Ronnie O’Sullivan and co. will be back in Riyadh this December for the second time in under a year.
It has been announced that Saudi Arabia will host the second edition of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, which was first held in March. The unique tournament offers players the chance to win a staggering cash prize, worth just shy of £800,000, if they become the first in history to notch a 167 break.
Each match at the tournament will include a golden ball which becomes live only when a player makes a rare 147. And if they pot that ball, worth 20 points, with their next shot, the money will be theirs.
Nobody managed it in March’s trip to Riyadh, after which the chairman of Saudi’s General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, pledged to double the reward from £386,000 to £772,000 for the player who breaks new ground.
Potting the golden ball is more lucrative than winning the tournament itself, with O’Sullivan beating Luca Brecel in the final earlier this year and scooping up a cool £250,000. The Rocket raved about his trip to the Middle East after outclassing his opponent.
“It has been a fantastic tournament at a brilliant venue and the crowd have been amazing,” he said. “All the players have enjoyed the culture and hospitality. These are the tournaments I really want to play in, with a great atmosphere. Riyadh Season has a lot of the best sport – everyone needs to get to Saudi!”
O’Sullivan also admitted he has an eye on making golden ball history this time round. “I’ll get it next year – you don’t want to get it all at once,” he added. “I thought I’d win the tournament this year and get the golden ball next year.”
Only the top 10 players in the world rankings, as they stand after the UK Championship on December 1, will be invited to take part in the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship. With three counting events between now and then, those near the cut-off will be desperate to make the grade.
The likes of Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson, Mark Allen and O’Sullivan himself are all assured of their place. But for players like Ding Junhui, Zhang Anda, Ali Carter and Gary Wilson, the next few weeks will be crucial.
To rev up the players even further, World Snooker Tour chairman Steve Dawson said: “There is huge motivation for the players over the next few weeks to climb into the top ten and guarantee a place in the field at what will be a fantastic three days of the highest quality action. We would love to see one of them pot the Gold Ball and make history!”
