Robbie Langford
As far as we know, Tennessee’s Robbie Langford came to Knoxville this past weekend (Dec. 9-10) having recorded (with us) only seven cashes finishes, spread out over almost 20 years. He showed up on the AZB Money Leaderboard for the first time in 2004. And last year, his best recorded earnings year to date, he finished in the money twice; 9th at a Big Boi Classic in Knoxville and runner-up to Billy Thorpe in the 7th Annual Buffalo’s Pro Classic, One-Ball/One Pocket Mini in Louisiana. One more notable entry in his cash-finish resume was earned at a Big Orange Classic (VI) in Knoxville in 2007 at which he finished in a tie for 5th, just behind, in order, Nick Varner, Shannon Daulton, Gabe Owen and Landon Shuffett.
So, been around a while, doesn’t appear to compete in cash-yielding events on what might be considered a regular basis and yet, over 20 years, he’s managed to show up and at least keep pace among some of the sport’s larger personalities. That spread-out-over-two-decades experience likely contributed to his first recorded event win at the weekend stop on the PremierBilliards.com’s Q City 9-Ball Tour.
Langford grabbed the event title by coming from the loss side, where he won five in a row and then double-dipped the hot seat occupant, Danny Demetro. Langford played three more matches than anyone else (10) at the $500-added event that drew 36 entrants to the Big Orange Social in Knoxville, TN.
Though Langford, racing to 10 throughout, would give up only one rack over his first 21 games (one to Karie Williams and none at all to Amy X), Bo Hartman, racing to 6, gave him a double-hill run for his money in the third round and sent him to the loss side 5-9 in a winners’ side quarterfinal. In one of the winners’ side semifinals, Hartman picked up Demetro, who, racing to 6, had downed Scott Hafley (4), Rick Chitwood (2) and Timmy Dasey, double hill, to reach him.
From the other end of the bracket, Michael Rudd worked his way through Robert Wilkerson (5), Tracy Bunch (4) and, in a winners’ side quarterfinal, Heavy Maples (2). Rudd drew Josh Miller in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Rudd shut Miller out, while Demetro sent Hartman to the loss side 6-2. Demetro claimed the hot seat 6-5 over Rudd (racing to 7) and settled in for about a two-hour wait while Langford finished up his loss-side run.
Miller was the one who picked up Langford on the loss side, two matches into that run, after a double-hill win over Carey Stringfield and a shutout over Lincoln Campbell. Hartman drew Maples, who’d followed the loss to Rudd with victories over Mike Willard 5-3 and Shane Emert 5-2.
Hartman and Maples battled to double hill, before Hartman advanced to the quarterfinal. Langford joined him after giving up just a single rack to Miller. Langford and Hartman battled to double hill in their rematch, eventually advancing Langford to the semifinals.
Langford almost got into his third, double-hill match of his five-match, loss-side run, but he edged out in front at the end of his semifinal against Rudd to win it 10-5 (Rudd racing to 7).
It was eight matches down and two more to go for Langford as he stepped up to the table for the true double-elimination final against Demetro. Like the semifinal, both of the final matches came within a game of double hill, but in both cases, with Demetro racing to 6, Langford did just what he’d done in the semifinal; edged out in front to take both sets 10-4 and claim the event title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked Gary Viles II and his Orange Social Staff for their hospitality, along with title sponsor PremierBilliards.com (Chris England), BarPoolTables.net (Randy Tate), TKO Custom Cues and Realty One Group results (Kirk Overcash, who also contributed trophies), Dirty South Grind Apparel (Angela Harlan-Parker), Federal Savings Bank (Alex Narod), Diamond Brat (Tonya Crosby) and AZBilliards.
The next stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (Dec. 16-17), will be the tour’s 11th Annual Tour Championships. The $1,000-added event will be hosted by Chris England at the Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
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