Cornfed Red's is playing host to the first stop on the Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour's new season this weekend in Columbus, Ohio.
While the Viking Tour has always been a home for the top players from Ohio and surrounding states, this event has drawn players from as far away as CT and TN to compete. At the beginning of play on Saturday, the top 4 favorites were: Shawn Putnam ( the 4x Viking tour overall champion), Howard Vickery (a past Regional Champion on the Viking Tour and on the Senior Tour), Chris Szuter (the owner of Fiddlestix Billiard Cafe in Canton, Ohio where next weeks Viking Tour event will be held), and Dennis "Action" Jackson from Akron, Ohio. Also making the long journey from Berlin, CT was John Palimierr. John's game is unknown in this region, but he is traveling through the winners bracket with ease.
So far, some of the best matches have gone the way of the favorites. Putnam, has played three almost perfect matches with no opponent getting more than one game from him in the race to 7 format. Vickery has also won his first three matches. He had only one close match against hometown favorite, Butch Poe, with a win over Poe 7-6. Howard is always a favorite in these events mostly because of his patient, methodical, grinding style of play.
Check back for updates from Columbus later in the weekend.
Photo courtesy of Mike Janis - Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour
