BJ Ussery
Though still a long way from beating his best earnings year to date (2005), BJ Ussery is making an “I’m back” statement on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour this year. On the weekend of October 12-13, he added his sixth victory on the tour since February with an undefeated run through a field of 40 entrants at Gate City Billiards in Greensboro, NC. In addition to his six victories on the tour, Ussery has also tallied three runner-up finishes, a 3rd, 4th and 7th-place finish, as well as a victory on the Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour.
Ussery faced separate opponents in the hot seat match and finals of this event, both of whom were also looking to add to their win totals on the 2019 tour. In the hot seat match, he battled Jeff Abernathy, who was seeking his third win on the 2019 tour. In the finals, Ussery faced Josh Heeter, who’d been defeated in the third round of play and won seven matches on the loss side to face him in the finals, hoping to chalk up his second victory on the 2019 tour.
Ussery advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Anthony Mabe, as Abernathy squared off against Jeff Little. Ussery got into the hot seat match with a 12-3 victory over Mabe. He was joined by Abernathy, who’d shut Little out. Ussery claimed the hot seat 12-3 and waited on what turned out to be Heeter.
Three matches into his loss-side winning streak, Josh Heeter eliminated Matt Raden 8-2 and then shut out Tim Nelson to draw Little, coming over from the winners’ side semifinal. Mabe picked up Reené Driskill, who’d recently defeated Hunter Apple 4-2 and shut out Sydney Cork to reach him.
Heeter and Little locked up in a double hill fight that did eventually send Heeter to the quarterfinals 8-4 (Little racing to 5). Mabe joined him, following a 7-2 win over Driskill.
Heeter, who entered the quarterfinals having given up only six racks in his last 30 games, kept it at six racks in his last 38 games with a shutout over Mabe. He then gave up only four to Abernathy, who was racing to 9, to advance to the finals against Ussery.
As might have been expected, Ussery and Heeter locked up in a double hill fight to claim the event title. Ussery prevailed 12-7 to chalk up his sixth Q-City 9-Ball title in 2019.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Gate City Billiards, 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 (October 19-20) will be hosted by Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
