Wikipedia

Q Tour

(Redirected from Challenge Tour (snooker))

The Q Tour is a series of snooker tournaments, immediately below the level of the World Snooker Main Tour.

Q Tour
Tournament information
Established1994–1995
FormatProfessional (1994–2005)
Amateur (2018–present)
Recent edition2023–24 Q Tour

The tour originally ran between the 1994–95 season and the 2004–05 season as professional non-ranking events. Due to the large numbers of players on tour at that time the new WPBSA Minor Tour was formed so players lower down the rankings had tournaments to play in. It was subsequently rebranded the UK Tour and then the Challenge Tour.[1] It was revived for the 2018–19 season, before being rebranded as the Q Tour for the 2021–22 season.[2][3]

History edit

The concept of a secondary professional tour was first experimented with in the 1994–95 season in the form of the WPBSA Minor Tour to provide competition for lower ranked professionals, but only ran for a season.[4] Due to over-subscription of the World Snooker Tour, a two-tiered tour structure was adopted from the 1997–98 season resulting in the Main Tour and the UK Tour. The Main Tour had an exclusive membership, whereas initially the whole professional membership could compete on the UK Tour and the best performers could earn promotion.[1] From the 1999–2000 season, entry was limited to players not competing on the Main Tour,[1] and from the 2001–02 season the UK Tour itself had an exclusive membership.[5] From the 2000–01 season it was rebranded the Challenge Tour.[4]

In its first season there were five events, but the number was reduced to four in the following seasons.[4] There were two official maximum breaks at the UK Tour, both in the 1998–99 season; the first was made by Stuart Bingham against Barry Hawkins in Event 3, and the second by Nick Dyson against Adrian Gunnell in Event 4.[1] The tour was discontinued after 2004–05 season.

The Pro Challenge Series was introduced for the 2009–10 season, all tour players being eligible to play.[6] Only four of the planned seven events were played before the series was axed due to low player participation.[7] The following season, 2010–11, saw the Pro Challenge Series replaced by the Players Tour Championship, a secondary tour comprising tournaments carrying ranking points, but at a much lower tariff than the major televised tournaments.

The Challenge Tour was revived in the 2018–19 season, consisting of ten events each played over one or two days, with prize money offered and a maximum field of 72 players (top 64 of the Q School Order of Merit, plus eight wildcards). The top two players from the Challenge Tour Order of Merit received a tour card for the following season.[2] From the 2020–21 season, the Challenge Tour was rebranded as the Q Tour.[3][8]

Event finals edit

[1][4]

Season Event Winner Runner-up Final score Venue Ref.
WPBSA Minor Tour (professional non-ranking)
1994–95 Event 1   Jamie Woodman   Matt Wilson 6–2 Antwerp
Event 2   Noppadon Noppachorn   Sammy Chong 8–6 Khon Kaen
Event 3   John Lardner   Eddie Manning 5–2 Munich
Event 4   Colin Morton   Matthew Couch 6–5 Helsinki
Event 5   David Roe   Tony Drago 6–3 Marsaskala
Event 6   Drew Henry   Mark Williams 6–5 Beijing
UK Tour (professional non-ranking)
1997–98 Event 1   Paul McPhillips   Michael Holt 6–5 Aldershot
Event 2   Mark Fenton   Antony Bolsover 6–4 Stockport
Event 3   Simon Bedford   Robert Milkins 6–4 Swindon
Event 4   Patrick Wallace   Shaun Murphy 6–4 Stirling
Event 5   Paul Sweeny   Hugh Abernethy 6–5 Newcastle-under-Lyme
1998–99 Event 1   Alfie Burden   Anthony Davies 6–5 Stockport
Event 2   Joe Swail   Alfie Burden 6–1 Swindon
Event 3   Stuart Bingham   Matthew Couch 6–1 Swindon
Event 4   James Reynolds   Jason Ferguson 6–4 Stockport
1999–2000 Event 1   Matt Wilson   Barry Hawkins 6–4 Oldham
Event 2   Andrew Higginson   Scott MacKenzie 6–3 Swindon
Event 3   Simon Bedford   Barry Hawkins 6–5 Stockport
Event 4   Barry Hawkins   Craig Butler 6–1 Swindon
Challenge Tour (professional non-ranking)
2000–01 Event 1   Adrian Rosa   Surinder Gill 6–4 Swindon
Event 2   Andrew Norman   Luke Fisher 6–3 Harrogate
Event 3   Shaun Murphy   Andrew Norman 6–3 Swindon
Event 4   Shaun Murphy   Luke Simmonds 6–2 Harrogate
2001–02 Event 1   James Reynolds   Steve Judd 6–5 Harrogate
Event 2   Leo Fernandez   Ryan Day 6–3 Swindon
Event 3   Lee Spick   Joe Delaney 6–3 Harrogate
Event 4   David Gilbert   Ryan Day 6–3 Swindon
2002–03 Event 1   Chris Melling   Tom Ford 6–2 Mansfield [9]
Event 2   Adrian Rosa   Stuart Mann 6–5 Swindon [10]
Event 3   Michael Rhodes   Luke Simmonds 6–5 Swindon [11]
Event 4   Kurt Maflin   James Leadbetter 6–2 Prestatyn [12]
2003–04 Event 1   Stefan Mazrocis   Paul Davison 6–2 Prestatyn [13]
Event 2   Hugh Abernethy   Gary Wilson 6–0 Prestatyn [14]
Event 3   Brian Salmon   Steve James 6–1 Prestatyn [15]
Event 4   Gary Wilson   Jin Long 6–4 Prestatyn [16]
2004–05 Event 1   Jamie Cope   Chris Norbury 6–2 Prestatyn [17]
Event 2   James Tatton   Matthew Barnes 6–4 Prestatyn [18]
Event 3   James McBain   Mark Allen 6–3 Prestatyn [19]
Event 4   Jamie Cope   Matthew Couch 6–0 Prestatyn [20]
Challenge Tour (amateur)
2018–19 Event 1   Brandon Sargeant   Luke Simmonds 3–1 Burton upon Trent
Event 2   David Grace   Mitchell Mann 3–0 Preston
Event 3   Barry Pinches   Jackson Page 3–2 Riga
Event 4   Mitchell Mann   Dylan Emery 3–0 Fürth
Event 5   David Lilley   Brandon Sargeant 3–1 Derby
Event 6   David Grace   Ben Hancorn 3–0 Lommel
Event 7   Joel Walker   Jenson Kendrick 3–0 Barnsley
Event 8   Simon Bedford   David Lilley 3–1 Budapest
Event 9   Adam Duffy   Matthew Glasby 3–1 Sheffield
Event 10   George Pragnell   Callum Lloyd 3–2 Gloucester
2019–20 Event 1   Ka Wai Cheung   Oliver Brown 3–1 Nuremberg
Event 2   Jake Nicholson   Andrew Pagett 3–1 Newbury
Event 3   Andrew Pagett   Robbie McGuigan 3–0 Leeds
Event 4   Ashley Hugill   Aaron Hill 3–1 Bruges
Event 5   Allan Taylor   Michael Collumb 3–1 Leicester
Event 6   Oliver Brown   Ashley Hugill 3–1 Budapest
Event 7   Dean Young   Andrew Pagett 3–1 Pelt
Event 8   Lukas Kleckers   Tyler Rees 3–1 Tamworth
Event 9   Ashley Hugill   Sydney Wilson 3–1 Llanelli
Event 10   Adam Duffy   Kuldesh Johal 3–1 Leicester
Tour Playoff   Allan Taylor   Adam Duffy 4–0 Sheffield
Q Tour (amateur)
2021–22 Event 1   David Lilley   Si Jiahui 5–1 Brighton
Event 2   Si Jiahui   Michael White 5–4 Llanelli
Event 3   Sean O'Sullivan   Julien Leclercq 5–2 Leicester
Event 4   Robbie McGuigan   Michael Collumb 5–3 Leeds
Playoff   Julien Leclercq   Alex Clenshaw 5–2 Darlington
2022–23 Event 1   Ross Muir   George Pragnell 5–2 North Shields
Event 2   Martin O'Donnell   George Pragnell 5–1 Brighton
Event 3   Farakh Ajaib   Harvey Chandler 5–3 Mons
Event 4   Billy Castle   Andrew Higginson 5–4 Stockholm
Event 5   Daniel Wells   Sydney Wilson 5–2 Walsall
Event 6   Martin O'Donnell   Ross Muir 5–1 Leeds
Playoff   Ashley Carty   Florian Nüßle 5–2 Darlington

