As the race for Mosconi Cup spots gets underway in earnest, it’s America’s top player Shane Van Boening who leads the way after the Turning Stone Winter Event which took place in December.

Van Boening, who came top of the US Mosconi Cup rankings in 2011, beat the likes of Mike Dechaine, Ralf Souquet, Dennis Hatch and Rodney Morris before over-turning Raj Hundal in a close fought final.

That puts the ‘South Dakota Kid’ 40 points ahead of Morris in the early running with Dechaine filling out third place.

The US Mosconi Cup Ranking currently consists of five events. Points will be allocated as per the BCA Points List and each event will be weighted depending on total purse, size of field and number of top-ranked players competing.

Only players finishing in the last 32 of each event will be allocated points and at the conclusion, after the 2012 US Open, the top two players will automatically gain entry to the Mosconi Cup side.

The remaining three players will be Matchroom Sport wildcard picks although the ranking will play a part in this.

The next qualifying event is the Players Championship at Valley Forge which runs from 8th to 11th.

The Ranking

1. Shane Van Boening 140

2. Rodney Morris 100

3. Mike Dechaine 70

T4. Dennis Hatch 60

T4. Brandon Shuff 60

T6. Shawn Putnam 50

T6. Earl Strickland 50

T6. Dustin Morris 50

T9. Stevie Moore 40

T9. Jonathan Pinegar 40

T9. Bucky Souvanthong 40

T12. Larry Nevel 35

T12. Mike Davis 35

T12. Oscar Dominguez 35

T12. Shane Winters 35

T12. Oscar Bonilla 35

T12. Chris Lynch 35

T12. Dan Thompson 35