CueSportsInternational, Henderson, NV
Betting on the long shots would have paid off Sunday at the US Open 8-Ball Championship, which wraps up Monday at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Two unlikely suspects emerged through a 63-player field brimming with champions to face off for the hot seat match late Sunday afternoon: Jesse J. Bowman and Rory Hendrickson. Bowman, of Moline, Ill. racked up wins over: David Del Castillo Jr., 9-2; Michael Yednak, 9-3; Chris McDaniel, 9-6; Rodney Morris, 9-2; and Amar Kang, 9-8.
In his path through the right side of the bracket, Hendrickson, of Fargo, N.D., beat: Kelli Chuberko, 9-4; Hunter Lombardo, 9-6; Brandon Shuff, 9-6; Thorsten Hohmann, 9-8; and Josh Roberts, 9-5, before capturing the hot seat after getting out in true cowboy style when the score was hill-hill.
Rory Hendrickson – Photos © JP Parmentier
Hendrickson, who is now guaranteed second in one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country, is a strong regional player in North Dakota but has had little success on a national scale. In the 2015 US Bar Table Championships, Hendrickson placed 13th in the 9-Ball, 17th in the 10-Ball and 49th in the 8-Ball divisions, pocketing just $575.
In Hendrickson’s next match, he will play to pocket an $11,000 purse.
But there are several others waiting on the B-side who also have their eyes on that prize money.
At 10 a.m., Mike Dechaine will face Josh Roberts and Amar Kang will play Shane Van Boening, who earned the title of 2016 US Open 10-Ball Champion Friday.
In Sunday’s final match, Van Boening eliminated Francisco “Django” Bustamante, in another stunning hill-hill match, when Bustamante unexpectedly scratched late in the final rack, giving Van Boening ball-in-hand and a chance to earn another US Open title this week. The winners of those matches will play at 12:30 p.m. and that winner will face Bowman in the semifinals, which will be played at 3 p.m. Monday. The finals are a single race to 11 and will be at 5:30 Monday. Live streaming is available at www.playcsipool.com/live-streaming.html.
The US Open 8-Ball Championship is a true open tournament. Any player willing to put up the entry fee is allowed to play and the championships traditionally attract the top players in the world. The tournament is being played with Cyclop balls on 7-foot Diamond tables covered with Simonis Cloth.
The 2016 US Open 8-Ball & 10-Ball Championships are being held in conjunction with the 40th BCAPL National Championships, which is taking place through July 30 at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. The event features more than 5,000 amateur players representing 47 states, nine Canadian provinces and 11 countries, competing in approximately 40 divisions, on 300 Diamond pool tables. The annual tournament will also include about 50 exhibitors. The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino is the official host venue. Other sponsors include Viking, Kamui, Omega Billiards, Cyclop, Diamond, Simonis, and Predator.
General admission for spectators not participating in the amateur tournaments is $25 per person per day. Day passes are available at the CSI registration desk in the rotunda outside the Pavilion.
To view tournament brackets, go to ctsondemand.com.
For more information, photos, or to set up interviews, contact Mary Coffman, CSI Marketing Manager at 509-308-9814 (cell); or by email at [email protected].
CUTLINE: Rory Hendrickson, of Fargo, N.D. beat Jesse Bowman Sunday at the 2016 US Open 8-Ball Championships at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to gain the tournament hot seat. Only six players remain in the championships, which conclude Monday with the finals scheduled for 8 p.m.
CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events like the US Bar Table Championships, US Open 10-Ball Championship, US Open 8-Ball Championship, and much more. For more information, visit www.playcsipool.com or call CSI at p702-719-POOL.
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