TheU.S. Open Pool Championship, formerly theU.S. Open Nine-ball Championship, is an annual professional men'snine-ballpool 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.
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 open to both men and women, including wheelchair users, making it a true "open" tournament. The only requirement to play in the event is the payment of the entry fee. The total purse for the tournament is $300,000, where the winner is awarded $50,000. There is also a separate Women's U.S. Open, sanctioned by theWomen's Professional Billiard Association (WPBA).
The tournament's original venue was Q-Master Billiardspool hall, inNorfolk, 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 inChesapeake, 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 toMatchroom Pool.[2]
The tournament format is essentiallydouble-elimination (a player is out of the tournament after losing twomatches) 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 2019, the tournament reverts to single-elimination from the last 16 onwards. At the U.S. Open, matches are played inraces 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.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Final score | Venue | Winner's Prize | Total Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976[4] |  Mike Sigel | Pete Margo | 11–1 | Q-Master Billiards,Norfolk, VA | $3,100 | $8,975 |
| 1978[5] | Allen Hopkins | Steve Mizerak | 15–11 | $5,000 | $14,500 | |
| 1979[6] | Louie Roberts | David Howard | 15–11 | $3,000 | $8,000 | |
| 1979[7] | Steve Mizerak | Jim Rempe | 11–10 | $3,600 | $8,500 | |
| 1980[8] | Mike Sigel(2) | Ray Martin | 11–7 | $3,600 | $8,500 | |
| 1981[9] | Allen Hopkins(2) | Mike Sigel | 11–7 | $4,000 | $10,000 | |
| 1982[10] | David Howard | Mike Zuglan | 10–4 | $4,000 | $10,000 | |
| 1983[11] | Mike Sigel(3) | David Howard | 11–10 | $5,000 | $13,750 | |
| 1984[12] | Earl Strickland | Mike Sigel | 11–10 | Lake Wright Hotel, Norfolk, VA | $10,000 | $25,900 |
| 1985[13] | Jimmy Reid |  Mike Lebrón | 11–5 | Q-Master Billiards, Norfolk, VA | $7,800 | $23,000 |
| 1986[14] | David Howard(2) | Allen Hopkins | 11–9 | $7,000 | $22,200 | |
| 1987[15] | Earl Strickland(2) | Jim Rempe | 11–7 | $7,000 | $24,000 | |
| 1988[16] | Mike Lebrón | Nick Varner | 11–6 | $8,000 | $30,000 | |
| 1989[17] | Nick Varner | Kim Davenport | 13–6 | Lake Wright Hotel, Norfolk, VA | $10,000 | $35,000 |
| 1990 | Nick Varner(2) | Johnny Archer | 11–10 | $10,000 | $41,000 | |
| 1991 | Buddy Hall | Dennis Hatch | 9–8 | Holiday Inn, Chesapeake, VA | $15,000 | $65,000 |
| 1992 | Tommy Kennedy | Johnny Archer | 9–1 | $15,000 | $61,600 | |
| 1993 | Earl Strickland(3) | Tony Ellin | 11–8 | $15,000 | $58,400 | |
| 1994 |  Efren Reyes | Nick Varner | 9–6 | $15,000 | $53,200 | |
| 1995 | Reed Pierce | Efren Reyes | 11–6 | $20,000 | $77,800 | |
| 1996 | Rodney Morris | Efren Reyes | 11–6 | Virginia Beach Convention Center, VA | $25,000 | $116,250 |
| 1997 | Earl Strickland(4) | Efren Reyes | 11–3 | Chesapeake Conference Center, VA | $25,000 | $124,500 |
| 1998 | Buddy Hall(2) | Tang Hoa | 11–5 | $25,000 | $105,500 | |
| 1999 | Johnny Archer | Jeremy Jones | 11–7 | $30,000 | $131,600 | |
| 2000 | Earl Strickland(5) |  Takeshi Okumura | 11–5 | $50,000 | $211,000 | |
| 2001 | Corey Deuel |  Mika Immonen | 11–0 | $30,000 | $148,200 | |
| 2002 |  Ralf Souquet |  Alex Pagulayan | 13–11 | $30,000 | $150,000 | |
| 2003 | Jeremy Jones | Jose Parica | 11–4 | $30,000 | $125,000 | |
| 2004 | Gabe Owen | Thorsten Hohmann | 11–3 | $30,000 | $145,000 | |
| 2005 | Alex Pagulayan | Jose Parica | 11–6 | $40,000 | $200,000 | |
| 2006 | John Schmidt | Rodolfo Luat | 11–6 | $40,000 | $159,000 | |
| 2007 | Shane Van Boening | Ronato Alcano | 13–10 | $50,000 | $182,000 | |
| 2008 | Mika Immonen | Ronato Alcano | 13–7 | $40,000 | $212,000 | |
| 2009 | Mika Immonen(2) | Ralf Souquet | 13–10 | $40,000 | $200,000 | |
| 2010 |  Darren Appleton | Corey Deuel | 15–13 | $40,000 | $180,000 | |
| 2011 | Darren Appleton(2) | Shawn Putnam | 13–6 | $30,000 | $175,100 | |
| 2012 | Shane Van Boening(2) | Dennis Orcollo | 13–7 | Holiday Inn, Virginia Beach, VA | $25,000 | $170,000 |
| 2013 | Shane Van Boening(3) | Lee Vann Corteza | 13–10 | Marriott Chesapeake, Norfolk, VA | $30,000 | $135,000 |
| 2014 | Shane Van Boening(4) | Dennis Orcollo | 13–10 | $30,000 | $165,000 | |
| 2015 |  Kevin Cheng | Karl Boyes | 13–6 | Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel, Norfolk, VA | $40,000 | $192,000 |
| 2016 | Shane Van Boening(5) | Chang Jung-lin | 13–9 | $50,000 | $200,000 | |
| 2017 |  Jayson Shaw |  Eklent Kaçi | 13–4 | $40,000 | $200,000 | |
| 2019 | Joshua Filler |  Wu Jia-qing | 13–10 | Mandalay Bay Resort,Las Vegas,NV | $50,000 | $300,000 |
| 2021 | Carlo Biado |  Aloysius Yapp | 13–8 | Harrah's Resort,Atlantic City,NJ | $50,000 | $300,000 |
| 2022[18] |  Francisco Sánchez Ruiz |  Max Lechner | 13–10 | $50,000 | $300,000 | |
| 2023 | Ko Ping-chung |  Fedor Gorst | 13–6 | $50,000 | $300,000 | |
| 2024 | Fedor Gorst | Shane Van Boening | 13–10 | $50,000 | $300,000 | |
| 2025 | Aloysius Yapp | Fedor Gorst | 13–11 | $100,000[19] | $500,000 |
[21][non-primary source needed]
