Shane Wolford
Next tour stop to benefit tour veteran, Anthony Mabe, who passed away this past weekend
In the midst of his best earnings year to date at the tables, former junior competitor, Shane Wolford, added a victory on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour to his resume this past weekend (May 29-30). He recorded that win at the site where he recorded his first cash payout, four years ago. Wolford joined the AZBilliards database in April, 2017, when he finished 4th at a stop on the tour, hosted by The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA. He’s cashed in six events so far this year, including a victory at the Maryland State Bar Table 9-Ball Championships in April and went undefeated at the $1,000-added event that drew 66 entrants to The Clubhouse.
Wolford and Jody Musselman would battle twice for the title, in the usual-suspect places, hot seat and finals. Wolford advanced through the field to face Josh Shultz in one of the winners’ side semifinals, as Musselman faced Anthony Johnson in the other one.
Wolford downed Shultz 10-4 to get into the hot seat match. Musselman joined him after dispatching Johnson to the loss side 6-1. Wolford claimed the hot seat 10-3 over Musselman and waited on his return.
On the loss side, Shultz ran into Chris Bruner, a mid-Atlantic pool veteran, who’d lost his opening match, double hill, to Scott Roberts and embarked on a nine-match, loss-side winning streak, destined to take him as far as the quarterfinals. He chalked up wins #7 & #8 against The Clubhouse owner Chris England (10-1) and Daniel Guill (10-3). Johnson drew Cameron Lawhorne, who’d recently defeated Brian Crist 7-1 and Chris Funk 7-5 to reach him.
Lawhorne defeated Johnson 7-3 and was joined in the quarterfinals by Bruner, who’d dispatched Shultz 10-4. Bruner and Lawhorne battled to double hill for the right to advance. It was Lawhorne who did so, ending Bruner’s loss-side streak.
Lawhorne followed Bruner to the figurative ‘showers,’ when Musselman defeated him 6-5 in the semifinals (Lawhorne racing to 7). Wolford completed his undefeated run with a 10-3 victory in the finals.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked Chris England and his Clubhouse staff for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, BarPoolTables.net, Dirty South Grind Apparel Co., AZBilliards, Federal Savings Bank mortgage division and Diamond Brat.
The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this coming weekend (June 5-6) will be an unexpected benefit for the family of Anthony Mabe, who passed away from injuries related to an automobile accident, which occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 30. A long-time member of the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour and close friend of tour director Herman Parker, the tour stop, which will be hosted by Gate City Billiards Club in Greensboro, NC, will raise funds to help defer the cost of funeral arrangements, at a date to be determined.
