Jeffrey Underwood
Jeff Underwood has won two out of the three events in which he has competed on the 2021 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. They are the only known instances of him finishing in a position to collect some cash. The two victories have both come as a result of him finishing an event as the undefeated occupant of the hot seat and negotiating a settlement of the top two cash payouts with his potential finals competitor. The first time he did this, last month (March), he split the top two prizes with Hank Powell. This past weekend, Saturday, April 18, he split the top two prizes with Glen Spikes. The $200-added event drew 27 entrants to Mickey Milligan’s in New Bern, NC.
Underwood and Spikes advanced through the field to meet first in the hot seat match. Underwood faced Jorge Ramos in one of the winners’ side semifinals, while Spikes faced Sheign Krafczik in the other one. Underwood downed Ramos 6-3, as Spikes was busy sending Krafczik to the loss side 5-3. In effect, they both let their hot seat encounter stand as the deciding match; Underwood won it 6-3.
On the loss side, Krafczik and Ramos ran straight into their second loss. Krafczik met up with Justin Knuckles, who’d lost to Underwood in a winners’ side quarterfinal, defeated Jack Whitfield, double hill and then, shut out Justin Outlaw. Ramos picked up Greg Smith, who’d recently eliminated DJ Brads 8-3 and Delton Howard 8-6.
Knuckles defeated Krafczik 5-3, while Smith and Ramos battled to double hill. Smith prevailed and moved into the quarterfinals against Knuckles. Knuckles and Smith got into a double hill fight, as well, with Knuckles eventually advancing to what proved to be the last match of the evening, the semifinals against Spikes.
Spikes won the semifinals over Knuckles 5-2. He and Underwood negotiated their split, leaving Underwood, as the hot seat occupant, the recipient of the official event title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked Gerry Shepherd and his Mickey Milligan’s staff for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, BarPoolTables.net, Dirty South Grind Apparel Co., AZBilliards, Federal Savings Bank mortgage division and Diamond Brat. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this coming weekend, April 24-25, will be hosted by Buck’s Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
