The United States Snooker Association (USSA) is pleased to announce the return of the rebranded USSA National Tour, with the 2024 season comprising of total of eleven events so far across nine cities which will offer players a chance to compete in USSA ranking events.

The Tour starts up again after a Covid pause, and coincides with a noticeable upswing in the popularity of snooker in the United States. "It is the perfect time to give players a chance to play for ranking points that will determine who is the highest ranked player in the US," said USSA National Tour Director, Mike Dominguez.

"The clubs involved with this Tour were excited to see it get underway again. Without their support there would be no Tour and we could not accomplish our collective goals. Talks are ongoing with other clubs who wish to join the Tour, so players should look out for further announcements."

The 2024 USSA National Tour will get underway from April 18-19 with the Texas Open at Q Ball Snooker & Pool in Houston, Texas, with the same host also staging the Houston Open over the weekend of October 12-13.

Delta Rocks Billiard in Alexandria, Virginia, will host the Virginia Open over the weekend of May 4-5. Delta Rocks Billiard is a fantastic facility which boasts six snooker tables and is located minutes outside of Washington DC.

In the state of Tennessee, there is no one promoting snooker more than Zia Sheik. He will stage the Tennessee State Championship at his Nashville Snooker Academy over the weekend of May 11-12, which is a wonderful facility and a very important addition to the Tour.

OX Billiards will host the OX Classic over the weekend of May 18-19 and the Washington State Championship over the weekend of July 13-14. OX is one of three clubs in the Pacific Northwest which will host a total of four Tour events in the area. The tree-lined and cloudy skies of Washington and Oregon State are becoming a hotbed for snooker in the United States, with In The Pocket Snooker Club in Rochester, Washington, hosting the NW Regional Championship over the weekend of August 24-25, and Legends Billiard Room in Beaverton, Oregon, ending the season with the Legends Classic over the weekend of December 7-8.

Chicago is another very important and popular area of snooker development in the United States, which has played host to a number of United States National Snooker Championships and Tour events over the years. Thankfully that tradition will continue this season as Chicago Snooker will host the Chicago Open from June 13-14.

The Arizona Snooker Academy in Chandler, Arizona, is the present home of the reigning United States National Snooker Champion, Daren Taylor, and will host the Arizona Open over the weekend of September 28-29.

The twice former United States National Snooker Champion and President of both the Pan American Billiards and Snooker Association (PABSA) and USSA, Ajeya Prabhakar, is the co-owner of the PABSA Academy in San Jose, California, which will host the San Jose Open from November 21-22.

Each owner of a host of a Tour event has autonomy for the running of their tournament, and can devise a format that fits in with their market and demand. As each Tour event approaches, hosts will announce details on how to enter. Interested participants should contact the host direct for further information about the Tour event, or contact Mike Dominguez by e-mail for general inquiries about the Tour at: mike@oxbilliards.com.

"It is clear that snooker is on the rise in the United States," says Dominguez. "A lot of committed people are doing their part to see snooker grow into a viable sport. Each snooker event, amateur or professional, in the United States serves to inspire and motivate players toward mastery in this precision sport.

"The 2024 USSA National Tour will provide long term competition and motivation across the country. The tour resumes with the purpose of creating branded tournaments with a sense of history and camaraderie between snooker clubs across the nation. We expect better things to come out of this in the near future."

Alan Morris, Executive Director of the USSA, said: "I would like to thank Mike and congratulate him on his excellent work reviving the Tour and putting this all together with the excellent support of each host.

"It is essential for the future development and growth of snooker in the United States that players have regular competion, and to attract the interest of new players to the sport."