New event will take place alongside US Open Pool Championship in Las Vegas
Matchroom Pool and the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) are proud to launch the US Open Junior Pool Championship, which will take place alongside the 2020 US Open Pool Championship at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Convention Center, Las Vegas this April 16-18.
Featuring 16 players invited by the BCA, the format of the new US Open Junior Pool Championship will feature ‘pool play’ followed by a single elimination tournament of the top eight finishers. The tournament will be conducted and refereed by the BCA with the winning player set to receive free entry to the 2021 US Open Pool Championship. The runner-up and third-placed player will receive half-price entry to the 2021 US Open and the top three will receive free entry to the 2020 BEF Junior National 9-Ball Championships.
Players invited to participate will include those who represented USA at the 2019 WPA World Junior 9-Ball Championships, the 2019 Atlantic Challenge Cup, as well as top finishers from the 2019 BEF Junior Nationals. All junior players invited will be eligible to compete in WPA Junior events for 2020..
The US Open Junior Pool Championship will be staged in a smaller-scale arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Convention Center and will receive TV coverage as part of Matchroom Pool’s global broadcast of the US Open Pool Championship. Spectators attending the single elimination stage of the US Open Pool Championship will be able to watch the Open Junior Championship, with matches to take place when there is no play in the US Open Pool Championship.
Emily Frazer, COO of Matchroom Pool, said: “This is the start of an exciting and growing relationship between Matchroom Pool, the BCA and the Behrman family as together with Rob Johnson and his team we share the enthusiasm and passion for the growth of professional pool in the United States and globally; who better to kickstart our vision with than the younger generation?
“Launching the US Open Junior Pool Championship is not only an extra tournament on the calendar, but it also grants Junior players the stepping stone they need to earn and win a place in a major event; the US Open Pool Championship. TV exposure as well as experience playing amongst the best players in the world under the best conditions; a dream come true opportunity that both the juniors and sport needs.
“This sparks fire, determination and inspiration throughout the younger generation – knowing they are pursuing a career not only in a sport they love but one that will provide a great future living opportunity in.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Matchroom Pool on the US Open Junior Pool Championship,” said Billiard Congress of America Chief Executive Officer Rob Johnson. “Emily Frazer and her team at Matchroom Pool are, once again, showing their tremendous dedication to the promotion of the game and to growing the next generation of players. In partnership with the Billiard Education Foundation, the BCA looks forward to providing an outstanding opportunity for our country’s top junior players to finetune and showcase their talents alongside the world’s premier players competing in the US Open Pool Championship.”
Tickets for the 2020 US Open Pool Championship are available now at www.matchroompool.com. Follow the US Open Pool Championship on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The 2020 US Open Pool Championship will be partnered by Diamond, who supply the Official Tables; the cloth is supplied by Iwan Simonis and the Official Balls are Aramith by Saluc. Predator is the Official Cue of the event and Kamui are the Official Chalk and Tip. The US Open Pool Championship is sanctioned by the WPA.
