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Masters (snooker)

The Masters
Tournament information
VenueAlexandra Palace
(since 2012)
LocationLondon
CountryEngland
Established1975
Organisation(s)World Snooker Tour
FormatNon-ranking event
Total prize fund£725,000[1]
Recent edition2024
Current champion Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)

The Masters is a professional invitational snooker tournament. Held every year since 1975, it is the second-longest-running professional snooker tournament after the World Championship. It is one of the three Triple Crown events, along with the UK Championship and the World Championship.[2] Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the World Snooker Tour.[3] The reigning champion is Ronnie O'Sullivan, who won his eighth Masters title in 2024, defeating Ali Carter 10‍–‍7.

The Masters began in 1975 as an invitational event for 10 top players. The inaugural champion was John Spencer. Since 1984, the standard invitees have been the top 16 players in the world rankings,[4] with the addition of two or three wild-card places in tournaments held between 1990 and 2010.

Eleven players have won the tournament more than once. Ronnie O'Sullivan has won a record eight titles. Stephen Hendry has won six titles, including a record five consecutive wins from 1989 to 1993. Steve Davis, Paul Hunter, Mark Selby, and Cliff Thorburn have won three titles each, and Alex Higgins, John Higgins, Neil Robertson, Judd Trump, and Mark Williams have won two each. O'Sullivan holds records as both the tournament's youngest and oldest winner, having won his first title in 1995, aged 19 years and 69 days, and his eighth title in 2024, aged 48 years and 40 days. John Higgins has made the most Masters appearances, with 30 as of 2024.[5][6] In 2016, the Masters trophy was renamed the Paul Hunter Trophy in honour of the former champion, who won the title three times in four years from 2001 to 2004, before he died in 2006 aged 27.[7]

Five maximum breaks have been made in the history of the tournament. Kirk Stevens made the first in 1984, Ding Junhui made the second in 2007, and Marco Fu made the third in 2015. Ding and Mark Allen made the fourth and fifth maximums respectively at the 2024 event.

  1. ^ "The Masters". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Mark Selby eyes snooker's Triple Crown after Masters win". BBC Sport. 21 January 2013. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  3. ^ Turner, Chris. "The Masters". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  4. ^ "Masters Snooker 2014: Ding Junhui to face Shaun Murphy". BBC Sport. 8 December 2014. Archived from the original on 20 January 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  5. ^ "Higgins Celebrates Record Appearance". World Snooker. 10 January 2022. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  6. ^ "O'Sullivan sweeps Brecel aside in Masters". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Paul Hunter: Masters trophy renamed in honour of ex-champion". BBC Sport. 20 April 2016. Archived from the original on 26 January 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

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