Select Field at Music City 9-Ball Open

Select Field at Music City 9-Ball Open By Steve Trinward, InsidePOOL StaffThe 2005 Music City 9-Ball Open/Viking Tour Championship is now under way, with a field of 71 (as of the opening of the players' auction), with a noteworthy roster of talent. J.O.B. Billiards in Madison, TN, is once again hosting this 18th annual event, welcoming stick-handlers young and old from all over the planet.Early favorites include reigning 2004 champion Jonathan "Hennessee" Pinegar, his runner-up Chuck Raulston; and Jamie Baraks of Illinois, who has been pretty much unstoppable for the last several months. Other notables in the field include veterans like Scotty Townsend, David Matlock, Jimmy Reid, Joe Dan Bilyeu, and Bobby Pickle, as well as younger stick-handlers Nick Hickerson, B.J. Ussery, and Nick Vita, to name a few.
The events actually began last Tuesday night with the single-elimination, race-to-7 mini tournament. The roster for that showdown included 64 of the main tournament's complement. And Baraks continued his march through Tennessee, winning the top prize of $500, along with a piece of the $1,000 he drew from the mini auction. He bested Chad Vilmont, who had run consecutive 7-0 skunkings in his previous two matches, only to hit the Baraks buzzsaw and fall like all the rest. Third/fourth place went to David Broxson and Eric Haul, while Brandon Ashcraft, Joe Bowman, Bilyeu, and Mike Williams split the 5-8 proceeds.The tournament begins in earnest starting at 5:00 p.m. Thursday, double-elimination race-to-11. It will continue at 1:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.The ladies' division will kick off at 7:00 p.m. Friday, with a limit of 32 players in a double-elimination, race-to-7 format; it already looks to have an impressive field, judging from the early arrivals.A Scotch doubles tourney, limited to 16 teams, will take place starting at 11 p.m. Friday, in a race-to-5, alternating break format.Finally, the traditional winner-take-all "Midnight Madness" tournament, limited to eight players, single elimination and race to 11, commences at midnight on Saturday/Sunday.Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news on the Music City Open.

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