THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 20, 1996 TAG: 9609190160
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: 68 lines
BIG-TIME BILLIARDS finally came to Virginia Beach last week, when the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships were held at the Pavilion.
At 21 years old and counting, the Open is the longest-running billiards tournament in the country and is considered by those on the Pro Billiards Tour to be the premier event in the sport.
For the last five years, the tournament was held in Chesapeake. Before that, at the Norfolk Q-Master in Five Points. Q-Master owner Barry Behrman is the founding sponsor of the Open.
If the City of Virginia Beach is as pleased with the outcome as Behrman is, the event will be back at the Beach next year.
And the city should be very pleased.
The Open will air on Home Team Sports twice during the week of Oct. 21 and the intro to the footage features several scenes from Virginia Beach - the boardwalk, the fishing pier and the holiday lights festival. The show's announcers have plenty of good things to say about the city.
Local hotels and restaurants also benefited from the five-day event, as the 99 pros traveled from around the globe.
``We're extremely happy with everything about the move (from Chesapeake to Virginia Beach),'' Behrman said. ``We want to go back next year and have it scheduled for Oct. 1-5. The way things were run and the setting was fantastic. It was a great setup for spectators and players alike.''
The final, won by Rodney Morris of Hawaii over Efren Ryes of the Philippines, drew nearly 1,000 fans.
Behrman is the reason there even is a U.S. Open. He founded the event 21 years ago and has hosted it ever since. During that time, more players have aimed at the title than any other event on the tour.
``It's the most prestigious event, just ask any of them,'' he said. ``They all want to win it more than any other.''
Behrman got his start in billiards in September of 1971, when he opened the Paddle and Cue at Five Points. It was a small business with two ping-pong and seven pool tables.
He then moved across the street to a 33-table facility open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Three years ago, he opened the 35-table, 13,000-square-foot facility on Princess Anne Road near Newtown Road that features a full restaurant and retail store. Last year, he opened a 17-table, full bar and restaurant location at Waterside.
So how is it that a 1965 Frederick Military Academy graduate who used to work as an assistant athletic director for the Norfolk Department of Parks and Recreation could make it so big in the pool hall business?
``All walks of life and all ages are playing pool,'' said Behrman, who started playing just out of high school. ``It doesn't cost much and it's fun. With movies and television, it's just getting bigger every day.''
Behrman added a new twist to the Open this year when he brought in 32 bar-sized tables and joined up with the American Poolplayers Association to host an 800-strong amateur competition.
``We'll do that again next year as well,'' he said. ``That was a big hit.''
And so is the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships being played in Virginia Beach. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by LAWRENCE JACKSON
The final, won by Rodney Morris of Hawaii over Efren Ryes of the
Philippines, drew nearly 1,000 fans and a Home Team Sports TV crew.
It will be aired during the week of Oct. 21.
Efren Reyes, right, can only sit back and watch as Rodney Morris,
left, runs the table at the start of the U.S. Open 9-Ball
Championships held last week at the Pavilion. The five-day event
attracted 99 pro billiards players from around the world. by CNB