Matchroom president Barry Hearn has announced that the prize money for the prestigious US Open Pool Championship will dramatically increase from 2025 and that the champion’s purse will double.
Last year’s winner Ko Ping-Chung received $50,000 and that will remain the same this year, but whoever becomes champion in 2025 will receive $100,000 and the coveted green jacket.
In addition, the overall prize fund has increased to half-a-million dollars, with the runner-up receiving a cool $50,000 and the semi-finalists pocketing $25,000 each.
Hearn, who has revolutionised darts, snooker and boxing globally, publicised the decision after competing in the tournament for the first time. He was beaten by Polish ranking event winner Konrad Juszczyszyn 9-1 in his first match, before being whitewashed by Canada’s Barry Hetherington.
It was a memorable occasion for Hearn, who told Sky Sports: “I’m 76 years old and I’ve been involved in this game for 30 years, to get out there on the table and to mix it with the greats was an honour.
“It shows that you’re never too old, you’re never too inexperienced and why not have a go? That’s what you’re put on this Earth for. I’m not just going to sit around at home and get old, I’d rather make a fool of myself on a nineball table.
“I’m going to go back to practice now and I’m going to have a go at the UK Open next year and see how I go. I’m a competitive person, I’ve realised that I’m way out of my depth and it’s just lovely to meet all the fans and all the players.
“They’re such good players and this sport has never really had the respect that it deserves and it’s our job at Matchroom to make sure that nineball pool gets that respect. It’s early days, but you’ve only got to look at what we’ve done with darts, from the backroom to the second-biggest sport in Europe.
“I want to say thank you to all the fans who put up with some terrible play when I was playing. But I’ll thank you all by saying that next year’s prize money in the US Open is going to be $500,000, not $300,000 and $100,000 to the winner.”
That announcement received a warm reception from the Atlantic City crowd, but Hearn said: “It’s the players that deserve the applause, not me, I’m a businessman, I know what I’m doing and I’ve been doing this for 50 years.
“We want to send a message out that nineball pool is on the growth and get on this bandwagon now because we will take this sport to places it’s never been since it was invented and that’s a guarantee.
“We believe we will take this game to areas it’s never been before, but talk is cheap and just see where we are in five years. We are on five-million dollars prize money this year and I’ve said to the team that I want this at ten double quick.”
