Defending Champion Shane Van Boening
Even with its new format of smaller field (to fit the playing arena in the Marriott Hotel) and increased entry fee, this prestigious event - now in its 39th year - still attracts a star studded field that are drawn to Chesapeake, Virginia every year to claim what is the most highly coveted prize in the world of pool.
This year we have over a hundred entrants from every part of the globe, with Shane Van Boening, Darren Appleton, Mika Immonen, Earl Strickland, Jayson Shaw, Efren Reyes (who still has game), Thorsten Hohmann, Niels Feijen, Francisco Bustamante, and many more great players vying for the top spot in this event.
It has been said that no one will ever surpass Earl Strickland’s record of 5 US Open titles, but with Shane Van Boening now having 3 wins, it is becoming apparent that Shane is closing the gap and making it very possible should he win his 4th title now or in the future.
Earl appears to be playing up to his old speed lately and should not be forgotten here, as he has a great chance of winning another title himself. A win here would give him 6 World Titles and 6 US Open Titles.
One of the favorites to win this year must be Thorsten Hohman, who recently took down the Manny Pacquiao Singles Cup event in the Philippines, and the Challenge of Champions in San Diego last week.
All eyes will also be on young Jayson Shaw from Scotland, who won the Turning Stone event a couple of weeks ago. Jayson - who recently became a father - may find this a calming influence and modify his talented game to include a less wild approach at the table, that will lead him to many titles in his future.
One factor that may affect the outcome of this years event is a major change in the rules. Tournament officials have elected to put the 9 ball on the spot, which is hoped will stop the wing ball from being a slamdunk in the bottom corner pockets. It will be interesting to see how the guys who benefitted from the previous position will find a way to make this new rule work in their favor. At least one top player has been practicing for hours on achieving a successful result.
All of the above stars of the game will once again havetheir talents broadcast by ACCUSTATS VIDEO PRODUCTIONS via their live streamingaddress: accu-stats.com
We will also have real time scoring and online brackets all week long.
