U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships
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 United States 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.
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.
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.[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.
Behrman died on April 23, 2016. The U.S. Open now belongs to his children, Brady Behrman and Shannon Behrman Paschal.
The 2016 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships was managed and directed by Patrick Fleming of Accu-Stats. Shane Van Boening beat Chang Jung Lin by a score of 13-9, tying Earl Strickland's record of five wins.
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 |
|---|---|
| 2016 |  Shane Van Boening (5) |
| 2015 |  Cheng Yu-hsuan |
| 2014 | Shane Van Boening (4) |
| 2013 | Shane Van Boening (3) |
| 2012 | Shane Van Boening (2) |
| 2011 |  Darren Appleton (2) |
| 2010 | Darren Appleton |
| 2009 |  Mika Immonen (2) |
| 2008 | Mika Immonen |
| 2007 | Shane Van Boening |
| 2006 | John Schmidt |
| 2005 |   Alex Pagulayan |
| 2004 | Gabe Owen |
| 2003 | Jeremy Jones |
| 2002 |  Ralf Souquet |
| 2001 | Corey Deuel |
| 2000 | Earl Strickland (5) |
| 1999 | Johnny Archer |
| 1998 | Buddy Hall (2) |
| 1997 | Earl Strickland (4) |
| 1996 | Rodney Morris |
| 1995 | Reed Pierce |
| 1994 | Efren Reyes |
| 1993 | Earl Strickland (3) |
| 1992 | Tommy Kennedy |
| 1991 | Buddy Hall |
| 1990 | Nick Varner (2) |
| 1989 | Nick Varner |
| 1988 |  Mike Lebrón |
| 1987 | Earl Strickland (2) |
| 1986 | David Howard AKA Squirrel |
| 1985 | Jimmy Reid |
| 1984 | Earl Strickland |
| 1983 | Mike Sigel (3) |
| 1982 | David Howard |
| 1981 | Allen Hopkins |
| 1980 | Mike Sigel (2) |
| 1979 | Louie Roberts |
| 1978 | Steve Mizerak |
| 1977 | Allen Hopkins |
| 1976 | Mike Sigel |
Records
- Earl Strickland and Shane Van Boening, both of 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.[13]
- Shane Van Boening holds the record for the most consecutive wins: three. (2012, 2013, 2014)
- 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 aged 21.
Women's Division
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Allison Fisher (6)[15][16] |
| 2011 | Allison Fisher[15][16] |
| 2010 |  Ga-young Kim (3)[17] |
| 2009 | Ga-young Kim[17] |
| 2008 | Kelly Fisher[18] |
| 2007 | Allison Fisher[15][16] |
| 2006 | Allison Fisher[15][16] |
| 2005 | Allison Fisher[15][16] |
| 2004 | Ga-young Kim[17] |
| 2003 |  Karen Corr[19] |
| 2002 |  Helena Thornfeldt |
| 1999 | Allison Fisher[15][16] |
| 1994 | Jeanette Lee[20] |
| 1992 | Robin Bell |
| 1991 | Ewa Laurance[21] |
| 1988 | Ewa Laurance (2)[21] |
References
- ↑ > U.S.Open 9-Ball Tournament > Arlington, Virginia | January 27 1970
- ↑ > U.S.Open 9-Ball Championships > Virginia Beach, Virginia | October 14-19 2013
- ↑ Mika Immonen Wins Second Straight U.S. Open 9-Ball - YouTube
- ↑ History > U.S.Open 9-Ball Championships > Virginia Beach, Virginia | October 21-27 2012
- ↑ insidepoolmag.com, Immonen is New U.S. Open 9-Ball Champion
- ↑ gmanews.tv/story, RP's Alcano loses to Finn Immonen in US Open 9-ball final
- ↑ billiardsdigest.com, Big Win for Finn: Immonen Clobbers Alcano to Break U.S. Open 'Curse'
- ↑ BilliardClub.net Retrieved 21 October 2007
- ↑ Accu-Stats.com Retrieved 21 October 2007
- ↑ Barry Behrman (July 7, 2011). "Statement From Barry Behrman and Shannon Berhman Paschall-Exclusive to AZB". AzBilliards.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ↑ "History". USOpen9BallChampionships.com. Norfolk, VA: Q-Master Billiards. 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
- ↑ "Contact". USOpen9BallChampionships.com. op. cit. 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
- ↑ USOpen9BallChampionships.com. Retrieved 21 October 2007
- ↑ "US Open Down to Final Four", BilliardsDigest.com, October 20, 2007. Retrieved October 21, 2007
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "WPBA's Top 5". Billiards Digest. Chicago, Illinois: Luby Publishing. 30 (3): 55. February 2008. ISSN 0164-761X.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cuetec Cues US Open, WPBA.com. Retrieved 21 October 2007.
- 1 2 3 "Player biographies (Ga Young Kim)". WPBA.com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ↑ "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.
- 1 2 "Player biographies (Ewa Laurance)". WPBA.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
External links
- US Open official website
- Video of a 2005 US Open match between Ismael Paez and Mika Immonen.
- 2008 US Open tournament bracket
- 2008 US Open image gallery