The Lou Racquetball Tournament January 30th – February 2nd
For the 18th straight year the Prairie Athletic Club (PAC) is proud to team with the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) to bring the finest racquetball players in the world to Sun Prairie for the 22nd Annual Lou Bradley Memorial Pro-Am January 30 through February 2. The Pro draw has included many of the top players in the world over the past decade. This season it will include ALL of the top players as The Lou has been upgraded to a Tier 1 IRT stop, one of only 12 all season in addition to a pair of Grand Slam tourneys.
Top players from the Midwest, including Iowa’s Brad and Blake Hansen, Brad McCunniff, Derek Ott and Ryan Ratchford often make the trip. Former Sun Prairie standout Justus Benson and representatives of several other states will also help fill the Pro draw. Top players such as former Wisconsin state champions Andy Thompson, Tracy Chynoweth, Jay Wollenberg, Jimmy Crawford and Matt Stamborski may be in the mix as well.
Sign up for The Lou on R2 sports.
Matches are expected to be from 10 a.m. to about midnight on Friday; 7 a.m. until midnight on Saturday; and 7 a.m. until about 3 p.m. on Sunday. Pro qualifying matches will take place Thursday. Round of 16 pro matches will be Friday morning and afternoon with quarter-finals Friday evening. The pro semis will be Saturday, likely at 1 and 2 p.m., with the final Saturday night at 8 p.m. Pro matches will be on Court 7, which has a glass side wall for added viewing not only upstairs, but in the Lost Court bar and restaurant at ground level. Typically around 150+ people pack the PAC for the semis and final. Be sure to get your tickets early for reserved seats as they will surely sell out.
Join the party as PAC’s own D.J. Johnson, of Galaxy DJ, increase the energy above court 7 all night Saturday.
The excitement and speed of racquetball – where players hit the ball in excess of 180 MPH – make this event a great one to watch. Despite not being a Tier 1 event through its history, pro players will tell you this is one of the better events on the tour for the incredible atmosphere. That should only be even better this season. Tourney participants can watch any pro matches for free. Spectators can purchase a pass to watch the pro matches. Reserved seats for the pro matches will also be available.
Bradley was one of the true ambassadors of the sport of racquetball before passing and The Lou Bradley Sportsmanship Award is given out at the Wisconsin State Singles Tournament every spring to the player who most exemplifies the same passion for the game and ability to enjoy it that Lou did. Thanks to generous sponsorship from Bruce Thompson and Phil Sussek, we are still able to donate $5 of every entry from this tournament to the Lou Bradley Scholarship Fund, which has raised more than $50,000 since its inception. The Lou draws some of the top players in the world and nearly all of the best players in the Midwest, but that’s not what this tourney is all about. The tourney honors Bradley, who loved the game and loved to celebrate it.
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