Best American player not to have won the U.S. Open?

[Mr441]

Rempe
Ellin
Hatch
McCready

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

Irving Crane.

 

[Drawman623]

Jim Rempe and Davenport.

A number of posts mention Jim Rempe, but Rempe won Johnson City in the last year that event was completed (predates the US Open) and then after the big raid ended Johnson City, Rempe won the Masters competition in the following year, which was the US Open of its day.

After Mr. Berman took over, it is true that Jim only managed a runner-up victory, but as far as I am concerned, Mr. Rempe proved he was best in the country at least twice formally prior to the event we know as the US Open today.

Rempe's US Open finalist trophy

 

[Mr441]

Irving Crane.

Well considering Crane was already 64 years old the year the first U.S. open 9 ball event was held I'd say he can be excused.

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

Well considering Crane was already 64 years old the year the first U.S. open 9 ball event was held I'd say he can be excused.

From Wikipedia:

Crane won almost two dozen major championships, including the World Crown in 1946, 1955, 1966, 1968, 1970 and 1972,[3] the Ballantine International Championship in 1965,[11] the International Roundrobin championship in 1968, [3] and the World Series of Billiards in 1978 at age 65.[1] Of these triumphs, his win at the 1966 World Crown is the most celebrated. At that tournament he ran 150 and out in the finals, never letting his opponent back to the table after an early safety battle; an accomplishment that has never been equaled.[3] Crane also holds the record for the most runner-up finishes for the World Crown with 13

I'll put a 65 year old Crane over half the guys named in this thread.

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

Luther Lassiter, too. That's probably higher than Irving Crane (9ball, at least).

 

[Andrew Manning]

From Wikipedia:



I'll put a 65 year old Crane over half the guys named in this thread.

Did he play 9-ball, though? His name comes up in every conversation about great 14.1 players, but this is a thread about a 9-ball event.

-Andrew

 

[D-Rock]

Homer Simpson.....

 

[Mr441]

From Wikipedia:



I'll put a 65 year old Crane over half the guys named in this thread.

Oh I agree with you there, but considering his age no one will ever say "he should have won it".

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

Oh I agree with you there, but considering his age no one will ever say "he should have won it".

That's 10 years older than the oldest US Open winner. I don't think that's a huge stretch. Also, given the current class of 60+ year old players, I wouldn't immediately dismiss them due to age.

 

[tigerseye]

Mike Fuller/Hillbilly Bryant....They still have time

 

[Celtic]

Jim Rempe for sure. He spent many years of his prime playing the event never to win it.

Keith was more the guy who went and broke the green room while the other guys played for the trophy.