Tina Malm had to come a little further on the loss side than Shaun Wilkie did, but when the Open and Ladies events' of the Action Pool Tour's (APT) seventh stop concluded on the weekend of July 8-9, they'd both come back to challenge their respective hot seat opponents, and chalked up their third victory on the tour. The Open event drew 71 entrants, while the Ladies' event drew 13 to Champion Billiards in Frederick, MD.
It could be argued that it would have been Wilkie's fourth win on the tour, had it not been for the presence of Dennis Orcollo at the VA State 10-Ball Championships back in February. That said, though, Wilkie did defeat Orcollo in a winners' side semifinal in those championships, and advanced to the hot seat, only to fall in the finals. This time around, Wilkie had to contend with Karen Corr. Following victories over BRyan Jones, Alan Duty, the winner of the Ladies' event, Tina Malm and TJ Moore, Wilkie drew Corr in a winners' side semifinal. Scott Haas, in the meantime, squared off against Jordan Grubb. Corr took Wilkie right to the brink before Wilkie finished the double hill win that put him in the hot seat against Haas, who'd defeated Grubb 7-4. Wilkie took Haas to the brink in that hot seat match, before Haas finished it, consigning Wilkie to a semifinal re-match against Corr.
On the loss side, Corr picked up Bruce Nagle, who'd eliminated Malm via shutout and Dave Hunt 6-4 to reach her. Grubb drew veteran APT competitor Brandon Shuff, who'd been sent to the loss side by Haas in the third round and was in the midst of a five-match, loss-side winning streak that included two double hill wins (over Duty and Matt Krah), before chalking up a shutout over Paul Oh and a 6-4 win over Jimmy Varias that set him up against Grubb.
Corr got into the quarterfinals 6-3 over Nagle, and was joined by Shuff, who'd eliminated Grubb 6-4. Corr and Shuff went double hill before Corr advanced to a re-match against Wilkie in the semifinals. Wilkie defeated Corr 6-4 and got his own re-match, versus Haas in the finals. In the extended race to 9, Wilkie defeated Haas 9-4 to claim his third APT title.
Malm loses opener, wins five on the loss side to meet and defeat Lampert in Ladies final
Things did not start out well for Tina Malm, who entered the ladies event of the APT's 7th stop in the #2 position in the ladies rankings (behind Judie Wilson, who's appeared in all seven stops on the tour). In the opening round, Malm faced Tina Castillo, who was appearing on the tour for the first time this year. Castillo won that opener 6-4, and after a 6-1 victory over Peggi Wilkinson, faced Anita Sowers in a winners' side semifinal. Amanda Lampert, in the meantime, faced Terri Stovall, who'd defeated Judie Wilson 6-2 and Jennifer Tully 6-3 to reach her.
Lampert and Sowers advanced to the hot seat match; Lampert 6-4 over Stovall and Sowers 6-3 over Castillo. Lampert claimed the hot seat over Sowers 6-1 and waited on Malm.
Castillo's move to the loss side put her in an immediate re-match against Malm, who'd defeated Tully 5-1, and Gwen Townsend 6-4 to reach her. Stovall drew Kia Sidbury, who, after an opening round loss to Townsend, had defeated Melissa Mason (double hill), Nicole King and shut out Judie Wilson to reach her. Stovall and Sidbury battled to double hill before Stovall advanced to the quarterfinals to meet Malm, who'd successfully wreaked her vengeance on Castillo 5-3.
With two more, back-to-back 5-3 wins – against Stovall in the quarterfinals and Sowers in the semifinals, Malm got a shot at Lampert, waiting for her in the hot seat. The two battled to double hill before Malm dropped the final ball and chalked up her third APT victory of the 2017 season.
A Second Chance tournament, which drew 23 entrants, saw Steve Fleming come back from a hot seat loss to Josh McCauley to defeat him 6-2 in the finals.
