6th Annual Ozone Billiards US Amateur Open

New Iberia,Louisiana -  The 2011 Ozone Billiards US Amateur Open is back in its 6th year and will bring forth some of the best amateur talents around the country. The event starts on July 28 until July 31 at Emerald Billiards in New Iberia,Louisiana. The Ozone Billiards US Amateur Open is produced by Dragon Promotions and will coincide with The Poison DP Pro Classic events. This 6th installment of this amateur extravaganza will feature 7 total tournaments with 9-Ball and 8-Ball disciplines, with divisions in Open, Women, Seniors, Mixed Doubles and new Pro-Am 9-Ball Open which allows all players pro or amateur to play. No Pros, No Semi-Pros, No Top Rated Amateur players will be allowed to play in the 8-Ball events. The amateur 8-Ball events are created for only the true amateur players, which makes it a fair chance for anyone to win. However Pro-Am 9-Ball events will let even the best players in the world play and welcomes the top amateur talents as well.   The Ozone Billiards US Amateur Open has been a pre-cursor of amateur players turning into professionals later on and is regarded as a major stepping stone for up and coming talent.
 
The winner of the Open 8-Ball will receive $3000 and the winner of the Pro-Am 9-Ball $5000 based on moderate field sizes. The event is sponsored also by Poison Cues by Predator, Simonis Cloth, and APA Acadiana.
 
“We are really pleased to continue this long standing event. It's now in its sixth year, and the Ozone Billiards US Amateur Open keeps drawing bigger and stronger fields. It's exciting to also work with the local APA franchise and for the amateurs to qualify and play with the pros in the Poison DP Pro Classic. There are several events for each player to play, so they have more than one shot to play. Men, women, and seniors from all over the country get an opportunity to do it all during the Ozone US Amateur Open”, said said Shawn Gargano, President of Ozone Billiards.
 
Ozone Billiards has had a history of supporting professional tours as well such as The Predator International 10-Ball Championship, The World Straight Pool Championship and the Dragon Promotions Pro Classic.
 
The host Emerald Billiards opened in 2008 but moved in 2009 to a new million dollar facility by owner Keith Hulin. Emerald Billiards has 20 Valley Bar Tables and 8 Brunswick Gold Crown Vs and  has hosted major amateur events such as the APA Tri-Cup with over 800 players. This will be the second time Emerald will host both the amateur and pro events. The event is also supported by the APA Acadiana operated by Preston and Lisa Granger, who run one of the top ten largest pool leagues in America with over 4000 members.

Emerald Billiards and the APA Acadiana will also be running numerous qualifiers where amateur players can earn a free spot into the pro events for $15-20 entry fees.

“This is one of the premier amateur events in the country and we are really happy to host it in Louisiana once again. And we are proud to be the only place in Louisiana bringing the best pros in the world”, said Keith Hulin, Owner of Emerald Billiards. This year top names such as Mika Immonen, Johnny Archer, Rodney Morris, Shane Van Boening, Shawn Putnam, Charlie Williams, and Thorsten Hohmann will be attending.
 
The pros themselves who attended last year were very impressed by the hospitality of Mr.Hulin and the Emerald Billiards staff and fans. “I never signed so many autographs in a poolroom in my life,” said top ranking pro Shawn Putnam. All seven of the advertised pro players from last year are all returning once again. This year's pro events will have a $2000 added 9-Ball and a $3,000 added 10-Ball back-to-back.

The amateur events will have great quality equipment on Valley 7 ft bar tables. No coins needed to play matches as there will be a $20 registration and green fee inclusive in every entry fee in all divisions. Players may also choose to play in multiple divisions with no scheduling conflicts.These events are open to all true amateurs(men or women) and no membership fee is required . There is also a Mixed Doubles 9-Ball so now men and women can travel and play together on one team, as well as play in their individual singles events .
 
The 9-Ball Pro-Am is open to all, and the 8-Ball has a Complete Updated Ineligible List of Players can be found at http://www.dragonpromotions.com/ineligiblelist.html
 
This event is designed for non-full time playing amateurs who do not play pool for a career. Note that below does not all apply to women. Click “Amateur Eligibility” to read Dragon Promotions Amateur Events Eligibility. Besides that list, the organizers of the event reserve the right to use their judgment if they deem a player not eligible for the event. Players who are not sure if they would be able to play should contact Dragon Promotions prior to the event.

Questions on Amateur event call 1-407-782-4978 email at dpamateurevents@gmail.com
 
The amateur event will be at same venue and next to the pro event. Amateur event players can also purchase tickets to watch the pro event at the door .

Follow the Ozone Billiards US Amateur Open on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.121650044544341.8474.121648024544543#!/usamateuropen
 
Ozone Billiards has been providing pool players with top quality billiard products for more than nine years. Its commitment to customer service has helped Ozone Billiards grow to be one of the largest retailers of billiard supplies in the United States. For more information about Ozone Billiards and its product lines, visit www.ozonebilliards.com