They played against each other only once. Josh Williams was in the hot seat at the January 28 stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour, and Rocky Hawks came from the three wins on the loss side to meet him in the finals. Hawks took the double elimination opening set before they both decided to call it a 'one-loss draw' and split the top two prizes. The event drew 31 entrants to Gate City Billiards in Greensboro, NC.
They missed an earlier meeting, when Travis Duncan defeated Hawks in a double hill (4-6, Hawks racing to 7), winners' side semifinal, moving Duncan into the hot seat match against Williams, who'd just defeated Morgan Sutherland 5-3. Williams claimed the hot seat (and what proved to be his last win) 5-1 over Duncan.
On the loss side, Hawkes began his trip back to the finals with a 7-1 victory over Tim Nelson, who'd previously shut out Michael Fogelman and survived a double hill battle against Tyler Mayfield to reach him. Sutherland drew Bo Blakely, who'd gotten by Travis Guerra, double hill, and Randall Bowman 5-3. Sutherland eliminated Blakely 5-3 to join Hawks in the quarterfinals.
Hawks then defeated Sutherland 7-3 to earn his re-match against Duncan in the semifinals. Hawks balanced the earlier, double hill defeat, with a sound 7-2 win over Duncan that gave him a shot against Williams.
Hawks took the opening set of the double elimination final 7-4, and that, as they say, was all she wrote. They opted out of a second, deciding match, choosing to lower the potential winners' prize ($550) by $100 and raising the potential losers' prize ($350) by the same amount; they split the $900.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership of Gate City Billiards and staff for their hospitality 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 the weekend of February 4-5, will be hosted by Randolph's in Hickory, NC.
