1976 U.S. Open 9-ball Championship
The 1976 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship was the inaugural edition of the U.S. Open Pool Championship, a professional nine-ball tournament held in 1976 at Q-Master Billiards in Norfolk, Virginia.
The event featured a field of 16 players in a double-elimination format. American player Mike Sigel won the inaugural tournament by defeating Pete Margo 11–1 in the final, earning the $3,100 first-place prize out of an $8,975 total purse.
Background and tournament summary
The tournament was established by Barry Behrman in 1976 at his room, Q-Master Billiards, in Norfolk, Virginia. Unlike later editions of the tournament, which grew into massive open fields featuring over 128 or 256 international competitors, the inaugural 1976 event was restricted to 16 invited participants.
In the final match, 21-year-old Mike Sigel defeated Pete Margo by a score of 11–1. The victory established Sigel as a rising star on the professional pool circuit; he would go on to win the U.S. Open title twice more during his career in 1980 and 1985.
Final standings
Below are the reported payouts for the top performers in the tournament:
Place |
Player |
Prize |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Mike Sigel |
$3,100 |
2 |
Pete Margo |
$1,700 |
3 |
Louie Roberts |
$1,000 |
4 |
Buddy Hall |
$700 |