A field of eight professionals will chase a $5,000 jackpot in the 14th annual Winter Carnival Squash Open, Feb. 10-12, at Rosters Sports Club.
The full list of pro entries is not complete, but tournament directorSherman Dahl expects another batch of world-class players.
“We don’t usually confirm things until mid-January, but we will have Andrew Schnell of Calgary, Andrew Lynn of North Vancouver, Justin Todd of Vancouver and Thomas Brinkman of Manitoba coming for sure.”
Andrew McDougall of Calgary stopped Robin Clarke of Toronto 3-0 in last year’s open final.
McDougall, ranked No. 98 in the world, pocketed $1,500. Clarke, rated No. 77, earned $1,250.
Schnell, who lost a marathon five-game match to Clarke last year, claimed the 2010 Canadian junior title and now plays on the regular pro circuit. The 20-year-old attends the University of Calgary, where he studies philophosy and law.
Brinkman, formerly of Victoria, is 22, while Todd, is 23 so the young phenoms will push veterans like Lynn.
There will be men’s and women’s divisions for A through D players. Dahl and fellow directors Morey Walker, Lorne Lillemo, Murray Bennetto and Tammy Merriman expect a field of 90.
