Shane Van Boening secured his first World Nineball Tour ranking event title since winning the 2022 World Pool Championship by defeating Fedor Gorst in the final of the 2023 Midwest Billiards and Cue Expo Big Dog 9-Ball Championship in Des Moines, USA.
Van Boening‘s victory in Iowa sees the world number two extend his advantage in the overall rankings over Joshua Filler to $8,826. The win also sees the South Dakota Kid strengthen his hope of an automatic qualification spot in the Race to Mosconi Cup standings.
The Big Dog 9-Ball Championship offered up a vital opportunity for Mosconi Cup hopefuls to gather momentum heading into a busy period of ranking events with the first player for both Team Europe and USA set to be locked in at the conclusion of the European Open Pool Championship in less than a month’s time at Hotel Esperanto Fulda, Germany with the top player from each team on the Race to Mosconi Cup standings qualifying.
A run to the final for Gorst sees him remain 13th in the world overall with the former world champion fighting back from the losers side to reach the final while Skyler Woodward continued his strong campaign with a run to the semi-finals before Van Boening eventually ended his hopes.
Shane Van Boening (file: 2023 World Pool Masters)｜©Taka G Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
For Woodward, the semi-final finish did see him continue his heavy assault on the top end of the Race to Mosconi Cup standings as he canters ahead as the top-ranked American with an advantage of $10,274 on Van Boening.
Filipino Roberto Gomez had his best run this year to collect enough ranking points to climb inside the world’s top 100 whilst Bob Stock Memorial champion BJ Ussery and 2022 Mosconi Cup representative player Tyler Styer both gave good accounts of themselves to improve their hopes of selection for this year’s cup.
Three spots for both Team Europe and USA are up for grabs off the World Nineball Tour Rankings with all eyes on the one-year list for hopefuls.
The first automatic pick for each side will be locked in after the conclusion of the European Open Pool Championship set to take place in Fulda, Germany from August 8-13 with the second automatic selection to follow at the US Open Pool Championship from September 25-30 at Harrah’s Resort, Atlantic City before the final automatic spot will be given after the conclusion of the inaugural Asian Open Pool Championship from October 10-15.
Team USA – Race to Mosconi Cup Standings in focus
- Skyler Woodward $38,900
- Shane Van Boening $28,626
- Shane Wolford $16,950
- Billy Thorpe $11,750
- BJ Ussery $9,900
- Tyler Styer $9,500
- Lukas Francasso-Verner $7,550
- Hunter Lombardo $6,549
NEXT WORLD NINEBALL TOUR EVENT
Events are coming thick and fast with the Jacoby 9-Ball Open set to take place at McGoldricks Pool and Sports Bar in Glasgow, Scotland from July 21-23 2023. See info here.
The Sharks International Open gets underway in Quezon City, Philippines from July 24-29 with top 64 on the World Nineball Tour rankings invited with a lucrative prize fund of $100,000 on the line for the 128 field. See details here.
NEXT MATCHROOM EVENT
The next signature Matchroom multi-table open event comes next at the European Open Pool Championship from August 8-13 at Hotel Esperanto in Fulda, Germany with the first-ever Fillers’ Junior Open taking place on August 11-12. Buy your tickets here from €15.