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U.S. Open Pool Championship

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Chesapeake Conference Center, site of the U.S. Open Men's Division nine-ball tournament from 1997 to 2011

The U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships (often shortened in clear contexts to simply U.S. Open, and sometimes spelled with "US", "9-ball", "Nine-ball", singular "Championship", etc.) is an annual professional pool (pocket billiards) tournament that began in 1976 at Q-Master Billiards in Norfolk, Virginia, although previous versions of a "U.S. Open Nine-ball Tournament" had been held at the Jack n Jill Club in Arlington, V.A. as early as 1970.[1]

Though it is staged in the United States and is labeled the "U.S. Open", male professional pool players from around the world are eligible to compete in this event in the Men's Division. The Women's U.S. Open is a separate event, unaffiliated with the Men's U.S. Open. Instead, the Women's U.S. Open is associated with the Women's Professional Billiard Association (WPBA). The Men's U.S. Open is one of the most sought-after titles in nine-ball and in pool generally. It is also referred to as the Cuetec Cues U.S. Open, for sponsorship purposes.

Shane Van Boening of USA is the current two-time defending champion (2012 & 2013)[2] of the Men's Division. Mika Immonen of Finland is the 2009[3] Men's Division title-holder. Immonen is also the 2008[4] Men's Division title-holder of the US$250,000 33rd Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, where 237 billiards players competed. Immonen claimed the 13–7 victory, and pocketed the first-place prize of $40,000 on October 26, 2008 against Filipino runner-up Ronato Alcano (2006 World Nine-ball Champion), who settled for $20,000.[5][6][7] It marked Immonen's second consecutive U.S. Open 9-Ball Champion title, making him, at the time, the winningest non-U.S. competitor.[needs update]

Featured matches are recorded and broadcast by Billiard Club Network and Accu-Stats Video Productions on a designated table at the Chesapeake Conference Center with commentary provided by various pool veterans and industry members.[8][9]

Traditionally, winners of the U.S. Open are given a green blazer in recognition for this championship title and are awarded free entry fees to all future U.S. Open tournaments.

History

In its first 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.[10]

Today the larger Men's Division is a restrictive 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.

U.S. Open promoter Barry Behrman (right) with Rob Sykora of Billiard Club Network (left) at the 2004 event.

Barry Behrman is the tournament promoter of the Men's Division, and has been since its inception.

The tournament's original venue was Q-Master Billiards pool room, located in Norfolk, Virginia, which hosted the event, other than one year, until 1988.[11] From 1997 to 2011, the U.S. Open Men's Division was held at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, Virginia.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). After Behrman refused to pay money owed for the Chesapeake venue, the 2012 U.S. Open was held in Virginia Beach, VA.[12]

Unlike the Men's Division, the U.S. Open for women is not a true "open" event. Each female player must qualify through the WPBA, the professional women's billiards tour based in the United States, in order to compete in this annual event. The Women's Division tournament is held in different locations each year.

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. 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 games.

Past Champions

Men's Division

Year Winner
2015 Chinese Taipei Cheng Yu-hsuan
2014 United States Shane Van Boening (4)
2013 United States Shane Van Boening (3)
2012 United States Shane Van Boening (2)
2011 England Darren Appleton (2)
2010 England Darren Appleton
2009 Finland Mika Immonen (2)
2008 Finland Mika Immonen
2007 United States Shane Van Boening
2006 United States John Schmidt
2005 CanadaPhilippines Alex Pagulayan
2004 United States Gabe Owen
2003 United States Jeremy Jones
2002 Germany Ralf Souquet
2001 United States Corey Deuel
2000 United States Earl Strickland (5)
1999 United States Johnny Archer
1998 United States Buddy Hall (2)
1997 United States Earl Strickland (4)
1996 United States Rodney Morris
1995 United States Reed Pierce
1994 Philippines Efren Reyes
1993 United States Earl Strickland (3)
1992 United States Tommy Kennedy
1991 United States Buddy Hall
1990 United States Nick Varner (2)
1989 United States Nick Varner
1988 Puerto Rico Mike Lebrón
1987 United States Earl Strickland (2)
1986 United States David Howard AKA Squirrel
1985 United States Jimmy Reid
1984 United States Earl Strickland
1983 United States Mike Sigel (3)
1982 United States David Howard
1981 United States Allen Hopkins
1980 United States Mike Sigel (2)
1979 United States Louie Roberts
1978 United States Steve Mizerak
1977 United States Allen Hopkins
1976 United States Mike Sigel

