U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPION CROWNED IN LAUREL, MARYLAND

The 2002 U.S. Amateur Championship has come to a close and this year's champion is James Henson of Alexandria, Va. Henson, who finished as the Runner-up in last year's tournament, defeated Scott Tollefson of Arvada, Colo., 11-4 in the finals Sunday evening at Champion Billiards in Laurel, Md.

From left to Right: Scott Pardo, Robert Hall, Scott Tollefson, James Henson, Joe Cutler, Fred Wenker

The victory earned Henson a magnificent marble and bronze championship trophy, automatic entry into next year's U.S. Amateur Championship and paid travel, lodging and entry into the 2003 U.S. Open Pro Event. Tollefson finished as the Runner-up in his first U.S. Amateur Championship.

Finishing in 3rd Place was Joe Cutler of Farmingdale, N.Y., and in 4th Place was Fred Wenker of Baltimore. Rounding out the top 5 finishers was Scott Pardo of West Monroe, La., and defending U.S. Amateur Champion Robert Hall of Merdianville, Ala.

The 128-player tournament is the only non-handicapped national tournament sanctioned by the APA and is open to both members and non-members alike. U.S. Amateur Championship participants compete in a double elimination race-to-7 with a maximum of five games of 8-Ball and eight of 9-Ball. Once the field is narrowed to two competitors, the final match becomes a single elimination race-to-11 with up to 13 games of 9-Ball and eight of 8-Ball.
Players advance to the U.S. Amateur Championship by qualifying in one of 15 Preliminary Rounds at regional sites throughout the country. Preliminary rounds were conducted the weekend of Sept. 21-22.

Host Location:
Champion Billiards - Laurel, MD

Three years ago, the APA decided to move the site of the U.S. Amateur Championship from the “pool capital of the world - Las Vegas.”  The APA was looking for a more “upscale” establishment to host “the most prestigious amateur tournament in the history of the sport.”