U.S. Open Pool Championship: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 22:23, 18 September 2021
The U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships is an annual professional men's nine-ball pool tournament that began in its current form in 1976. The U.S. Open is one of the most sought-after titles in nine-ball and in pool generally. Traditionally, winners of the U.S. Open are given a green blazer and are awarded free entry fees to all future U.S. Open tournaments.
The Women's U.S. Open is a separate event, sanctioned by the Women's Professional Billiard Association (WPBA).
History
In its first official edition in 1976, the U.S. Open was contested by just 16 players. Over the years, the number of participants steadily increased, reaching its current level of 256 players.[1]
The tournament is a male-only event, though it is otherwise a true "open" tournament, in that the only requirement is the payment of the entry fee, which was $1000 in 2015. The total purse for the tournament at that time was $200,000, where the winner was awarded $40,000.
The tournament's original venue was Q-Master Billiards pool hall, in Norfolk, Virginia, which hosted the event, other than one year, from 1976 until 1988.[2] From 1997 to 2011, the U.S. Open Men's Division was held at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, Virginia.[2] Q-Masters is still involved in the tournament.[3]
Original promoter Barry Behrman died on April 23, 2016. His children, Brady Behrman and Shannon Behrman Paschall, took over operating the tournament until 2018, when it was sold to Matchroom Sport, who moved it to Las Vegas.[4]
Format
The tournament format is essentially double-elimination (a player is out of the tournament after losing two matches) until two players remain. Most professional pool "double-elimination" events, however, are not true double-elimination formats, where the player who reaches the finals from the loser's side has to defeat the winner's side player twice for the title.
As of 2021, the tournament reverts to single-elimination from the last 16 onwards. At the U.S. Open, matches are played in races to 11, with the winner breaking. However, the final match, as is customary with most professional nine-ball tournaments today, is one extended race. At the U.S. Open, the extended race in the finals is 13 racks.
Past champions
Men
Records
- Earl Strickland and Shane Van Boening, all from the U.S., share the record for winning the Men's U.S. Open the most times: five. Strickland in 1984, 1987, 1993, 1997, and 2000. Van Boening in 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016.[5]
- Van Boening holds the record for the most consecutive wins: three. (2012, 2013, 2014).
- Van Boening is the winner of the largest first-place prize ever offered at the event, $50,000, in 2007. Van Boening remained undefeated in the field of 233 players, beating Ronato Alcano 13–10 in the final.[6]
- The oldest pool player to ever win the men's tournament to date is Mike Lebrón of Puerto Rico, 54 years old at the time of his victory. The youngest is Joshua Filler of Germany, aged 21 years old at the time of his victory.[7]
Women
Unlike the men's tournament, the U.S. Open is not a true "open" event. Each female player must qualify through the Women's Professional Billiard Association, the professional women's billiards tour based in the United States, in order to compete in this annual event.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2016 |  Ga-young Kim (4)[8]
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| 2012 |  Allison Fisher (6)[9][10]
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| 2011 | Allison Fisher[9][10]
|
| 2010 | Ga-young Kim (3)[8]
|
| 2009 | Ga-young Kim[8]
|
| 2008 | Kelly Fisher[11]
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| 2007 | Allison Fisher[9][10]
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| 2006 | Allison Fisher[9][10]
|
| 2005 | Allison Fisher[9][10]
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| 2004 | Ga-young Kim[8]
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| 2003 |  Karen Corr[12]
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| 2002 |  Helena Thornfeldt
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| 1999 | Allison Fisher[9][10]
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| 1994 |  Jeanette Lee[13]
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| 1992 | Robin Bell
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| 1991 | Ewa Laurance[14]
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| 1990 | JoAnn Mason
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| 1989 | Loree Jon Jones
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| 1988 | Ewa Laurance (2)[14]
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References
- ^ Barry Behrman (July 7, 2011). "Statement From Barry Behrman and Shannon Berhman Paschall-Exclusive to AZB". AzBilliards.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ^ a b "History". USOpen9BallChampionships.com. Norfolk, VA: Q-Master Billiards. 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
- ^ "Contact". USOpen9BallChampionships.com. op. cit. 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
- ^ "History". USOpen9BallChampionships.com. Norfolk, VA: Q-Master Billiards. 2009.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ USOpen9BallChampionships.com Archived 2007-10-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 October 2007
- ^ "US Open Down to Final Four", BilliardsDigest.com, October 20, 2007. Retrieved October 21, 2007
- ^ "History of The U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships". U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships. Archived from the original on 2004-04-10. Retrieved 2017-02-19.
- ^ a b c d "Player biographies (Ga Young Kim)". WPBA.com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ a b c d e f "WPBA's Top 5". Billiards Digest. 30 (3). Chicago, Illinois: Luby Publishing: 55. February 2008. ISSN 0164-761X.
- ^ a b c d e f Cuetec Cues US Open Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine, WPBA.com. Retrieved 21 October 2007.
- ^ "Player biographies (Kelly Fisher)". WPBA.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "Player biographies (Karen Corr)". WPBA.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "Player biographies (Jeanette Lee)". WPBA.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ a b "Player biographies (Ewa Laurance)". WPBA.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
External links
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