U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONS CROWNED IN BERLIN

U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONS CROWNED IN BERLINWinner of Men’s’ and Women’s Divisions Advance to ‘04 Pro EventsBruce Choyce of Orlando, FL, and Tina Larsen of Palatine, IL, are this year’s U.S. Amateur Champions. In the men’s division, Choyce defeated Pete Genovese of New Britain, CT, 11-7, while Larsen defeated Shannon Condit of Columbus, OH, in the finals of the women’s divisionChoyce will move on to compete in the 2004 U.S. Open Pro event, and Larsen will compete in one of next year’s WPBA Classic Tour stops. The 2003 U.S. Amateur Championship, produced and conducted by the American Poolplayers Association (APA), was held at Ultimate Billiards in Berlin, CT, on November 7-9, 2003. Preliminary qualifying rounds were held throughout the country in mid September, with nearly 1,000 players attempting to qualify.
“This is absolutely the most exciting experience of my life. I came expecting to play well but not to win. This is just unbelievable,” said an excited Choyce following his victory. Larsen who won with a 9-on-the-break in a hill-hill finals match, was equally excited. “This is just wonderful, I didn’t know what to expect coming in. All of these girls played their hearts out,” she said.Choyce and Larsen competed with the nation’s most highly skilled amateur players, all of whom vying for the U.S. Amateur title. The men’s division consisted of 128 players, while the women’s division featured 16 players. As champions, Choyce and Larsen will return next year to defend their coveted titles.Both Genovese and Condit finished as the runners -up. Finishing in third place was Joe Cutler of Bay Shore, NY. In fourth place was Phil Stevens of Billerica, MA. Matt Tetreault of Agawam, MA, finished in a two-way tie for fifth place with Chris McDonald of Dacula, GA. Leigh Brown of Clemson, SC, rounded out the top finishers in the women’s division with a third-place finish.The U.S. Amateur Championship is a double-elimination tournament that offers the nation’s top amateur players the opportunity to showcase their skills through a combination of 8-ball and 9-ball matches in a race-to-7 format, in the only APA event that does not use The Equalizer® handicap system. The APA, based in Lake Saint Louis, MO, sanctions the world's largest amateur pool league, known as the APA PoolLeague throughout the United States and the Canadian Pool League in Canada. More than 215,000 members compete in weekly 8-ball and 9-ball league play.The APA is generally recognized as the Governing Body of Amateur Pool, having established the official rules, championships, formats, and handicap systems for the sport of amateur billiards. one of the keys to the success of the APA league, administered by local League Operators, is The Equalizer®, the handicap and scoring system that makes it possible for men and women of different playing abilities-especially beginners-to compete on an equal basis, much like they do in golf and bowling.The APA produces three major tournaments each year-the APA National Team Championships, the APA National Singles Championships, and the U.S. Amateur Championship-that, together, pay out more than one million dollars in cash and prizes annually. Michelob AmberBock is the official beer of the APA and sponsor of the APA 8-Ball League and 8-Ball National Team Championships. The Diamond Smart Table, Simonis 860 billiard cloth, Super Aramith billiard balls, the Sardo Tight Rack, and Cuetec Cues are also official billiard industry sponsors of the APA and APA National Championships.For more information on the U.S. Amateur Championship, visit the official APA Web site at poolplayers.com. or call 1-800-3-RACK-EM.Visit InsidePOOL for the latest in the sport of billiards and pool.

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