Let's take a look at the three biggest snooker tournaments in the world in details.
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Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a rectangular table covered in green baize (a type of felt), with pockets at each of the four corners and in the middle of each long side. In this article, we will know about the top three prestigious Snooker tournaments in the world. The Triple Crown in professional snooker implies winning the sport’s three longest-running and most prestigious tournaments. These tournaments consist of the World Snooker Championship, the Masters, and the UK Championship, collectively known as the Triple Crown Series since 2020. Let’s take a look at the three biggest snooker tournaments in the world in details.
Originating in 1927, the World Snooker Championship is placed as the oldest and most esteemed tournament in professional snooker. The prize pool of £2,395,000 was set in 2022 and the winner earned a sizable £500,000, which implies that it is the biggest snooker event. The Championship’s early years were dominated by Joe Davis, who claimed the first 15 championships before retiring undefeated in 1946. In 1969, the tournament shifted to its current knockout format, marking the onset of what is popularly recognized as the modern era of snooker. Since 1977, the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield has been the annual home to this event. Presently, the record of seven world titles is jointly held by Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Next is the Masters, an annual invitation-only snooker tournament that has been held since 1975. It originally catered to the top 10 players, with John Spencer claiming the inaugural trophy. In 1984, the invitation was extended to the top 16 players as per world rankings. In addition, between 1990 and 2010, a few wild-card places were introduced. Stephen Hendry stands out in this tournament’s history, having won an impressive six titles. Five of these were consecutive victories from 1989 to 1993.
The third on the list of the Triple Crown is the UK Championship, a ranking snooker tournament renowned for its popularity. Since its inception in 1977 at the Tower Circus in Blackpool, the Championship has usually taken place at York’s Barbican Centre. Initially, it was exclusive to British residents and passport holders. However, in 1984, the rules were modified to extend the eligibility to all professional players when the tournament was granted ranking status. Ronnie O’Sullivan holds the record for the most UK Championship wins with seven titles, followed closely by Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry, who have six and five titles respectively.
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