Finally got my first look at 12-year-old American "phenon" Gavin Mathew. He won the Arizona Next Gen event, 9-8, in the hill-hill final.
He did not make it easy on himself. Missed three 9 balls, twice leaving tap-ins for his opponent, Kaito Okumura, an up and comer from Japan.
One straight-in 9 he hit way too hard. The other times he missed his positional mark by shooting too hard. Both 9 balls were makeable, however.
Both players missed some gimmes, but they were playing on 4-inch pockets.
Mathew also scratched on an easy safety, taking almost no time to set up the shot. At times, he made Chezka Centeno look slow!
Hard to believe he is really is 12. Breaks harder than some WNT pros. Thumps like SVB. Excellent stroke. Pattern play surprisingly good for his age. And he pulls off some ridiculous shots.
Mathew needs to slow down, and like all young players, work on the defensive side of the game.
You have to figure a country the size of the U.S. should produce a world-class player every generation. Too early to say if he or Hayden Ernst will become that good as adults, but I have not seen more impressive teenagers in American pool since I became a convert to the sport in 2020.
