Top Billiard Players All Undefeated

Top Billiard Players All Undefeated

Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour / Knoxville, TN
by Rick Davis
The Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour took a Southern swing and smashed into Breakers Billiards in Knoxville, TN, for their latest series of events May 5-6. Four divisions were held that included an open, amateur, 14-and-under juniors, and 19-and-under juniors that all together drew in 60 players. In each of the divisions the winners went uncontested, taking their events undefeated.
The biggest draw of the weekend was the open division, which was completely controlled by Shannon “The Cannon” Daulton. Daulton met up with Tony Watson in the hot seat match and, after dispensing with him 9-7, rested comfortably in the finals. On the one-loss side 12-year-old Landon Shuffett was stunning the crowd as he kept alive after his first loss on Sunday. Shuffett came back from a 7-3 deficit to win double-hill, returning from an 0-3 deficit to win nine straight racks, and then eliminated Jerry Groom 9-7 to reach the quarterfinals. Hot on his heels was Kelly Green, who knocked out Robert Green then bested Shuffett just shy of double-hill at 9-7. Watson was not impressed by the show and showed Green the door 9-6 to own the one-loss side and return to face Daulton in the finals. There each player gained ground through baby steps until finally Daulton surged ahead to take the match double-hill.
Taking place concurrently, the amateur division’s strings were being pulled by tour regular Brian Bagwell, who met and defeated Jimmy Weemes 7-5 in the hot seat match. From there it was a one-loss side race as Rick Ball eliminated Lynn Brown 5-3 in the quarterfinals, then was knocked out himself by Weemes 5-3 in the semifinals. In the finals the extended race between Bagwell and Weemes offered little excitement, and Bagwell drilled Weemes to a quick 7-2 finish. This is Bagwell’s second amateur Viking Tour win, which, by the tour’s rules, no longer allows him to play amateur events this season; he must enter open divisions because of his to high level of play.
The juniors competitions offered quick action in both the under-19-years division, where Michael Rudd ruled, as well as the 14-and-under division, where Dylan Vale dominated. In the 19-and-under field, Rudd powered his way through the hot seat match 5-2, then drilled Jake Newman 5-1 in the finals to claim his national qualifier spot. In the 14-and-under field, Vail sent Brandon Stiltner west 5-2 in the hot seat match, while Josh Miller eliminated Tyler Mayfield double-hill in the quarterfinals. Miller played strong, eliminating Stiltner in the semifinals also double-hill; however, the final match was too much and Vail pounced on Miller, shutting him out 5-0 to claim the qualifier. In addition, the only junior ladies’ entry, 11-year-old Courtney Frank, also qualified by virtue of being the highest-finishing lady.
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Open Results:
1st Shannon Daulton
2nd Tony Watson
3rd Kelly Green
4th Landon Shuffett
5th Jerry Groom
Robert Green
7th Mike Janis
Hal Huskey
Amateur Results:
1st Brain Bagwell
2nd Jimmy Weemes
3rd Rick Ball
4th Lynn Brown
14-and-Under Juniors:
1st Dylan Vale
2nd Josh Miller
3rd Brandon Stiltner
4th Tyler Mayfield
19-and-Under Juniors:
1st Michael Rudd
2nd Jake Newman
3rd Timothy Colbertson
4th Derek Sims