The time has come and I am thrilled to share this news with each of you as I believe that the majority of you will be pleased to hear about the exciting plans that we have in store for the future of the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships. I have thought long and hard about this decision and there is no better time to share this wonderful news with our great fans, sponsors from within the billiard industry and beyond and especially with all of the players who absolutely love this great sport.
I am very pleased to announce that our 35th annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships slated for October 17-23rd, 2010 will be truly “open” to all players, both men and women from around the world, including of course, the USA.
After discussing this decision with my dear friends Ken Shuman, Jay Helfert, Jim Wych, Pat Fleming, Rob Sykora, and my daughter Shannon as well as many others we all believe that this is the best decision for everyone involved and most importantly the billiard industry. Upon reading the many post featured on AZBilliards, I found that 85% of the fans would like to see woman participate in the U.S. Open and if you know me, I aim to please.
This is an exciting time for all of us and a great opportunity for the U.S. Open and I plan on using this time to encourage more sponsorship, increase attendance, and of course more players and it all begins with this year, the groundbreaking , 35th Annual U.S. Open 9-ball Championships. I hope to see you there. Let's get it on!
