Joe Kerr, Larry Kahan and Tom Elder teamed up to start the Glass City Open in 1984. The first one was held in Hi-Q Billiards and had a modest $2,400 added to the player entry fees. However, Joe Kerr, through his company, Joker Promotions, was able to attract many of the top players such as Mike Sigel (Glass city Open’s first champion), Kim Davenport, Buddy Hall, Earl Strickland, Wade Crane, Jimmy Mataya and many, many more.

In 1985 & 1986, the Glass City Open played at Hi-Q Billiards. The tournament was then moved to the Tam-O-Shanter Sports Hall and moved again in 1988 to begin a four year run at the former Sheraton Westgate Hotel (now the Clarion). In 1992 the Glass City Open had its final year at the Marriott Portside Hotel in downtown Toledo. Because of Larry Kahan and Joe Kerr’s declining health the tournament was discontinued.

Although Larry has now passed on, Joe Kerr remains alive but retired from the sport he loves so much because of a rare neurological disease called Myasthenia Gravis. Joe still communicates by phone and through the internet and wishes the best for all the fans and players.

The Glass City Open™, once the premier independently produced 9-ball tournament for the pro pool players around the world, is back. With the success of 2002 now a fond memory, Tom Gearhart and Tom Elder now look forward to bringing the world's best 9-ball players to Toledo again, November 10 - 14, 2004. Once again, this event is being held in the beautiful ballroom of the Clarion Hotel Westgate.

Veteran tournament director Scott Smith will be on board to make sure things run smoothly and Nick Varner, 2002 Glass City Open Champion, along with Johnny Archer, Jim Rempe, Corey Duel, Alex Pagulayan, Rodney Morris, and Keith McCready have already given their commitment to play in the 2003 Glass City Open.

Demise Of The Glass City Open

We want to thank Diamond Billiard Product's Greg Sullivan and Chad Scharlow for their sponsorship and financial support; Scott Smith for the superb tournament direction he provided and all the laughs he gave us and the crowds for the last four years; Fred Bollinger, Scott's assistant, who has tirelessly worked every Glass City Open since Larry Kahan started them in the Mid-Eighties, Rob Sykora from Billiard Club Network and Pat Fleming from AccuStats for making our dreams come true by televising the event for the whole world to see; a special thanks to our friends Johnny Archer, Nick Varner, Buddy Hall, Jim Rempe, Earl Strickland, Steve McAninch, Tommy Kennedy, Keith McCready and Jennie Malloy who helped us get the word out among the other pro players to play in our event; all the other pro players who included the Glass City Open on their tour stop, all the amateur players with dreams of playing their favorite pool stars...and beating them!, Diana Hoppe who captured some wonderful moments...frozen in time... with her camera, our friends, vendors, and especially the volunteers who made the Glass City Open one of the best tournaments in the country.