 Last year when the APA decided to move the site of this year’s U.S. Amateur Championship from the “pool capital of the world - Las Vegas,” some players “raised an eyebrow” at the idea. The APA was looking for a more “upscale” establishment to host “the most prestigious amateur tournament in the history of the sport.”
“Upscale” is exactly what they found in Laurel, Maryland, at Champion
Billiards. And as this year’s field of U.S. Amateur national qualifiers arrived at the tournament, no one was “raising any eye brows.” Complete with approximately 26 pool tables, full menu and bar and 30 televisions sets with satellite feeds, Champion Billiards has plenty to offer both poolplayers and non-poolplayers alike. “Champion Billiards has everything you could want in a location hosting an event of this magnitude – very nice tables, plenty of room and great food and drinks to keep the players happy,” said Edie Smith, director of tournament productions. Champion Billiards has 6 locations throughout the Baltimore, Washington and Virginia areas, and has
truly become a cornerstone for billiards on the East Coast. “Champions has sponsored tournaments for both the WPBA and some men’s professional tournaments. We also host approximately 136 APA teams weekly,” said Champion Billiards Co-owner Ken Denham. Even with the national exposure of hosting the U.S. Amateur tournament, Denham contends that the real
reason for hosting the tournament was the “honor” associated with it. “When we decided to host the U.S. Amateur, it wasn’t an issue of the money, it was because of our love of the game,” said Denham. With the class and elegance offered at Champion Billiards, it will certainly be a key player in hosting
national tournament for years to come. | 
