in a drawn out final match (or two). He gave up only a single rack to Belton in the only set necessary to claim the event title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at West End Billiards for their hospitality, along with title sponsor Viking Cues, Breaktime Billiards (Winston-Salem, NC), 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 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour will travel to New Bern, NC this coming weekend, Sept. 24-25, for a $250-added event at Mickey Milligan’s.
They drove to the event together, so Corey Morphew and Adam Pendley didn’t spend a lot of time negotiating their split of the top two prizes at the end of this past weekend’s (Sat., July 16) stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. As occupant of the hot seat at the time, Morphew claimed title to the Open event that drew a “slow summer” field of 17 entrants to Sonny’s Billiards in Princeton, WV.
“It was actually a pretty strong field for its size,” noted tour director Herman Parker, “with about a half dozen competitors that have combined for about 25 or so wins on the tour over the years.”
Morphew and Pendley allowed their winners’ side semifinal match to stand as the definitive, though not actual title match. Morphew had advanced to face Pendley, as Jonathan Ailstock met with Keith Young in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Morphew won the first, and as it turned out, only meeting between he and Pendley, downing him double hill. Ailstock, in the meantime, sent Young to the loss side 7-3. Morphew and Ailstock locked up in a double hill match, too. Morphew claimed the hot seat in what proved to be his last match of the event.
On the loss side, Pendley picked up Jason Potts, who’d defeated Allie Tilley (the only woman to play in the Open event) 6-3 and Ron Frank 6-2 to reach him. Young drew Sonny’s Billiards owner John Brockman, who’d recently survived two straight, double hill matches against Josh Ball and Dwain Barberie.
Brockman got involved in his third straight double hill match, but it was his last, as Young advanced to the quarterfinals. Pendley joined him after defeating Potts 6-4.
In the first money round, Pendley downed Young 6-4 and then, earned a second shot against Morphew by defeating Ailstock in the semifinals 6-3. Pendley didn’t take that second shot as he and Morphew agreed to the ‘two prize’ split and packed up to head home, leaving Morphew, occupant of the hot seat, as the event’s official winner.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked Brockman and his Sonny’s Billiards staff for their hospitality, 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 next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend, July 23-24, will be a $250-added (with 24 entrants) event, hosted by Still Cluckin’ in Providence, NC.
Jonathan Ailstock’s recorded cash earnings on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour (19 events) date back to a third-place finish in 2015 and have been updated to include his most recent of four wins on the tour, the last of which (prior to this past weekend; March 12-13) occurred in June, 2017. He and Cameron Lawhorne battled twice at this most recent event, which drew 33 entrants to Still Cluckin’ Billiards in Providence, NC.
Ailstock and Lawhorne met up for the first time in the hot seat match. Ailstock had advanced to face Scott Roberts in one of the winners’ side semifinals as Lawhorne and Orlando Marcus squared off in the other one. Lawhorne/Marcus went double hill (8-5, with Marcus racing to 6) before Lawhorne advanced to face Ailstock, who’d sent Roberts west 7-3.
The first of their two matches went double hill. With Lawhorne racing to 8, Ailstock snared the hot seat 7-7, sending Lawhorne off to the semifinals.
On the loss side, Roberts moved over to pick up Jesse Cortner, who’d defeated Tyson Pey 5-2 and the previous stop’s winner, DJ Brads 5-4. Brads, coming off that earlier win, had his handicap raised to ‘6,’ instead of the ‘5’ it was during the last event. Last week, 5-4 would have meant ‘double hill,’ but ire ad tempus (time marches on). Marcus drew Justin Knuckles, who,with his opponent Collin Hall, racing to 7, had eliminated him 6-5. Hall was runner-up in Ailstock’s last tour win in 2017. Knuckles went on to defeat Dakota Ash 6-3 for his meetup with Marcus.
Roberts made short work of Cortner 8-1, and advanced to the quarterfinals. In a straight-up race to 6, Knuckles survived a double hill fight against Marcus to join him.
With Roberts racing to 8, Knuckles advanced to the semifinal 6-6, only to be eliminated by Lawhorne 8-2. In their second matchup, Ailstock prevailed 7-5 to claim the event title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Still Cluckin’ for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, BarPoolTables.net, Break Time Billiards of Winston-Salem, NC, Dirty South Grind Apparel Co., Realty One Group Results, Diamond Brat, AZBilliards.com, Ridge Back Rails, and Federal Savings Bank Mortgage Division. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, the West Virginia State 9-Ball Championships, a $1,000-added Open (no handicap) event, scheduled for this weekend (March 19-20), will be hosted by Sonny’s Billiards in Princeton, WV.
