Tournament information | |
---|---|
Venue | Global Theatre |
Location | Boulevard City, Riyadh |
Country | Saudi Arabia |
Established | 2024 |
Organisation(s) | World Snooker Tour |
Format | Non-ranking event |
Total prize fund | £785,000 |
Winner's share | £250,000 |
Recent edition | 2024 |
Current champion | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) |
The World Masters of Snooker is a professional snooker non-ranking tournament held at the Global Theatre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Organised by the World Snooker Tour and part of the Riyadh Season festival in the entertainment district Boulevard City within Riyadh, the inaugural 2024 event was the first professional snooker tournament held in Saudi Arabia. The tournament introduced a special 20-point gold ball called the "Riyadh Season ball", which could only be potted after a player had completed a maximum break of 147 to extend the break to 167.
The event features a total prize fund of £785,000, with the winner receiving £250,000, the second highest top prize in professional snooker, tied with The Masters and after the World Championship. The 2024 event also had a $500,000 (about £395,000) prize for the first player to compile a 167 break, but it was not given as no players achieved the feat, and the prize was increased to $1,000,000 (about £785,000) for the 2025 event.[1]
The defending champion is Ronnie O'Sullivan, who defeated Luca Brecel 5–2 in the 2024 final, capturing his fifth professional title of the 2023–24 season.[1]