Billiards players take a shot at the world's best

Chris Futrell was 10 the first time he walked into Q-Master Billiards in Virginia Beach. He had recently unwrapped a Christmas present from his father: a cue stick.

It didn't take him long to learn his way around a pool table and start mastering the angles, strategy and pressure of the game.

Now a senior at Old Dominion, Futrell will go up against the world's best at the 36th annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships starting Sunday at the Chesapeake Conference Center. Shooters from more than 20 countries are again expected for the weeklong competition.

"This is definitely the hottest streak I've been on going into the Open," said Futrell, who is participating for the eighth time. "This summer gave me some confidence. I've definitely gotten better. I'm feeling as confident as I ever have."

In July, the 21-year-old became the youngest player to win the Virginia State 9-Ball Championships in Midlothian. A month later he took home top honors in a Great Southern Billiard Tour event at Q-Master.

His trophy case already was crowded.

Futrell won the Super Billiards Expo Junior tournament in King of Prussia, Pa., in 2003 at 12 and again in 2005. Three years ago, he won the Open tournament and collected the $5,000 top prize. He played on Team USA at the World Pool-Billiard Association World Junior 9-Ball Championship in Australia when he was 14 and in Germany at 17.

He estimates that he has played in about a thousand tournaments.

"I think it helped me mature," he said. "I guess if you are traveling around the world competing at national championships or world championships you see a lot of things and meet a lot of people. You learn a lot obviously about pool, but also about people and life in general."

Traveling to tournaments can get expensive. His parents paid for hotels and gas when he was younger; now, winnings from one tournament hopefully get him to the next. Futrell said he is proud to call Q-Master his home turf.

"In a sense I grew up in here and everyone liked me," he said. "I basically had 20 uncles here looking out for me."

Barry Behrman, owner of Q-Master and founder of the tournament, is used to Futrell being around and has watched him mature. The competition this week will be tough, he said.

"Of the 250 plus players in the tournament this year, there are seriously at least 50 that can win," he said. "We've had nine different winners in 10 years."

After 40 years in the business, Behrman also has watched the sport and his tournament blossom.

"We went from 16 players to over 200, and we had a full field of 256 last year," he said.

This year, he spread the $180,000 purse out a little. The $40,000 top prize is now $30,000.

"I'm going to make more players happy this year," Behrman said. "About 50 more players are going to go home with an extra $500 or $1,000.

Furtrell is set to graduate in May with a degree in exercise science.

But first, this U.S. Open, where the world's best face off on 16 blue felt 9-foot Diamond-brand tables.

He's finished in the money a few times before. He's confident about doing it again.

"I definitely know I'm capable of that," he said. "It just comes down to how I play and who I'm playing. It's not going to help playing the two best players in the world back to back. But we'll see. I'm feeling good, I'm feeling confident."

Roy A. Bahls, (757) 446-2351, roy.bahls@pilotonline.com