Jeff Underwood is something of a newcomer to the AZB Money Leaderboard, having cashed in only two (recorded) events so far; one, this past January when he tied for 7th/8th on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour and on the same tour this past weekend (March 20-21), when, as the occupant of the hot seat, he became the official winner of the $500-added event that drew 38 entrants to Randolph’s Billiards in Hickory, NC. Underwood and Hank Powell (who’d won the January event in which Underwood had competed) played one set of a true double elimination final. Powell won it, giving them each a single loss, when they opted out of a final match and split the top two cash prizes.
Underwood and Powell had recently had their handicaps raised and seemed to prove that they’d earned that upgrade by both making it to the winners’ side semifinals. Underwood faced Bruce Campbell, as Powell squared off against Jonathan Ailstock. Underwood advanced to the hot seat match with a 6-3 victory over Campbell. Powell, though, moved to the loss side, courtesy of Ailstock, who, with Powell racing to 8, defeated him 6-6. Ailstock ended up on the wrong side of his second straight double hill match, as Underwood claimed the hot seat 6-5.
Powell began his three-match journey back to the finals against Chuck Ritchie, who’d defeated Gary South 7-3 and Scott Howard, double hill, to reach him. Campbell drew Andy Bowden, who’d recently eliminated Jeff Abernathy and Jason Rogers, both 5-6 (Abernathy racing to 9 and Rogers to 8).
In the first money round and what proved to be Saturday night’s final matches, Bowden downed Campbell 5-1. He would be joined in the quarterfinals by Powell, who’d sent Ritchie home (late on Saturday night) 8-2.
On Sunday, the final four returned and commenced with the quarterfinals. Powell began the day the same way he’d ended Saturday, with an 8-2 win, this time, over Bowden. It set up a semifinal rematch between Powell and Ailstock, both looking for a second shot at the somewhat ‘new kid on the block,’ Underwood, waiting in the hot seat.
Powell prevailed 8-4 over Ailstock and launched into the opening set of the true double elimination final. He won that set by the same score as he’d defeated Ailstock 8-4, at which point, he and Underwood began negotiating their split of the top two prizes.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Randolph’s Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, BarPoolTables.net, AZBilliards, Federal Savings Bank Mortgage Division and Dirty South Grind Apparel Co. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend, March 27-28, will be a $500-added event, hosted by Break & Run Billiards in Chesnee, SC.
Billy Walker and BJ Ussery met three times in last weekend’s (Feb. 8-9) Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour stop in Lynchburg, VA. According to FargoRate calculations, Walker, rated at 532, came into the match with a 10.2% chance of defeating the 732-rated Ussery in a match, with Ussery racing to 11 and Walker to 6. They met three times; once, in the hot seat match and twice in the finals. Walker took two out of three of those matches to claim the event title and presumably up his Fargo Rate in the process. He was looking for and eventually secured his first Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour title and, in fact, his first recorded title anywhere. The $1,000-added event drew 46 entrants to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
Ussery’s races to 11 can make his path to a winners’ circle tricky. Case in point: his winners’ side semifinal match against Billie Spadafora, who was racing to 5. They battled to double hill before Ussery won his 11th game and advanced to the hot seat match. Walker joined him after defeating Zach Hampton 6-4 in the other winners’ side semifinal. Walker then took the first of three against Ussery 6-8 to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Hampton picked up Janet Atwell, who’d defeated Victor Williams 7-1 and Dylan Carr 7-2. Spadafora would have drawn Jordyn Worley, who’d shut out Jonathan Ailstock and downed Collin Hall 4-3 to reach him (Hall racing to 7), but Spadafora did not make it back to the event’s second day.
Worley leapfrogged into the quarterfinals, where she was joined by Hampton, who’d eliminated Atwell 9-4. Worley took another step, downing Hampton 4-3 (Hampton racing to 9) in those quarterfinals.
Ussery put a stop to Worley’s aspirations with an 11-2 win in the semifinals that followed and then, riding that intangible mount known as momentum, took the opening set of the final against Walker. But just barely, with Walker chalking up a 5th rack to force a deciding 16th game. Ussery won that game and the opening set. Walker, though, had plenty left in the ‘tank’ and took the second set 6-9 to claim his first event title on the tour.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse, 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. 15-16, will be a $1,000-added Scotch Double event (combined high handicap of 15), hosted by Break & Run Billiards in Chesnee, SC.
The Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, through its tour directors Herman and Angela Parker turned their recent tour stop on the weekend of January 11-12 into a benefit event for Brian James, a tour competitor battling fatal pancreatic cancer. Through the raffling of cues, balls and an assortment of other products from keychains to clothing, the tour was able to raise $3,300 to help defray some of the costs of his ongoing health care. James was on hand for the tour stop that followed, which drew 63 entrants to Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN. Trey Frank went undefeated to the hot seat match, where he sent Jonathan Ailstock to the semifinals. The win would stand as the definitive final match between the two, as Ailstock returned from those semifinals to negotiate a split with Frank of the event’s top two prizes.
Their first meeting followed their victories in the winners’ side semifinals. They each gave up only a single rack in advancing to the hot seat match. Frank had defeated Michael Chapman 7-1, as Ailstock was sending Steve Dye to the loss side 6-1. Their hot seat match, appropriately enough, was a double hill affair, eventually won by Frank.
On the loss side, Chapman and Dye walked right into their second straight loss. Chapman picked up Chris Stump, who’d been defeated by Frank in the 4th round, and was in the midst of a six-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him as far as the semifinals. He’d recently eliminated Doug Schulz 5-1 and Charles Hartung 5-2 and then eliminated Chapman 5-3. Dye drew Hershel Rife, who’d defeated Dalton Messer 5-4 (Messer racing to 6) and Anthony Mabe 5-3.
Chapman and Dye fell to Stump and Rife by the same 5-3 score. Stump then downed Rife 5-2 in the quarterfinals that followed.
In what proved to be the last match of the night, Ailstock ended Stump’s loss-side streak 6-2 in the semifinals. Ailstock agreed to the split, and as the undefeated occupant of the hot seat, Frank claimed the event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Janet Atwell and her Borderline Billiards staff for their hospitality and all of those who donated to and/or participated in the raffle that was able to donate $3,300 to Brian James and his family. The Parkers also thanked title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the tour, scheduled for January 18-19, will be hosted by Mickey Milligans in New Bern, NC.
Doubles events are increasing in popularity on a lot of regional tours and the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour is no exception. The tour opened its 2020 season with a $500-added Doubles event that drew 11 teams to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA on the weekend of January 4-5. There will, noted tour directors Herman and Angela Parker, be more team events throughout the coming year. The team of Scott Roberts and Andy Bowden took home the event title* in this one, although they opted to split the last two cash prizes with the team of Trey Frank and Jonathan Ailstock, who’d battled through the loss side for the right to meet Roberts/Bowden in the finals.
Roberts/Bowden advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Bob Sloper and Tony Draper. Collin Hall and Daniel Adams squared off against the father and son team of Paul (father) and Ted Highley. Roberts/Bowden got into the hot seat match with a 6-3 win over Sloper/Draper. They were joined by Hall/Adams, who’d sent the Highley family to the loss side 6-4. In what proved to be the last match for Roberts/Bowden, they claimed the hot seat in a double hill battle versus Hall/Adams.
On the loss side, Sloper/Draper picked up the Frank/Ailstock team, which had won two contrasting matches – a double hill fight and a shutout – against Doug Carter and Rick Sinclair (the double hill fight) and the team of Angela Parker and Josh Carter. The Highley family drew Chris Brannon and Robbie Ward, who’d gotten by Mike Haygood and Chance Kent 6-3, and Hamza Ramadonavich and Chris Roades 6-4.
Frank/Ailstock advanced to the quarterfinals on the heels of a 6-3 win over Draper/Sloper, as Brannon/Ward eliminated the Highleys 6-4. Frank/Ailstock maintained their forward progress with a 6-3 quarterfinal win over Brannon/Ward.
In what proved to be the final match of the night, Frank and Ailstock battled Hall and Adams to double hill, before prevailing in the semifinals for a shot at Roberts and Bowden, sitting in the hot seat waiting for them. The final match, of course, didn’t happen.