Order of Merit winners edit

[1]

Season Winner
UK Tour (professional non-ranking)
1997–98   Paul McPhillips
1998–99   Alfie Burden
1999–2000   Barry Hawkins
Challenge Tour (professional non-ranking)
2000–01   Shaun Murphy
2001–02   Ryan Day
2002–03   Martin Gould
2003–04   Brian Salmon
2004–05   Jamie Cope
Challenge Tour (amateur)
2018–19   Brandon Sargeant
2019–20   Ashley Hugill
Q Tour (amateur)
2021–22   Si Jiahui
2022–23   Martin O'Donnell

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f "WPBSA Secondary Professional Tour". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 28 February 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  2. ^ a b "World Snooker Challenge Tour 2018/19". worldsnooker. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  3. ^ a b "WPBSA Q Tour Launched". WPBSA. 2020-07-21. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  4. ^ a b c d Hayton, Eric (2004). The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker. Suffolk: Rose Villa Publications. pp. Introduction, 166, 167 & 171–186. ISBN 978-0-9548549-0-4.
  5. ^ "2000 / 2001 Challenge Tour". fcsnooker. Preston, Lancashire: The Frank Callan Suite. 26 April 2002. Archived from the original on 2010-10-10. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  6. ^ Hendon, Dave (30 June 2009). "Pro Challenge Series Launched". Snooker Scene Blog. Snooker Scene. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  7. ^ Hendon, Dave (2 March 2010). "Pro Challenge Series Axed". Snooker Scene Blog. Snooker Scene. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  8. ^ "WPBSA Q Tour 2021/22". 10 September 2021. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021.
  9. ^ "2002-3 WSA Challenge Tour Event One". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-10-16. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  10. ^ "2002-3 WSA Challenge Tour Event Two". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-09-05. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  11. ^ "2002-3 WSA Challenge Tour Event Three". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-10-17. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  12. ^ "2002-3 WSA Challenge Tour Event 4". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-09-05. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Pontins World Snooker Challenge Tour - Event 1". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-04-21. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Pontins World Snooker Challenge Tour - Event 2". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-04-21. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Pontins World Snooker Challenge Tour - Event 3". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-03-19. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Pontins World Snooker Challenge Tour - Event 4". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 2006-03-19. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  17. ^ "2004-5 Pontin's Challenge Tour - Event One". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 2004-12-09. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  18. ^ "2004-5 Pontin's Challenge Tour - Event Two". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 2005-04-05. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  19. ^ "2004-5 Pontin's Challenge Tour - Event Three". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 2005-03-22. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  20. ^ "2004-5 Pontin's Challenge Tour - Event Four". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 2005-09-04. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
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