Chris Haderman and Mike Sigel
The 8th Annual U.S. Open proved to be the best yet with a strong field of 41 players, the most ever.
The prize fund was $13,750 with 1st place of $5,000. Such notable players were: defending champ David Howard, all past champions; Mike Sigel, Steve Mizerak, Allen Hopkins and Louie Roberts. Other top players were Jim Rempe, Wade Crane, Ray Martin, Mike Massey, Mike Zuglan, Howard Vickery, Dave Bollman and many more.
After a cocktail hour on Tuesday, December 6, opening night matches began and the results were:
Barry Kandel 11 Steve Snyder 4
Bob Williams 11 Bill Ware 7
Tom Brown 11 Scott Brown 5
Dave Bollman 11 Louie Roberts 9
Wednesday, December 7 results:
Adam Schick 11, Larry Faulk 8
Steve Lellis 11, Glen Robin 7
Jim Rempe 11, Rick Howard 6
R. Hansen 11,S. Dobrowolski 10
Cary Dunn 11, Kenny Miller 8
Wade Crane 11, Jack Romeo 5
Bob Stevens 11, Don Polo 3
Joe Kerr 11, James McCreary 7
S. Mizerak 11, H. Vickery 8
John Brinkley 11, L. Lisciotti 6
Ray Martin 11, Charlie Jones 8
Steve Mizerak’s match with Howard Vickery was almost a retake of their great match seen on ESPN of the Lake Tahoe Classic with Steve winning 11-8.
Thursday, December 8 results:
Steve Lillis 11, Sammy Odom 7
Jeff Carter 11, Rich Hansen 8
Adam Schick 11, C. Brinson 10
Don Polo 11, Glen Robin 10,
David Howard 11, Joe Kerr 6
Rich Howard 11, C. Jones 6
H. Vickery 11, Kenny Miller 5
Roy Truiett 11, John Brinkley 8
Mike Massey 11, Bob Williams 7
Jim Rempe 11, Mike Zuglan 10
Mike Sigel 11, Cary Dunn 2
A. Hopkins 11, T. Grawmmetteo 7
Tom Brown 11, Dave Bollman 10
Last year’s champion, Howard, defeated Joe Kerr 11-6, and last year’s runner-up, Mike Zuglan, lost to the great “King James” Rempe 11-10.
Friday, December 9 results:
McCreary 11, Grawmmetteo 10
Roberts 11, Ware 8
Romeo 11, Lisciotti 8
Williams 11, Snider 8
Dobrowolski 11, Brinson 9
Hanson 11, Faulk 4
Carter 11, Stevens 5
Lillis 11, Schick 4
Crane 11, Hopkins 7
Sigel 11, Martin 4
D. Howard 11, Truiett 5
Mizerak 11, Rempe 7
Massey 11, Kandel 10
R. Howard 11, Dunn 7
Kerr 11. White 9
Zuglan 11, Vickery 8
Mike Sigel played extremely well as he defeated Ray Martin 11-4. The match between Mizerak and Rempe could have gone one way or the other but Steve went on to win 11-7. Mike Massey’s match with local rising player Barry Kandel, proved to be a nail biter after Massey was behind 10-7 but was really lucky to win 4 games in a row to win the match 11-10.
Saturday, December 10 results:
Brown 11, Roberts 8
McCreary 11, Romeo 5
Hansen 11, Polo 6
Kerr 11, Brinkley 10
Williams 11, Stevens 1
Dobrowolski 11, Odom 7
Brown 11, Schick 1
Truiett 11, R. Howard 10
Bollman 11, Dobrowolski 7
Zuglan 11, Hopkins 4
Hansen 11, Kandel 5
Martin 11, Kerr 6
Rempe 11, McCreary 5
Bollman 11, Zuglan 6
Hansen 11, Truiett 8
Bollman 11, Lillis 9
Undefeated matches:
Mizerak 11, Lillis 7
Sigel 11, Carter 7
Crane 11, T. Brown 4
D. Howard 11, Massey 7
All the favorites won in the undefeated players matches, and the final day of action was getting thick.
Sunday, December 11 results: Losers Bracket
Rempe 11, Brown 9
Williams 11, Massey 3
Bollman 11, Hansen 5
Rempe 11, Williams 8
Undefeated players
Sigel 11, Mizerak 7
Howard 11, Crane 3
Losers Bracket
Mizerak 11, Bollman 3
Rempe 11, Crane 5
Last 2 players undefeated.
Sigel 11, Howard 7
Quarter Finals
Mizerak 11, Rempe 7
Semi Finals Howard 11, Mizerak 6
Finals
Mike Sigel 11, David Howard 10
As you can tell, the final days action was thick as many matches were exciting, but the finals proved everything. Sigel was undefeated and last year’s champ, Howard, had to defeat Sigel two matches. Well it looked like he would as David was in the lead 10-7, but Sigel played very well and got all the rolls to tie at 10 all.
Sigel broke the balls and nothing went. Howard had to play safe and when he did the one ball kissed off another and went in, but he played a snooker on the cue ball and stuck himself behind another ball, terrible break for him. Sigel had ball in hand and ran out to the seven ball where he played a billiard onto the nine ball and won the most exciting and best tournament yet. The crowd of 300 went completely crazy!
The 9th Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship dates have all been set for November 6-10, 1984, Tuesday thru Saturday.
I’ve guaranteed the prize fund of $25,000 and it will be at least that amount. The tournament will be held at the Lake Wright Quality Inn in the Grand Ballroom and sponsorship is being raised at this very moment. The U.S. Open in years to come will be the greatest of all tournaments in pool, especially 9-bail. It’s time to take this great tournament out of the pool room and into a larger quarter where more spectators will come and therefore, be able to pay the players what they deserve and that’s a lot.
Don’t worry players, before it’s all over all of you will be paid handsomely by me, Barry Behrman, and that’s a promise.
I want to thank all the spectators that came this year as so many come each and every year. The 9th Open will be a tremendous change, but only for the good.
My staff did a great job as usual; Faith Behrman, James Hall, Bob Early, Russell Heffner, Nancy Busley, Head Official, Linwood Berry, and all the referees. Thank you.
Well don’t forget the dates November 6-10, 1984 and on the way to the Lake Wright Quality Inn, stop by Q-Master Billiards to say hello and get directions! See everyone soon!