The Parkers thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse, 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 January 11-12, will be hosted by Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
Earlier this year, in February, we reported on a victory for Jason Evans on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, which, in a career that’s spanned almost 20 years, was his first recorded victory in a major event. His best recorded earnings year (2002) came as the result of placing 3rd at a stop on the Joss Tour, 17th at the IBC Championships and three cash finishes at that year’s Derby City Classic. He has a way to go before he can match his earnings from that year, but on Saturday, October 5, he chalked up his second win* on the 2019 Q City 9-Ball Tour. He went undefeated at the event, but split the top two prizes when he and junior competitor Joey Tate, whom he’d defeated, double hill in the hot seat match, opted out of a final match. The $1,000-added event drew 39 entrants to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
Evans advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Blade Best, while Tate squared off against Brent Hensley. Evans got into the hot seat match with a 9-4 victory over Best, as Tate was locked up in a straight-up race to 7, double hill fight against Hensley. Tate won it and then, in what proved to be the event finals, a second straight double hill match, fell to Evans 9-6 (Tate racing to 7).
Woodrum fell to Best 6-3, as Ailstock was busy downing Hensley 6-5 (Hensley racing to 7). Ailstock defeated Best 6-4 in the quarterfinals that followed, and with the notion of a rematch against Evans in the finals, squared off against Tate in the semifinals.
Tate, though, stopped Ailstock’s four-match, loss-side run with a 7-4 win in those semifinals. He and Evans opted out of the final, awarding the undefeated Evans the event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse, 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, scheduled for this weekend (October 12-13), will be hosted by Gate City Billiards Club in Greensboro, NC.
Last March, Andy Bowden was runner-up at a Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour stop at the newly-renovated Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA. In that event, he was sent to the loss side when he dropped a set to the eventual winner (Hank Powell) in the winners’ side semifinal. He won three on the loss side and the opening set of a true double elimination final, double hill, against Powell, who won the second set and claimed the event title. On the weekend of July 27-28, in a reversal of fortune scene, Bowden was the winner at a Q City 9-Ball Tour stop in Lynchburg, VA, sent Amory Capers to the loss side in a winners’ side semifinal match, and lost the opening set of the true double elimination final to Capers. Bowden won the second set to claim the title. The event drew 25 entrants to The Clubhouse.
As Bowden and Capers played out their winners’ side semifinal match to its 6-3 Bowden conclusion, Dylan Carr was busy in the other winners’ side semifinal, taking out the tour’s most prolific winner, JT Ringgold, 5-2 (Ringgold racing to 11). Bowden gave up only a single rack to Carr in the match that followed and waited in the hot seat for the return of Capers.
On the loss side, Capers drew Trey Frank, who’d faced and been defeated by Bowden in the semifinals of the March event and had eliminated Jonathan Ailstock 7-4 and Jordan Worley 7-3 to reach Capers. Ringgold picked up Brian Bryant, who’d taken out Scott Roberts, double hill, and David Parker 9-3.
Bryant locked up in a double hill battle against Ringgold and prevailed 9-10 to give Ringgold a rare three-win, two back-to-back losses run in a tournament. Capers downed Frank 7-4 to join Bryant in the quarterfinals.
Bryant ended up on the wrong end of his second straight double hill match, falling to Capers 7-8. Capers then spoiled Carr’s hopes for a rematch by defeating him 7-2 in the semifinals.
Capers took the opening set of the true double elimination final 7-3. He and Bowden battled back and forth to a single deciding 12th game in the second set, but it was Bowden who dropped the last ball to claim the event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse, 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, scheduled for this weekend (August 3-4) will be hosted by Mickey Milligan’s in New Bern, NC.
They played the hot seat match, but when it came down to playing a second time, in the finals of the April 27 stop on the Viking Cues Q City 9-Ball Tour, road companions Collin Hall and Scott Roberts opted out and split the top two prizes. The event drew 25 entrants to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
Hall and Roberts advanced, of course, to the winners’ side semifinals, where Hall faced and defeated Rob Ward 7-4 and Roberts met and defeated Tim Meadow 9-2. In what proved to be the title match, battling for the hot seat, Hall downed Roberts 7-2.
Lawhorne and Ailstock handed Meadow and Ward their second straight loss; Lawhorne downing Meadow 7-2 and Ailstock defeating Ward 6-2. Lawhorne and Ailstock then battled in what was the first money round, the quarterfinals.
Lawhorne took the quarterfinal match over Ailstock 7-4. Roberts then ended Lawhorne’s loss-side trip 7-2, before agreeing with Hall to split the top two prizes. As the undefeated occupant of the hot seat, Hall claimed the official event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse, 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, scheduled for this weekend (May 4-5), will be hosted by Gate City Billiards Club in Greensboro, NC.
