Prize money Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker: how much is up for grabs

THE Riyadh World Masters of Snooker season takes place for the first time TOMORROW.

Ronnie O’Sullivan will be among the top ten players from the official world rankings taking part in the opening tournament.

1

World champion Luca Brecel will be the top seed after his victory at the Crucible last year.

Two wildcards, Omar Alajlani and Ali Abobaidli, will join the top ten to form the field of twelve players. They will be local players coming from an invitational league in the run-up to the tournament.

SunSport has all the info on the huge prize pool available in Riyadh.

What is the prize money of Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker?

Eddie Hearn has confirmed that the event will have a total prize pool of $1 million (approximately £789,000).

If a player scores a maximum break (167), he will take home a huge £400,000.

Here’s an overview of how the prize money is distributed:

Winner – £250,000
Second place – £125,000
Semi-finals – £75,000
Quarterfinals – £50,000
Round one – £25,000
Preliminary round – £5,000

When is the Riyadh World Masters of Snooker season?

• The Riyadh World Masters of Snooker season gets underway Monday March 4.
• The tournament will end on Wednesday March 6.
• Eurosport will offer full coverage for UK viewers, although session times are yet to be confirmed.

What are the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker Rules?

Every game is played according to the rules and regulations of World Snooker – with one BIG difference.

A controversial new 23rd ball will be introduced, known as the Riyadh Season ball, which will be gold.

The new ball is worth 20 points and can only be pocketed once if a player is on course to make a maximum break.

The 20 points would bring the maximum to 167: a new world record.

World Snooker Tour says that each frame starts with the Golden Ball on the beam cushion level with the brown spot.

If a player accidentally pockets or hits the gold ball early in the frame before hitting the object ball, it is a four-point foul.

The Golden Ball remains on the table as long as it is possible for a player to make a 147.

If a maximum is no longer possible, the Golden Ball will be removed from the table by the referee until the next frame.

Who will play World Masters of Snooker during the Riyadh Season?

The 12 players participating 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 schedule for the Riyadh World Masters of Snooker season?

Monday March 4 – Round 1:

• Ding Junui vs. Omar Alajlani – 2:00 PM
• John Higgins vs. Ali Alobaidli – 3:00 PM
• Ali Carter vs. Match 1 Winner – 7:00 PM
• Mark Williams vs. Match 2 Winner – 8:00 PM

Tuesday March 5 – Quarter-finals:

• Mark Allen vs. Mark Selby – 2:00 PM
• Luca Brecel versus winner of match 3:00 PM – 3:00 PM
• Judd Trump vs. Shaun Murphy – 7:00 PM
• Ronnie O’Sullivan vs winner of match 4pm – 8pm

Wednesday March 6 – Semi-finals:

• Winner of Match 5 vs. Winner of Match 6 – 2:00 PM
• Winner of Match 7 vs. Winner of Match 8 – 3:00 PM

Wednesday March 6 – Final:

• Winner of Match 9 vs. Winner of Match 10 – 7:00 PM