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.

NC State One Pocket and 10-Ball Open tournaments on event horizon 

 

On Saturday, November 9, Hunter White recorded his 4th 2019 victory* on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, besting his 2016 best-number-of-wins total by one in what is already his best earnings year to date. White went undefeated, though he and Michael Dill opted out of a final match, allowing their hot seat match to stand and agreeing to a split in the top two prizes. The $500-added event drew 28 entrants to Break & Run Billiards in Chesnee, SC.

 

Their hot seat match followed a 6-4 victory by Dill over Mike Bumgarner and a 9-5 win by White over Justin Duncan in the two winners’ side semifinals. White then downed Dill 9-2 and in effect, claimed the hot seat and official event victory.

 

Duncan and Bumgarner moved to the loss side and into the first money round. Duncan picked up Hank Powell, who’d defeated Justin Clark and Steven Ellis, both 7-4, to reach him. Bumgarner drew Blade Best, who’d recently eliminated Matt Lucas 6-4 and Corey Edwards 6-3.

 

Duncan defeated Powell 6-5 (Powell racing to 7) and in the quarterfinals, faced Bumgarner, who survived a double hill battle versus Best (7-5; Best racing to 6). Bumgarner then defeated Duncan 7-5 in those quarterfinals.

 

In what proved to be the final match of the night, Dill defeated Bumgarner 6-1 in the semifinals. He and White opted out of the final, split the top two cash prizes and called it a night, leaving the undefeated White as the event’s official winner.

 

Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Break & Run for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball.

 

For the next two weeks, action on the tour will shift to Sandford, NC, where Speak Eazy Billiards will host two back-to-back, $2,000-added events – The North Carolina State One Pocket Open, set for the long weekend of November 15-17 and on the weekend of November 23-24, the NC State 10-Ball Open. The One Pocket event will play host to a maximum of 32 players. Both events are being sponsored by Beasley Custom Cues.