Putnam Continues Dominance o­n Viking Tour

By Bill Rosenberger

Shawn Putnam added another win to his 2004 résumé by taking the Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour event o­n October 17 at Cue-Can-Do Billiards in Schaumburg, IL.  The $1,000-added event drew a tough field that included Putnam, Josh Ulrich, and Duane Tuula. 

Putnam was probably the early favorite, not just because he's won the last three Viking events, but because he has went undefeated in all three tournaments. 

As expected, Putnam surged to the hot seat to face Tuula, and took the match easily 7-1.  Tuula then faced Ulrich, who had battled back through the left side to reach the semifinals.  Ulrich stayed hot and earned a trip to the finals against Putnam.

Putnam, though, was too strong for anyone in the field, including Ulrich, and he won 7-2 in quick match.  Putnam's dominance in the event was evident by his statistics.  He never allowed an opponent to win more than four games, and he o­nly dropped a total of nine games. 

Putnam will look to extend his Viking winning streak to 5 o­n November 6-7 when the tour heads to Palace Billiards in Villa Park, IL.  Not o­nly can he win his fifth straight event, but he can also add to his 27-match winning streak. 

Results:
1st Shawn Putnam $500
2nd Josh Ulrich $350
3rd Duane Tuula $250
4th Scott Cohen $200
5th Gil Hernandez, Aaron Goodwin $100
7th James Oswalt, Mike McGovern $50