The brand new tournament will feature ten of the world’s top players, two wild cards… and a new ‘golden ball‘.
The top ten stars in the official world rankings at the end of the Players Championship will automatically qualify to compete.
In addition to the automatic qualifiers, two wild cards will join to complete the 12-player field.
Luca Brecel will be the top seed following his World Snooker Championship triumph last year.
World No1 Ronnie O’Sullivan will also compete at the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker, along with the likes of Judd Trump and Mark Selby.
On X, The Rocket announced: “Very excited to be playing in the @RiyadhSeason World Masters of Snooker! Can’t wait to get out there and play in Saudi Arabia for the first time!”
When is the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker?
- The Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker will begin on Monday, March 4.
- The tournament will conclude on Wednesday, March 6.
- The Boulevard City in Riyadh will host.
What TV channel is it on and can it be live streamed?
- The Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker will be broadcast live on Eurosport.
- Eurosport subscribers can live stream the event via the discovery+ app/website.
- Alternatively, you can keep up to date with the huge tournament by following SunSport’s live blog.
What are the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker rules?
Each game will be played under the World Snooker rules and regulations with one MAJOR difference.
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There will be a special new 23rd ‘golden’ ball in use, which is known as the Riyadh Season ball.
The new ball will be worth 20 points and can only be potted once all of the other balls have been successfully cleared from the table if a player is on course to make a maximum break to make it 167 – which would be a world record and earn the individual a whopping £400k.
World Snooker Tour say that each frame will begin with the Gold Ball on the baulk cushion level with the brown spot.
If a player accidentally pots the Gold Ball early in the frame or hits it before hitting the object ball, it is a four-point foul.
The Gold Ball stays on the table as long as it is possible for a player to make a 147.
If a maximum is no longer possible, the Gold Ball is removed from the table by the referee until the next frame.
Who is playing at the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker?
The 12 players competing are:
- Ronnie O’Sullivan
- Judd Trump
- Mark Allen
- Luca Brecel
- Mark Selby
- Shaun Murphy
- Mark Williams
- Ali Carter
- John Higgins
- Ding Junhui
- Omar Alajlani (Wild Card)
- Ali Abobaidli (Wild Card)
What is the prize money for the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker?
Eddie Hearn has confirmed that the event will have a total prize pool of $1million (approx. £789,000).
If a player scores a maximum break (167) they will take home a huge £400k.
Here is a breakdown of how the prize money will be distributed:
Winner – £250,000
Runner-up – £125,000
Semi-finals – £75,000
Quarter-finals – £50,000
Round one – £25,000
Preliminary round – £5,000
What is the schedule for the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker?
Monday, March 4 – Round 1:
- Ding Junhui 4-0 Omar Alajlani – 2pm
- John Higgins 4-0 Ali Alobaidli – 3pm
- Ali Carter 4-3 Ding Junhui – 7pm
- Mark Williams 2-4 John Higgins – 8pm
Tuesday, March 5 – Quarter-finals:
- Mark Allen 4-3 Mark Selby – 2pm
- Luca Brecel 4-1 Ali Carter – 3pm
- Judd Trump 4-3 Shaun Murphy – 7pm
- Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-0 John Higgins – 8pm
Wednesday, March 6 – Semi-finals:
- Luca Brecel vs Shaun Murphy – 2pm
- Judd Trump vs Ronnie O’Sullivan – 3pm
Wednesday, March 6 – Final:
- Winner Of Match 9 vs Winner Of Match 10 – 7pm
What’s been said?
HE Advisor Turki Alalshikh said: “We are thrilled to be hosting our first-ever professional snooker tournament in the Kingdom.
“Snooker is watched and played by millions around the world and we look forward to welcoming some of the greatest players and snooker fans to our country and showing them what Saudi Arabia and Riyadh Season has to offer.”
Matchroom COO Steve Dawson said: “It is a great privilege for the World Snooker Tour to work in partnership with HE Advisor Turki Alalshikh to stage an event in Saudi Arabia for the first time.
“This is a huge breakthrough for snooker into a new territory, and we see this as the beginning of a new adventure for our sport in the region.
“We are looking forward to being a part of Riyadh Season on this fantastic new event featuring the world’s best players.
“We will be honoured to bring our sport to the amazing city of Riyadh, and for the local fans, this will be their first chance to see some of snooker’s all-time greats.”