Josh Watson of La Mesa recently finished runner-up at the 2023 U.S. Amateur Pool Championship. Watson advanced undefeated to the championship match against a field of the top amateur pool players from across North America.

His only loss came at the hands of eventual champion, Brett Stottlemyer of Pasadena, Md., in the championship final.

The U.S. Amateur Championship was produced and conducted by the American Poolplayers Association (APA) at the Wyndham Orlando Resort in Orlando, Fla., Nov. 2-5.

Watson was one of only 128 players who qualified for the Championship Rounds by winning one of several qualifying tournaments held across the country. Nearly 3,000 players attempted to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship.

The double-elimination tournament offers the top amateur players the opportunity to showcase their skills through a combination of 8-Ball and 9-Ball matches.

Watson’s semifinal round victory, which secured his spot in the championship match, can be viewed online at: Jacob Watson VS Joshua Watson – 2023 U.S. Amateur Championship.

The APA, based in Lake Saint Louis, Mo., sanctions the world’s largest amateur pool league, known as the APA Pool League throughout the United States and as the Canadian Pool League in Canada. Nearly 250,000 members compete in weekly 8-Ball and 9-Ball league play. The APA is generally recognized as the Governing Body of Amateur Pool, having established the official rules, championships, formats and handicap systems for the sport of amateur billiards.

The APA produces four major tournaments each year – the APA World Pool Championships, the APA Poolplayer Championships, the APA Junior Championships and the U.S. Amateur Championship – that, together, pay out nearly $2 Million in cash and prizes annually.