If your favorite dictionary doesn’t define ‘frustration’ with pictures of countless pool players who’ve endured long, loss-side journeys, only to be defeated, double hill, in a tournament final, it probably should. Jason Rogers qualified for this hypothetical photo gallery by losing his opening match and winning nine on the loss side to reach the finals of the January 27-28 stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City-9-Ball Tour, hosted by Corner Pockets in Fayetteville, NC. Rogers was defeated in that final match by Don Lilly, who, in so doing, completed an undefeated run through a field of 34, a little less than a quarter of which (8) were women.

 

One of those women, Lauren Kauffman, was responsible for sending Rogers to the loss side in the opening round of play. She would go on to earn free entry to a future tournament for being the top female finisher at the event. Rogers, in the meantime, began his loss-side trek, as Lilly advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Bo Blakely. Walt Baldwin and Phillip Skibo squared off in the other one.

 

Lilly and Blakely battled to double hill before Lilly advanced to the hot seat match. He was joined by Baldwin, who’d sent Skibo to the loss side 8-7 (Skibo racing to 9). Lilly claimed the hot seat 6-4 over Baldwin and waited for what would turn out to be some anxious moments in his final match against Rogers.

 

On the loss side, Rogers and his opening round opponent, Kauffman, worked their way toward a meeting just outside the first money round. With four notches on his loss-side belt, Rogers downed a player known only as “Shaft” 8-4, while Kauffman defeated Blade Best, double hill. Both matches in the battle for 7th/8th place saw the winners shut out their opponents; Rogers’ re-match against Kauffman (8-0) and Mickey Hucks’ victory over Billie Spatafora (6-0).

 

Rogers drew Blakely, while Hucks picked up Skibo. Rogers and Hucks advanced to the quarterfinals; Rogers 8-2 over Blakely and Hucks 6-3 over Skibo. Rogers gave up only a single rack to Hucks and won the quarterfinal match. He gave up three to win the semifinal against Baldwin 8-3.

 

Rogers, with the higher handicap, was racing to 8 in the final, with Lilly racing to 6. They battled to double hill before Lilly finished it to complete his undefeated run.

 

Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Corner Pockets, along with 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 the weekend of February 2-3, will be hosted by Gate City Billiards Club in Greensboro, NC.

Jody Musselman has stepped up his participation in tournament pool this year. According to records here at AZBilliards, he's only cashed in a total of seven events since 2009. Five of those events were on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour this year. Prior to his first win on the tour this year, in October, he'd reportedly won only one other tournament event; a stop on the Viking Tour in 2009. On Saturday, Nov. 12, he added a second victory on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour to his resume, going undefeated through a field of 30, hosted by Corner Pockets in Fayetteville, NC.

 

 

Musselman had to get by J.T. Ringgold twice in this event; once in the event's second round, and again, after Ringgold had chalked up seven on the loss side, in the finals. With Ringgold at work on the loss side, Musselman advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Walt Baldwin. Jason Blackwell, in the meantime, squared off against Jeff Young in the other winners' side semifinal.

 

 

With Baldwin racing to 8, Musselman advanced to the hot seat match 7-6. Blackwell joined him after sending Young to the loss side 5-1. Musselman claimed the hot seat 7-3 and waited for Ringgold to wrap up his loss-side run.

 

 

On that loss side, after winning his first two, Ringgold downed Scott Roberts 9-5, and Tanya Parsley 9-2 to draw Baldwin. Young picked up Earl Davis, who'd gotten by Mike Ivey 5-1, and Donnie Bradshaw, double hill, to reach him.

 

 

Ringgold chalked up loss-side win #5 over Baldwin, while Young eliminated Davis 4-2. Ringgold then gave up only one rack over the next two matches to earn his second shot against Musselman. He gave up only one to Young in the quarterfinals and none at all to Blackwell in the semifinals.

 

 

Musselman, though, stymied Ringgold's 56-11 run over his last five loss-side matches in the finals. Racing to 7, Musselman allowed Ringgold only three to claim his second Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball title.

 

 

Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Corner Pockets, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, Ruthless Billiards, GoPlayPool.com, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19, will be hosted by The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.

Christy Norris has been around the pool scene for just over a dozen years now, chalking up event victories all over the Carolinas and competing on a number of WPBA events. To this lengthening resume, on Saturday, January 23, Norris added a victory on the Q City 9-Ball Tour. The event, which drew 38 entrants to Corner Pockets in Fayetteville, NC, featured the largest field of females (10) to ever play on the tour. Norris went undefeated to claim the title.

 

She had to get by Walt Baldwin twice to do it. Both times required a final and deciding game against an opponent who needed to win one more game than she did (8) to claim a match  victory. She'd sent Robert Ash to the loss bracket in a winners' side semifinal 6-2, as Baldwin was sending Earl Davis over 8-3. In their first of two double hill battles, Norris prevailed to sit in the hot seat.

 

On the loss side, Ash picked up Justin Martin, who'd gotten by Brian Pate and Geno Hernandez, both 9-5 to reach him. Davis drew Robert Otto, who'd defeated Chris Baumann and Will Stevens, both 7-2. The Roberts went down; Robert Otto to Davis, double hill, and Robert Ash to Martin 9-2.

 

Martin downed Davis 9-4 in the quarterfinals and had his loss-side streak stopped by Baldwin 8-7 in the semifinals. Baldwin came back at Norris a second time, with the same result; a double hill fight that ended with the Norris victory that secured, for her gender, the first win on a Q City 9-Ball Tour stop.