2006 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship
The 2006 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship was the 31st edition of the U.S. Open Pool Championship. Organized by promoter Barry Behrman, the tournament was held from September 24 to 30, 2006, at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, Virginia.
American player John Schmidt won his first U.S. Open title by defeating the Philippines' Rodolfo Luat 11–6 in the championship final match. Schmidt claimed the $40,000 top prize out of a total tournament purse of $200,000. The tournament victory stood as the largest major championship title of Schmidt's career.
Format
The tournament featured a double-elimination format throughout the main rounds. Matches across both preliminary bracket stages and the championship final were played as a race to 11 racks under a winner-breaks format.
Tournament summary
John Schmidt advanced through the winners' bracket undefeated, securing wins over Mika Immonen, Ralf Souquet, and Corey Deuel to qualify for the final. Rodolfo Luat reached the final after battling through the lower bracket, eliminating Johnny Archer and Corey Deuel along the way.
In the championship match, Schmidt established an early lead over Luat and maintained tactical control to secure an 11–6 victory.
Prize fund
The total prize pool for the event was $200,000, distributed as follows:
Placement |
Prize Money (USD) |
|---|---|
Winner |
$40,000 |
Runner-up |
$20,000 |
3rd Place |
$12,000 |
4th Place |
$8,000 |
Total Prize Fund |
$200,000 |
Finals
The result from the final match is shown below:
Player |
Frame Score |
Race To |
|---|---|---|
John Schmidt |
11 |
11 |
Rodolfo Luat |
6 |
Final standings
The top placement results for the tournament were as follows:
Place |
Player |
|---|---|
1 |
John Schmidt |
2 |
Rodolfo Luat |
3 |
Gabe Owen |
4 |
David Broxson |
5 |
Darren Appleton |