La Mesa man finishes runner-up in U.S. Amateur Pool Championship

By SDCN Editor

Orlando, Florida–A La Mesa man finished runner-up at the 2023 U.S. Amateur Pool Championship in Florida.

Josh Watson advanced undefeated to the championship match against a field of the top amateur players from across North America. 

Watson’s only loss came at the hands of eventual champion, Brett Stottlemyer of Pasadena, Maryland in the championship final.

The U.S. Amateur Championship was produced and conducted by the American Poolplayers Association (APA) at the Wyndham Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida from November 2 to 5.

Watson was one of only 128 players who qualified for the Championship Rounds by winning one of several qualifying tournaments held across the country. Nearly 3,000 players attempted to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship.

The double-elimination tournament offers the top amateur players the opportunity to showcase their skills through a combination of 8-ball and 9-ball matches.

The APA, based in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, sanctions the world’s largest amateur pool league, known as the APA Pool League throughout the United States and as the Canadian Pool League in Canada. Nearly 250,000 members compete in weekly 8-Ball and 9-Ball league play. The association is generally recognized as the Governing Body of Amateur Pool, having established the official rules, championships, formats, and handicap systems for the sport of amateur billiards.

The APA produces four major tournaments each year – the APA World Pool Championships, the APA Poolplayer Championships, the APA Junior Championships and the U.S. Amateur Championship – that, together, pay out nearly $2 million in cash and prizes annually.

The association and its championships are sponsored by PoolDawg, Aramith, Action Cues, and Diamond Billiard Products.

For more information on the U.S. Amateur Championship, visit https://poolplayers.com/us-amateur-championship/.