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Rodney Morris

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Rodney Morris
Morris c. 2007
Born (1970-11-25) November 25, 1970 (age 53)
Anaheim, California, U.S.
Sport country United States
Nickname"The Rocket"
Professional1993
Pool gamesNine-ball, ten-ball, eight-ball
Best finishSemi-finals, 2005 WPA World Nine-ball Championship
Tournament wins
Major
Other titles
Medal record
World Games
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Duisburg Individual

Rodney Morris (born November 25, 1970, in Anaheim, California) is a professional pool player, nicknamed "the Rocket". In 2016, he was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame. Morris won the 1996 U.S. Open Nine-ball Championship, 2003 World Pool League, 2006 UPA Pro Tour Championship (nine-ball), and 2013 U.S. Open Ten-ball Championship, among many other individual titles. In doubles play, he and Shane Van Boening took the 2008 World Cup of Pool. He has also been a member of the winning Team USA in the Mosconi Cup events of 2003–2005, and was the Mosconi Cup MVP in 2004.

Career

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In 1996, Morris won his first major tournament by defeating Efren Reyes in the finals of the U.S. Open Nine-ball Championship. In 2001, after five years of not playing in a professional tournament, Morris came back to win the Sands Regency Nine-ball Open. In 2003, he won the World Pool League nine-ball tournament, besting Thorsten Hohmann, the reigning world champion.[1]

He has represented Team USA in the Mosconi Cup on eight occasions, including the team's 2003, 2004, and 2005 victories against Team Europe in this annual nine-ball match. He received the Mosconi Cup's Most Valuable Player award in 2004.

As a member of the International Pool Tour (IPT),[2] in July 2006 he was runner-up to Efren Reyes in the inaugural IPT World Open Eight-ball Championship which was held in Reno, Nevada. While Reyes earned $500K for first place, Morris won $150K for second. Morris did take the 2006 United Pool Players Association (UPA) Pro Tour Championship in nine-ball.

In July 2007, Morris was designated as the Lead Player Representative of UPA (now United States Professional Poolplayers Association), the men's governing body of professional pool in the United States.[3]

In 2008, Rodney and Shane Van Boening won the World Cup of Pool doubles nine-ball event in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

While Morris's career has been dominated by nine-ball competition, he has also been professionally active in ten-ball, and won the 2007 Steve Mizerak Ten-ball Championship, and 2013 U.S. Open Ten-ball Championship,[4] among other events in the discipline. His eight-ball work has been less frequent, but includes a co-win in the 2010 Poison Doubles Eight-ball Championship.

Morris was honored with induction into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 2016.

Titles & Achievements

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Personal life

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Morris is of Chamorro–Hawaiian descent. He married his wife Rheyannon in July 2020, and they reside in Rome, Georgia.

References

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  1. ^ "Morris Takes League Title". AZBilliards. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  2. ^ "Rodney Morris Player Profile". InternationalPoolTour.com. International Pool Tour. Archived from the original on May 4, 2008. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  3. ^ "Rodney 'The Rocket' Morris, UPA Representative". AZBilliards. Archived from the original on December 19, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  4. ^ a b "US Open 10-Ball Championship 2013 Results". AZBilliards. 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
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Preceded by U.S. Open Nine-ball Champion
1996 		Succeeded by
Preceded by World Pool League champion
2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by U.S. Open Ten-ball Champion
2013 		Succeeded by
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