Zac Leonard
The last time KC Hawley signed on to the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, in May at Rooster’s 21 Poolroom in Charleston, WV, he came back from a hot seat loss to double dip Shawn Miller and win the event. On Saturday, Sept. 15, back at Rooster's 21 at another stop on the tour, he made it to the hot seat match again, and this time, he was defeated by Zac Leonard. Hawley made it back from the semifinals, but he and Leonard opted out of a final match and split the top two prizes. The event drew 31 entrants to Rooster’s 21 Poolroom.
Identical 7-1 victories by Leonard and Hawley in the two winners’ side semifinals (over Randy Smith and Tyrus Kelley, respectively) set up their first match, which appropriately enough, since it essentially determined the official winner, was a double hill affair. Leonard finished it in what proved to be his final match.
On the loss side, Smith picked up Eddie Chapman, who’d defeated Steves Trout and Dye, both 6-4. Kelley drew Pete Browning, who’d eliminated Dustin Coe 7-4 and survived a double hill (7-7) battle against Justin Lazaro.
Kelley advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-3 victory over Browing. Smith did not, as Chapman took the match 6-2. Kelley then gave up only a single rack to Chapman in those quarterfinals.
In the night’s last match, Hawley, as he’d done back in May, won the semifinal match, this time against Kelley 7-3. The split was decided, leaving Leonard, as the hot seat occupant, in possession of the official event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at the 21 Poolroom, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (Sept. 22-23) was originally to be hosted by Corner Pockets in Fayetteville, NC, but due to circumstances related to the onslaught of Hurricane Florence will now be hosted by Speakeazy Billiards in Sanford, NC.
