Scottish Pool Champion Jayson Shaw Hunts for Another US Open Win
Scottish potter Jayson Shaw is looking to roll back the good times at the US Open. The Glaswegian played the “best pool of my life” to land the 2017 US Open crown, and having had a string of near misses to become a double US champion in recent years, the title-hungry Scot heads to the Harrah Resort in Atlantic City next week (19-24 August) looking to strike gold again.
Reflecting on 2017 Victory
“It was really special winning the tournament in 2017 - and I’ve had a lot of good finishes there the last few years,” Shaw told SportsBoom.com.
“Last year I finished fifth and I’ve always seemed to play well there.”
“They used to have a qualifier in Scotland for the event, I was around 16 at the time and I won a few qualifiers to go to the US.”
“The first one I ever went to was with my dad and I did really well, it was a really professional set-up.”
“It was something I’d never experienced; it was really cool. I just wanted more of that.”
“I remember they paraded all the champions with green jackets like in golf and I said to my dad ‘I want one of them!’.
“Seeing all those previous champions get such special treatment was great, it really inspired me.”
I got to beat some of the world’s best players like Earl Strickland and Mike Siegel, it was a great experience, so to go there and eventually win the tournament was amazing.
Jayson Shaw
Pushing for Another Title
A six-time Mosconi Cup winner, Shaw has come a long away since his early teenage venture into the professional game.
Now the Mosconi Cup captain and proud Scot, 35, feels he’s in his prime and ready to add more titles to his already bulging collection, and coming out on top of an elite 256-man field at one of the best World Nineball Tour events on the calendar next week would be the perfect tonic ahead of November’s next Mosconi Cup.
I beat Eklent Kaci 13-4 in the final when I won the title in 2017, I just played so well,” reflected Shaw, who is targeting the $300,000 (£234,000) first prize.
Jayson Shaw
“For a number of years I’d always been knocking on the door, so I went away and practised so hard to win the event.”
“I ended up playing the best pool of my life that, the closest someone got to me was six or seven games, I was that good. Everything just came together.”
“But, if I’m being honest when I look back at it, I could have won the US Open three or four times.”
Ready for the Big Stage
Shaw has a busy few months ahead with the US Open and then the Hanoi Open (8-13 October), where he return as defending champion, before the Mosconi Cup (30 Nov – 3 Dec).
Having won the Super Billiards Expo Players Championship earlier the year, he’s confident he can shine on the biggest stage once again.
“I fancy my chances with it being in the States, as soon as you walk into that building it brings back good memories for me,” said Shaw.
“I’m playing well, but I’m hoping those great memories bring the best out of me.”
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.