Malta’s Tony Drago has qualified to join the IPT Main Tour (8-ball pool) after finishing 27th at the world championship in Reno, Nevada, which came to an end last Sunday.

The Valletta-born Drago, well known also for his snooker potential as well as the nine-ball pool game, did extremely well considering this was his first ever venture in the 8-ball game.

In actual fact, he was one of 50 qualifiers and then pushed his way into the fourth round, where he was finally eliminated.

He finished 27th from among 200 participants, but the fact that he finished among the top 30 will enable him to join the Main Tour next season where he does not need to qualify to take part in the major tournaments around the United States.

In the process, Drago earned prize money of just over $25,000. The winner of the event, Efrem Reyes, won $500,000 and the runner-up, Rodney Morris, $150,000.

On his way to round four, Drago registered several good wins and was impressive with his fast play, becoming an attraction for the crowds, as he does in England with the game of snooker.