In September 2021, Matchroom Pool announced the news UK pool fans had long been waiting for – Britain was getting its own national 9-ball championship. Fast forward to the Spring of 2022 and the excitement around London is palpable as 256 of the world’s best players prepare to descend on the Capital for the UK Open, a brand-new Major event.
Set to take place at the Copper Box Arena in Stratford between 17–22 May, the tournament will boast a $200,000 total prize fund – a massive $30,000 of which will find its way to the winner. More than the money though, those competing at the UK Open will have the chance to improve their position on the Matchroom Pool World Rankings, increasing their chances of playing in November’s Mosconi Cup. Perhaps best of all, there is a place in history at stake. The player who sinks the final 9-ball on 22 May will etch their name into the record books as the first-ever winner of the UK Open Pool Championship.
While any opportunity to see the world’s best pool players in action is a welcome addition to London’s stacked sporting schedule, part of the allure of the UK Open is that it is just that – open. Like golf’s Open Championship and the US Open in tennis, the UK Open gives amateur players the chance to qualify and compete alongside the greats of the game, in a format famous for throwing up some of sport’s greatest fairy tale stories.
If you want to be there to see pool’s heroes and hopefuls go head-to-head in London, with British pool’s largest-ever prize fund on the line, day tickets are available from £24.60, while access to the entire tournament can be purchased for £112.60. Among those competing will be the likes of World Number One Shane Van Boening, Women’s World Champion Kelly Fisher, and of course, UK Number One Jayson Shaw, who is certain to be a hit with the home crowds.
“It’s fantastic seeing another event added to the UK calendar,” Shaw said when the UK Open was announced in September. “Everybody in the UK and Europe will be excited to have a big tournament there, and I am really looking forward to it. Matchroom are doing good things for pool, and this is massive for the UK game.”
For more information, or to buy tickets for the UK Open, click here.