Dustin Coe, sitting in the hot seat during the June 4-5 event on the Q City 9-Ball Tour, might well have assumed that to win the title, he'd have to beat his hot seat opponent, Jonathan Ailstock, a second time. As it turned out, he faced a friend of Ailstock's, Mike Hancock, who'd won seven on the loss side, and won the opening set of the true double elimination final. Coe took the second set and won the event that had drawn 56 entrants to Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
Coe and Ailstock squared off in the hot seat match, once Coe had sent Darren Musser to the loss side 5-5 (Musser racing to 7), and Ailstock had shut out Cole Parsons. Coe chalked up a second 5-5 win (Ailstock, as well, racing to 7), and sat in the hot seat, waiting on Hancock.
Hancock survived a double hill match against Musser, and in the quarterfinals, faced Parsons, who'd defeated Roberts 5-4 (Roberts racing to 7). Over the next three matches, Hancock gave up a total of four racks; two in winning the quarterfinal match against Parsons, none in the semifinal matchup against his friend, Jonathan Ailstock, and two, in the opening set of the true double elimination final versus Coe.
Coe reversed his fortunes in the second set. He allowEd Hancock only a single rack and claimed the event title with a 5-1 win.
Although Borderline Billiards' owner, Janet Atwell, was in Virginia, competing in the National Pool Tour's 10-Ball Women's Invitational Tour, director Herman Parker thanked her and her staff, as well as sponsors Viking Cues and Delta-13 Racks. The next stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for June 11-12, will be hosted by Brass Tap Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
Bobby Clinton went undefeated to claim his first Q City 9-Ball title on Sunday, May 1, brushing aside a challenge in the finals by James Blackburn. Blackburn is the owner of The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA, which hosted the event that drew 32 entrants to his room.
Blackburn was advancing through the winners' side bracket until he met up with Collin Hall in a winners' side quarterfinal. A 7-7 victory there (Blackburn racing to 9), set Hall up to face Daniel Adams in a winners' side semifinal. Clinton and James Clay squared off in the other one. Clinton advanced to the hot seat match 7-3 over Clay, and was met by Hall, who'd downed Adams 7-4. Clinton then defeated Hall 7-3 and waited in the hot seat for his host to return.
Blackburn opened his five-match, loss-side campaign with a 9-3 win over Chris England and followed it with a 9-4 victory over Andy Bowden. This set Blackburn up against Clay. Adams drew 16-year-old Hunter White, who'd eliminated Meaghan Reilly 7-3 and shut out Jordan Grubb to reach him.
Blackburn and White handed Clay and Adams their second straight defeat (9-2 and 7-2, respectively), and advanced to the quarterfinals. Blackburn ended the teenager White's run 9-4, earning himself a re-match against Hall in the semifinals. Blackburn then defeated Hall 9-3 for a shot at Clinton in the hot seat.
As the higher-ranked player, Blackburn was racing to 9, while Clinton was racing to 7. Clinton completed his undefeated run by giving up only a single rack to Blackburn and claiming the event title.
Tour Director Herman Parker thanked Blackburn and his staff for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Viking Cues, and Delta-13 Racks. The next stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for the weekend of May 7-8, will be a $2,000-added event, hosted by Billy Macks Grill & Billiards in Mount Sterling, KY.
In a field that featured a high percentage of younger players (18 and under), one of whom (Peter Abantangelo; age 14) reached the semifinals, David Strum went undefeated during a Q City 9-Ball Tour stop on the weekend of April 23-24. The event drew 43 entrants to Brown's Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
Strum had to get by 18-year-old Cole Parsons twice to claim the title (Cole's brother, Ethan, age 11, was in the field, as well). They met first in the hot seat. Strum sent Daniel Jones to the loss side 7-2, while Parsons was working on a 5-1 victory over Solomon Pope. Strum claimed the hot seat over Parsons 7-2 and waited on his return.
On the loss side, Abantangelo, sent to the loss side in his opening match against Pope, was at work on his eight-match, loss-side streak that would take him as far as the semifinals. He chalked up wins #5 and #6 against Randy Hodges 5-3 and AJ Hertzog, double hill to draw Jones. Pope picked up Jody Musselman, who'd eliminated Daniel Adams 7-2 and Jordan Grubb 7-5.
Abantangelo earned his way to a quarterfinal re-match against Pope with a 5-2 victory over Jones. Pope eliminated Mussleman 7-1. Abantangelo wreaked his vengeance on Pope 7-5, but had his loss-side streak ended in a youth semifinal against Parsons. Parsons prevailed 5-2 for a second shot against Strum.
