1984 US Open 9-Ball Championship

Results

Place	Player	Prize
1	Earl Strickland
2	Mike Sigel

Recap

Published April 13, 2026

The 1984 US Open 9-Ball Championship at Norfolk's Lake Wright Hotel was held with Earl "The Pearl" Strickland, then 23 years old, winning his first US Open title. Strickland had previously won the 1983 Caesars Tahoe Billiard Classic, earning $35,000.

Strickland defeated Mike Sigel in the final. Sigel was a two-time US Open champion (1976, 1980) and had won his third US Open title in 1983. The two players employed different approaches—Sigel used careful, deliberate technique while Strickland favored more aggressive shot selection.

Strickland's victory marked the beginning of an exceptional US Open run. This 1984 win was the first of five US Open championships spanning nearly two decades, with additional titles in 1987, 1993, 1997, and 2000. No other player in the tournament's history has won more than three US Open titles.

The significance of this win extended beyond the prize money and green blazer awarded to US Open champions. It established Strickland as a top nine-ball talent and launched a career that would include three world championships and over 100 professional titles. The victory also began the Strickland-Sigel rivalry that became prominent in nine-ball during the 1980s and 1990s, with their competitive matches raising the sport's profile.

The 1984 US Open represented a shift in professional nine-ball's top tier. While Sigel remained competitive at the highest level, this tournament marked the beginning of Strickland's dominance among the game's competitors for the next two decades.

Sources: Earl Strickland – Wikipedia U.S. Open Pool Championship – Wikipedia

This recap was compiled from public tournament records and tournament organizer communications. ForceFollow is not affiliated with the tournament organizer.