1991 WPBA US Open 9-Ball Championship

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Recap

Published April 13, 2026

The 1991 WPBA US Open 9-Ball Championship marked another milestone in what would become one of the most decorated careers in women’s professional pool. Ewa Laurance, competing under her maiden name Mataya at the time, won the prestigious title during the golden era of women’s professional billiards.

This victory came at a pivotal moment in Laurance’s career. Eight years after winning the 1983 Clyde Childress 9-Ball Open as the first female European player to win a professional pool event in the United States, the Swedish-American player had established herself as a dominant force on the WPBA tour. Her 1991 US Open triumph proved to be a stepping stone toward even greater achievements, including her 1994 World Nine-ball Championship.

The tournament featured top talent from early 1990s women’s professional pool. The WPBA tour during this period included players such as Loree Jon Jones and Robin Dodson, who became legends of the game. The separate women’s division of the US Open ran from 1984 to 1994 and provided a platform for female professionals to compete for one of the sport’s most prestigious titles.

Laurance’s victory was particularly significant given her background as an immigrant player who moved to the United States in 1981 at age 17. She started playing pool at age 4 in Sweden and brought a European playing style to the American pool scene. Her success helped establish a path for future international players on the WPBA tour and showed that excellence in pool was not limited by national origin.

The 1991 championship was part of Laurance’s remarkable collection of major titles, which eventually led to her 2004 induction into the Billiard Congress of America’s Hall of Fame. Laurance’s success during this era helped elevate women’s professional pool and inspired a new generation of female competitors.

Sources: Ewa Laurance – 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.