The Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker is set to kick off in Saudi Arabia for the first time, running for three days starting from March 4, 2024. The tournament will take place in Riyadh and feature the top eight snooker players in the world, along with two wild card entries.
The top eight players competing are Luca Brecel, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Allen, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams, and Ali Carter. The two wild cards for the tournament have been confirmed as Omar Alajlani from Saudi Arabia and Ali Alobaidli from Qatar.
One unique aspect of the tournament is the addition of a “golden ball,” worth 20 points, which can only be potted after all other balls have been cleared from the table if a player is on track to make a maximum break of 147. Snooker player Mark Allen discussed the golden ball on Instagram, sharing details about its placement on the table during gameplay.
The tournament schedule includes rounds starting on March 4 with the first round matches, followed by the quarter-finals on March 5, semi-finals and finals on March 6. The total prize fund for the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker is $1 million, with details of the prize money breakdown yet to be revealed.
Fans in the UK can catch all the action live on Eurosport 1, with coverage also available on discovery+, the Eurosport app, and eurosport.com for Eurosport subscribers. Matchroom COO Steve Dawson expressed enthusiasm for the event, highlighting the significance of bringing snooker to a new territory in Saudi Arabia.
The Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker promises to be an exciting event, providing a unique opportunity for fans in Riyadh to witness top-tier snooker competition featuring some of the sport’s greatest players.
