The Pro qualifier gauntlet
Well Folks….it’s that time of year again. The World Championships are quickly approaching and players from all over the country are preparing to compete in the Pro Qualifier. Let’s take a look at some of the numbers…..
First, I have to say, if you haven’t been to the ACL World Championships you’re missing out. The ACL HQ alone is a cornhole player’s dream. Boards everywhere, vendors galore and a fully stocked bar…I am set. The event itself though has a different feel, as many players attending are treating it as a business trip (as they perhaps should). Over 1500 unique players are registered for events over the course of the week, representing 48 out of 50 states (who can guess the two that aren’t??). Many Pro players enter this event needing a solid showing in order to attempt to automatically qualify (top 100 in singles/top 50 in doubles). Don’t get me wrong, the pro events are awesome….but the real show is on Sunday, when hundreds of “amateur” players and prior pros will compete in the Pro Qualifier.
The Pro Qualifier is officially sold out. 640 amateur individuals registered for the event along with 180 Pro/PDC players, making the grand total of 820 participants. EIGHT HUNDRED AND TWENTY…..that’s a decent turnout. What are they competing for you ask? Well each of these 820 individuals are competing for one of the 32 coveted spots which will grant them pro status for the 2022-2023 season. The odds aren’t great, as each player has a less than 4% chance to make through this gauntlet…let’s just hope all the boards are perfect and play the exact same speed…..
This year, it was announced that the format to earn one of these 32 spots has changed. This year, in Round 1, the 820 participants will be split into two groups of 410 players (I assume random assignment will determine this?). Each group will compete in a rounders style format (4 rounds) with the top 128 players from each group advancing (256 players total). Basically, to make it to Round 2, you have to be 3-1 or better. If you are following along, this means a participant has a 31.2% chance of advancing to Round 2.
in Round 2, everything resets and will feature the remaining 256 players competing in more rounders style format play (4 rounds). The Top 16 from this round will automatically qualify (6.25% chance). The individuals who earned these 16 spots would be the players who went 4-0 in Round 2. The next 48 placed players will then compete in a single elimination bracket for a chance to earn one of those last 16 spots. So in Round 2, even if you go 3-1…you are NOT guaranteed a spot in that single elimination bracket (a total of 64 players would be 3-1 after 4 rounds)….it all comes down to point differential. When all is said and done, 32 individuals will have earned the right to call themselves ACL Pros and would have beaten the odds.
It will be a grueling tournament. The magic number is 8…8 wins and they get one of the 32 spots…6 or 7 wins (between the first two rounds) and they MIGHT get a chance to earn their way in….but they better win big….
Be on the lookout for an article to drop next week about the “Price of being a Pro”……
As always, I hope you throw it straight and it’s nothing but 4 baggers from here on out! Cheers!
