US Pro Squash, an organization led by Joseph McManus and David Palmer, is launching a US based pro tour in 2010. McManus is a Boston-based entrepreneur, and David Palmer has been the most dominant professional squash player over the past decade. He is the Australian No. 1 and has been ranked in the World Top 10 for 110 consecutive months.
“We held our first tournament in September in Natick (MA) at the new and beautiful Cross Courts Squash Club. It was an intimate event where fans were able to interact with the players and get to know them off the court as well as on the court,” said McManus. In addition, the weekend festival of squash was a big success which included amateur clinics with the pros, a Rules and Referee clinic, as well as top notch professional squash.
With nearly 500,000 people playing squash in the United States and a quickly growing base of boys and girls playing the game at the junior levels, professional squash is poised to grow dramatically in the United States.
The draw included the reigning National Champions from Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United States. In addition, recent National Champions from Scotland, New Zealand, and the reigning National Collegiate Champion competed. Canadian Champion Shahier Razik won the tournament in an upset over Palmer (3-1).
On collaborating with Palmer, McManus is effusive in his praise for the Former World No. 1. “I think the world of David. He is a machine on the court. Off the court, he is a wonderful and thoughtful person, a great ambassador for the game. Since he and a growing list of other great players are now based in the US, it is a perfect chance to help grow the professional game in the US.”
In the tour’s first year, tournaments are already scheduled in metro Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco as well as three New York tournaments scheduled in Rye, Rochester and New York City.
“We’ve also been able to sign on some other top players including Nick Matthew (who recently won the Qatar Classic), Wael El Hindi (the 2008 Egyptian National Champion), and Former World No. 1 John White (now head coach at Franklin and Marshall College) for some of the tournaments,” continued McManus.
“In addition to bringing world class squash to local clubs, we are focused on improving the entertainment experience for fans,” continued McManus. “In our early discussion with clubs, we’ve discovered so many want to host a tournament. However, the time required to run a tournament can be daunting. Because we manage the events from beginning to end, clubs have been excited to work with us. In addition, our year-long calendar in several major markets is going to offer some great value to sponsors.”
