Australian ace Jake McCartney’s decision to base himself in the UK for the inaugural Ultimate Pool Professional Series was immediately vindicated when he won Event 2 in front of the live television cameras.

From Ballarat in Victoria, the popular Aussie was cheered on by fans on both sides of the world as he defeated Shaun Storry, John Roe, Jordan Church, Dom Cooney and then Shane Thompson 6-3 in the final to lift the trophy in memorable circumstances.

A trailblazer for the sport, McCartney continued to ride the crest of a wave at the next Pro Series weekend, Event 3, sweeping aside Rob Chilton 7-0 and then the returning four-time world champion Gareth Potts 7-4 before bowing out to France’s Christophe Lambert in the quarter-finals.

‘Jake Star’ finished the 2021 season as the number nine ranked professional – well inside the elite top 16 who are seeded throughout the 2022 campaign.

McCartney is no stranger to travelling to the UK; in 2016 he was part of the victorious Australian outfit that won the World Team Championship in Blackpool. Competing as an individual, he was a regular on the 2019 Supreme Pool Series in which he made the quarter-finals of the Supreme Masters and the last 16 of the season-ending Grand Finals.

On home soil McCartney has claimed a plethora of titles including the 2015 Big Guns – Australia’s richest 8-ball event – banking $10,000 after going undefeated throughout in Bundoora, culminating in an 11-5 victory over Rusty Wheeler in the final.

He is also a three-time Berri Open champion and a five-time Geelong Open champion – two events that boast hundreds of entries.

McCartney has also won the ANZAC Open and multiple Townsville Opens. In 2011, he was the ‘Player of the Series’ when Australia took on the British Lions in a test series in Campbelltown, New South Wales.

Jake 'Jakestar' McCartney Facebook Page

Best UPG Tournament Results

Professional Series: 1x Event Winner (2021 Event 2)
Professional Cup: Last 32 (2021)
Champions League: N/A
Masters: N/A
Champion of Champions: Last 16 (2021)
Pairs Cup: N/A