For the third straight year, CBS broadcasts the U.S. Open Polo Championship, which is now part of the Gauntlet of Polo, a new tournament series with an unprecedented $1 million prize purse. The inaugural Gauntlet of Polo will feature world-class players and horses competing in polo's toughest test, and the stakes are higher than ever.
The competition will feature all of the pomp that polo has to offer, as spectators don their derby hats in order to recognize polo's roots as a sport for the aristocracy. Think of it a bit like the Kentucky Derby.
The pace of polo is fast and furious, and the gauntlet is no exception. With the record-setting $1 million purse, every team is going to bring its best to the pitch.
The gauntlet is a two-month long competition, made up of three events, concluding with the 2019 U.S. Open Polo Championship that will be aired on CBS Sports. The U.S. Open Championship has the biggest prize of the three events, with the grand prize set at $250,000.
Pilot won the first event of the gauntlet, the C.V. Whitney Cup, with Matias Gonzales taking home the MVP award. The USPA Gold Cup is the second leg of the tournament and is ongoing. The final will be on March 24, then the final event of the tournament, the U.S. Open Championship, will begin on March 27.
The format will be as follows for the U.S. Open Polo Championship:
Teams will play within their bracket. After Bracket play, the top team from each bracket will go to the semifinals. Second and third place teams from both brackets go to a mini-quarter. Bracket I quarterfinalists will draw between the Bracket II quarterfinalists. Bracket winners will play in separate semifinals. They will play the mini-quarter winner that they have not yet played if possible. If both mini-quarter winners are from the same bracket, bracket winner will draw.
All matches will be streamed live on USPA Polo Network each week. Here's what you need to know in order to watch the highest-stakes polo match to date.
2019 U.S. Open Polo Championship
- Date: Sunday, April 28
- Time: 2 p.m. ET
- Location: Wellington, Florida
- Channel: CBS Sports
- Stream: CBS All Access -- Available on all devices
If you miss out on the action the first time around, don't worry! The competition will re-air on CBS Sports Network on Monday, April 29, at 7 p.m. ET.