Strum repeated his hot seat performance. He completed his undefeated run with a second 7-2 victory over Parsons to claim the event title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Brown's Billiards, as well as sponsors Viking Cues, Delta 13 racks, AZBilliards, Professor Q Ball, and Bet Somethin Apparel. The next stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for April 30-May 1, will be hosted by The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
Brandon Kidwell came back from a defeat in a winners' side semifinal to meet and defeat hot seat occupant Ron Frank during the February 27-28 stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour. The event drew 51 entrants to Janet Atwell's Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
Kidwell fell to Keith Wiseman in a winners' side quarterfinal, which set Wiseman up to face Jordan Grubb. Frank, in the meantime, squared off against June Bug. Wiseman sent Grubb to the loss side 8-5, as Frank was busy sending June Bug over 9-3. Frank claimed the hot seat in a double hill fight against Wiseman and waited on Kidwell's return.
Kidwell opened his loss-side campaign with a 7-4 win over Dustin Brown, and followed that with a 7-5 win over Pete Browning, setting him for a match versus June Bug. Grub picked up Cory Morphew, who'd eliminated Darren Musser 10-5 and Mike Brown 10-1. Kidwell chalked up win #3, 7-4, over June Bug, as Grub was eliminating Morphew 8-7 (Morphew racing to 10).
Kidwell gave up only a single rack in the quarterfinal match against Grubb, and turned to face the man who'd sent him to the loss side, Wiseman, in the semifinals. With Wiseman racing to 8, Kidwell advanced to the finals 7-6.
In the first of two sets, Kidwell and Frank battled to double hill, before Kidwell prevailed to force a second set. He won that one, as well, downing Frank 7-4 to claim the event title.
Shannon Daulton, Mike Grooms, Shannon Murphy and Mike Medley
Mike Grooms won the 8-ball event of the Great Southern Billiard Tour's most recent stop, while Mike Leek took top honors in the concurrently-run 9-ball event. The $800-added 8-ball tournament drew 32 entrants to the 7-ft., bar box Diamond tables at Michael's Billiards in Fairfield, OH, while the $1,000-added 9-ball event drew 43 to the 9-ft. Diamond tables on the weekend of February 21-23. Shannon Murphy, who played in both, finished in second place in the 8-ball event and third in the 9-ball. Brandon Williams, who also played in both, finished second in the 9-ball and third in the 8-ball.
Grooms' path to the 8-ball winners' circle went through Murphy twice. They met first in the hot seat match, after Grooms had defeated Steve Lavey 6-3 and Murphy had sent Jordan Grubb to the losers' bracket 8-5. Grooms downed Murphy the first time, double hill (6-7; Murphy racing to 8) and sat in the hot seat awaiting the re-match.
Lavey and Grubb moved over and picked up their second straight losses immediately. Lavey fell 3-1 to Julie Skripak, who, racing to 3, had shut out both Misha Ivanesco and Gary Link. Grubb was eliminated by Brandon Williams, who'd gotten by Kevin Tomlin 6-1 and Rick Giarmatti 6-2. Williams won the quarterfinal matchup versus Skripak 6-1, but was eliminated by Murphy in the semifinals 8-4. Sitting in the hot seat, Grooms gave up only a single rack to claim the 8-ball title.
Mike Leek had to come from the loss side and win two double hill battles against Brandon Williams (third in the 8-ball event) to capture the 9-ball title. Leek and Williams played three altogether, and the middle match of the three fell one game short of double hill.
Leek first had to contend with Shannon Murphy, playing in his second winners' side semifinal of the weekend. He defeated Murphy 8-5 and in the hot seat match, faced Williams, who'd sent D.J. Holloway to the losers' bracket 7-4. Leek and Williams battled to double hill in their first of three, with Williams prevailing to sit in the hot seat.
Murphy moved over and picked up Jake Cooper, who'd defeated Jordan Grubb 7-5 and Dwayne Pearson, double hill (7-7; Pearson racing to 8). D.J. Holloway drew Steve Flick, who'd gotten by Anthony Rock 6-2 and Mary Valhamer 6-1. Murphy eliminated Cooper 11-4, as Holloway was finishing Flick's day 7-5. Murphy defeated Holloway 11-4 in the quarterfinals, and was then dropped into third place by Leek 7-5.
