MOSCONI CUP

Fracasso-Verner out in Round 1 in Manila. His Mosconi Cup hopes now rest on a wildcard

The Connecticut pro lost 10–5 to Saldy Galliguez at the Philippines Open, the last event that counts toward qualifying. The automatic route onto Team USA is closed.

By Rack 9 · October 20, 2026

Lukas Fracasso-Verner needed a deep run in Quezon City. He got one match.

The world No. 40 lost 10–5 to Saldy Galliguez in Round 1 of the Philippines Open on Tuesday, Manila time. Galliguez isn't on the WNT world rankings. The event is a 128-player single-elimination draw, so the loss ends Fracasso-Verner's week. Galliguez plays Antonio Lining in Round 2.

For most players it's an early exit. For Fracasso-Verner it's bigger than that: the Philippines Open is the last event that counts toward automatic qualification for the 2026 Mosconi Cup.

Why Manila was must-win territory

The top three Americans on the Mosconi Cup ranking list after the Philippines Open (Oct 20–24) earn automatic spots on Team USA. Captain Johan Ruijsink picks the final two. The Mosconi Cup is November 27–30 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Shane Van Boening has already locked up the top spot. Fracasso-Verner came into Manila fifth on the list. These were the Team USA standings before the event:

1. Shane Van Boening: qualified
2. Tyler Styer: $27,470
3. Thorsten Hohmann: $25,050
4. Fedor Gorst: $24,870
5. Lukas Fracasso-Verner: $18,000
6. Skyler Woodward: $10,900
7. Justin Bergman: $7,500

The math: the automatic door is shut

Fracasso-Verner trailed Hohmann, in the last automatic spot, by $7,050. Round 1 losers don't earn prize money at the Philippines Open, so his total stays at $18,000, and the players above him can only add to theirs. There's no path into the top three.

That leaves one road to Orlando: a wildcard from Ruijsink. The non-playing captain led the Americans to their 2018 win at Alexandra Palace in London, and that team included a Mosconi Cup rookie in Tyler Styer.

Should Ruijsink pick him?

Fracasso-Verner has a real wildcard case, but it's built on the spring, not the fall.

The case for

He's a WNT winner. He went undefeated to win the InTheBx Open at Raxx Billiards on Long Island in March, beating Naoyuki Oi 13–10 in the final. That title ended a two-year wait for an American ranking-event winner on the World Nineball Tour.
He led the American race. In early June he sat second on the Team USA list, behind only Hohmann.
He's still ahead of the veterans on paper. Even after missing the summer, he ranks above Skyler Woodward and Justin Bergman.
He's the future. The Wallingford, Connecticut, pro has been climbing the Northeast tour since he was 14. Team USA hasn't won the Cup since 2019.

The case against

Lost time. On June 29 he was hurt in a head-on car crash near Asheville, North Carolina, and needed surgery. His ranking total hasn't moved from $18,000 since early June.
The return hasn't clicked yet. A 10–5 loss to an unranked player isn't the statement a captain wants a month before Orlando.
No Mosconi experience. He has never played in the event. In 2025, Billy Thorpe got a captain's pick ahead of him for the second straight year.

Who he's up against

The wildcard pool depends on a race that's still running. Hohmann holds third by just $180 over Fedor Gorst, the world No. 4. Hohmann won his first match in Manila 10–5, and Gorst opens on Wednesday. Whoever ends up fourth will have a strong wildcard case of his own, which could leave one spot for Fracasso-Verner, Woodward and Bergman to fight over. Bergman won his Round 1 match 10–2; Woodward plays Wednesday.

The Rack 9 take: a long shot for 2026, a contender for 2027

Orlando is a long shot now. Ruijsink would have to pick a player who hasn't added Mosconi ranking money since June over two Mosconi veterans and whichever of Hohmann or Gorst misses out.

The bigger picture is better. Fracasso-Verner is in his mid-20s, sits No. 40 in the world and already has a WNT title. The 2027 Mosconi Cup race starts with the next ranking event after this week, so he gets a clean slate and a full season to bank money.

The automatic spots lock after the final on October 24, with Ruijsink's wildcards to follow. Follow the rest of the week on Scores and the Power Rankings.