1997 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship
The 1997 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship was the 22nd edition of the U.S. Open Pool Championship. Organized by promoter Barry Behrman, the tournament was held from September 16 to 21, 1997, at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, Virginia.
American player Earl Strickland won his fourth U.S. Open title by defeating Philippine player Efren Reyes 11–3 in the championship final match. Strickland claimed the $25,000 top prize out of a total tournament purse of $100,000. The victory extended Strickland's record of U.S. Open titles following his previous wins in 1984, 1987, and 1993.
Format
The tournament featured a double-elimination format throughout the main rounds. Matches across all preliminary rounds and the championship final were played as a race to 11 racks under a winner-breaks format.
Tournament summary
Earl Strickland performed dominantly throughout the week, navigating the winners' bracket undefeated to secure his position in the final. Efren Reyes made his fourth consecutive final appearance at the event after emerging victorious from the lower bracket final.
In the final match, Strickland delivered a dominant performance, limiting Reyes's scoring opportunities to capture an 11–3 victory.
Prize fund
The total prize pool for the event was $100,000, distributed as follows:
Placement |
Prize Money (USD) |
|---|---|
Winner |
$25,000 |
Runner-up |
$12,000 |
3rd Place |
$7,000 |
4th Place |
$5,000 |
Total Prize Fund |
$100,000 |
Finals
The result of the championship final match is shown below:
Player |
Frame Score |
Race To |
|---|---|---|
Earl Strickland |
11 |
11 |
Efren Reyes |
3 |
Final standings
The top placement results for the tournament were as follows:
Place |
Player |
|---|---|
1 |
Earl Strickland |
2 |
Efren Reyes |
3 |
Johnny Archer |
4 |
Nick Varner |
5–6 |
Jose Parica |
5–6 |
Buddy Hall |