Leek and Williams played their second match in the opening set of the finals, with Leek winning it 7-5. In their final and deciding set, they fought to double hill before Leek completed his successful run to claim the 9-ball title.
Shannon Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Michael's Billiards, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta-13, Ozone Billiards, Tiger Products, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Lomax Cues, and Universe Clothing.
Shannon Daulton, Nikki Keeney, Mike Slaughter and Brent Henderson, owner of Stroker’s
Keeney wins Battle of the “B”s on GSBT
As the June 16-17 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour wound down to its final 12 players, only three were ranked as either A, or double AA. None were among the winners’ side final four, and none would advance as far as the quarterfinals. It became a Battle of the “B’s, won by Nikki Keeney, who came from the loss side and spoiled Mike Slaughter‘s bid for an undefeated weekend. The $1,500-added, amateur event drew 32 entrants to Stroker’s Billiards in Sumter, SC.
Keeney and Slaughter met first among the winners’ side final four. Slaughter sent Keeney west 7-2, and turned to face David Styers, who’d defeated Shawn Padgett 7-3. Slaughter got into hot seat with a 7-3 victory over Styers, and awaited his rematch against Keeney.
On the loss side, Keeney drew James “Peanut” Council, who’d defeated Brent Henderson 7-4, and one of the two remaining A players, Jordan Grubb 7-8 (Grubb had eliminated an A player, B.J. Hucks, in his previous match). Padgett drew the other remaining A player, Josh Roberts, who’d defeated Chris Weaver 11-1, and Shane Wilson 11-4. Keeney eliminated Council 7-4, Padgett dispatched the final A player, Roberts, 7-7, and the rest of the night was all B’s, all the time.
Keeney survived a double hill, quarterfinal match against Padgett, and defeated Styers in the semifinals 7-2. He opened up the true double elimination, rematch final against Slaughter with a 7-3 victory, and capped the event victory with a strong 7-1 finish in the second set.
Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked Stroker’s owners Brent and Nicole Henderson for hosting the tournament, as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks. The next stop on the GSBT is scheduled for June 30-July 1 at Lucky Shot Billiards in Albemarle, NC.
Shannon “The Cannon” Daulton, Billy Thorpe, Alex Olinger, & Danny Farren
He’s been at it for a few years now, trying to chalk up a win on the Great Southern Billiard Tour; four times this year, in fact, and though he’s finished among the top five in three of his last four outings, the “W” has eluded Billy Thorpe. No longer. On the weekend of June 2-3, at a $1,500-added event at BJ’s Billiards in Havelock, NC, Thorpe worked his way through a field of 42 entrants, including road partner, Alex Olinger (twice) and went undefeated to capture his first GSBT title.
Thorpe and Olinger met first in the battle for the hot seat, once Thorpe had sent Chris McSorley west 9-3 and Olinger had done likewise to Jordan Grubb 11-6. With a two-game advantage, Thorpe got into the hot seat 9-9 over Olinger and waited for his return.
Over on the loss side, Mac Herrell defeated Brian White 9-8, and Larry Faulk 9-6 to pick up Grubb. McSorley drew Nolan Leonard, who’d defeated Jason Lawson 7-3 and Delton Howard 7-2 to reach him. Herrell and Leonard ended Grubb and McSorley’s trip to the loss side quickly; Herrell 9-8 over Grubb and Leonard 7-1 over McSorley. Herrell won the quarterfinal battle that followed 7-3 over Leonard, but ran right into a determined Olinger, who defeated him 11-6 in the semifinals for a second chance against Thorpe.
Both Thorpe and Olinger, who will reportedly travel together and be on hand for the next GSBT stop on June 9-10 at Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC, entered the finals playing as though they were late for a bus to the beach. Thorpe got out to an early lead and held on to it throughout the length of the match; extended it, in fact, as he took his second match from Olinger 9-3 to chalk up that first win on the GSBT.
Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked BJ Billiards in Havelock, NC for their hospitality, particularly Danny Farren and Mike Coleman for their hard work at coordinating the event. The tour, noted the Daultons, will be back “very soon.” The Daultons also thanked sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks.