Records

  • Earl Strickland of the U.S. is the record-holder for winning the Men's U.S. Open the most times: five, in 1984, 1987, 1993, 1997, and 2000.[13]
  • Shane Van Boening is the winner of the largest first-place prize ever offered at the event, $50,000, on October 20, 2007. Van Boening remained undefeated in the field of 233 players, beating Ronato Alcano 13–10 in the final.[14]
  • The oldest pool player to ever win the Men's Division to date is Mike Lebrón of Puerto Rico, 54 years old at the time of his victory. The youngest is Mike Sigel of the U.S., then only 21.[citation needed]

Women's Division

Year Winner
2012 England Allison Fisher (6)[15][16]
2011 England Allison Fisher[15][16]
2010 South Korea Ga-young Kim (3)[17]
2009 South Korea Ga-young Kim[17]
2008 England Kelly Fisher[18]
2007 England Allison Fisher[15][16]
2006 England Allison Fisher[15][16]
2005 England Allison Fisher[15][16]
2004 South Korea Ga-young Kim[17]
2003 Northern Ireland Karen Corr[19]
2002 Sweden Helena Thornfeldt
1999 England Allison Fisher[15][16]
1994 United States Jeanette Lee[20]
1992 United States Robin Bell
1991 Sweden Ewa Laurance[21]
1988 Sweden Ewa Laurance (2)[21]

References

  1. ^ > U.S.Open 9-Ball Tournament > Arlington, Virginia | January 27 1970
  2. ^ > U.S.Open 9-Ball Championships > Virginia Beach, Virginia | October 14-19 2013
  3. ^ Mika Immonen Wins Second Straight U.S. Open 9-Ball - YouTube
  4. ^ History > U.S.Open 9-Ball Championships > Virginia Beach, Virginia | October 21-27 2012
  5. ^ insidepoolmag.com, Immonen is New U.S. Open 9-Ball Champion
  6. ^ gmanews.tv/story, RP's Alcano loses to Finn Immonen in US Open 9-ball final
  7. ^ billiardsdigest.com, Big Win for Finn: Immonen Clobbers Alcano to Break U.S. Open 'Curse'
  8. ^ BilliardClub.net Retrieved 21 October 2007
  9. ^ Accu-Stats.com Retrieved 21 October 2007
  10. ^ Barry Behrman (July 7, 2011). "Statement From Barry Behrman and Shannon Berhman Paschall-Exclusive to AZB". AzBilliards.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  11. ^ "History". USOpen9BallChampionships.com. Norfolk, VA: Q-Master Billiards. 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  12. ^ Moritz, Katie (07/06/2012). "Billiards tournament parts ways with Chesapeake". The Virginian-Pilot. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ USOpen9BallChampionships.com. Retrieved 21 October 2007
  14. ^ "US Open Down to Final Four", BilliardsDigest.com, October 20, 2007. Retrieved October 21, 2007
  15. ^ a b c d e f "WPBA's Top 5". Billiards Digest. 30 (3). Chicago, Illinois: Luby Publishing: 55. February 2008. ISSN 0164-761X. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  16. ^ a b c d e f Cuetec Cues US Open, WPBA.com. Retrieved 21 October 2007.
  17. ^ a b c "Player biographies (Ga Young Kim)". WPBA.com. Retrieved 2009-09-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) [dead link‍]
  18. ^ "Player biographies (Kelly Fisher)". WPBA.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "Player biographies (Karen Corr)". WPBA.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ "Player biographies (Jeanette Lee)". WPBA.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved 2009-09-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ a b "Player biographies (Ewa Laurance)". WPBA.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved 2009-09-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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