2016–17 snooker season

The 2016–17 snooker season was a series of professional snooker tournaments played between 5 May 2016 and 1 May 2017.

The number of ranking events was increased in 2016/17, with a target of 20 ranking events for 2017/18. According to the World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn, total prize money for the World Snooker Tour in 2016/17 hit £10 million for the first time ever. The trophy for the Masters was renamed the Paul Hunter trophy in perpetuity, in memory of the three-time Masters champion who died in 2006.Announcements From Barry Hearn

The Snooker Shoot Out became a ranking event for the first time. The Australian Goldfields Open was cancelled.

The Players Championship featured the top-16 players on the one year ranking list, as the Players Tour Championship has been cancelled and no order of merit was issued.

The new Home Nations Series was introduced in this season with the English Open, Northern Ireland Open, Scottish Open and Welsh Open tournaments. The winner of all four tournaments could earn a massive £1 million bonus prize.What is the Home Nations series?

Mark Selby won five ranking events during the season with Anthony McGill and Judd Trump each winning twice. Trump appeared in five ranking event finals during the season.

Players The top 64 players from the prize money rankings after the 2016 World Championship, and the 30 players earning a two-year card the previous year automatically qualified for the season (Vinnie Calabrese has resigned his membership). The top eight players from the European Tour Order of Merit and top two players from the Asian Tour Order of Merit, who have not already qualified for the Main Tour, also qualify. Another two players come from the EBSA Qualifying Tour Play-Offs, and a further twelve places were available through the Q School. The rest of the places on to the tour come from the amateur events and national governing body nominations. Yan Bingtao's two-year tour card will commence this season. Also, since Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry have both retired from professional play, only James Wattana was offered an Invitational Tour Card. The list of all professional players in the 2016/2017 season includes 129 players.

New professional players All players listed below received a tour card for two seasons.

EBSA European Championship winner: EBSA European Under-21 Championship winner: ACBS Asian Championship winner: ACBS Asian Under-21 Championship winner: Oceania Championship winner: 2015/16 Tour Qualification: Making 128 (ish)

European Tour Order of Merit

Asian Tour Order of Merit

EBSA Qualifying Tour Play-Offs

Q School

Event 1

Event 2

Order of Merit

CBSA China Tour

Invitational Tour Card

Deferred Tour Card

Calendar The following tables outline the dates and results of all events of the World Snooker Tour, World Women's Snooker, the World Seniors Tour, and other events.Calendar 2016/20172016 snooker calendarCalendar 2016Calendar

World Snooker Tour Start Finish Tournament Venue Winner Runner-up 22 Jun 24 Jun Riga Masters Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia 52 5 Jul 9 Jul Indian Open HICC Novotel Hotel in Hyderabad, India 52 25 Jul 31 Jul World Open Yushan No.1 Middle School in Yushan, China 108 24 Aug 28 Aug Paul Hunter Classic Stadthalle in Fürth, Germany 42 5 Sep 10 Sep Six-red World Championship Bangkok Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand 87 19 Sep 25 Sep Shanghai Masters Shanghai Grand Stage in Shanghai, China 106 3 Oct 9 Oct European Masters Globus Circus in Bucharest, Romania 98 10 Oct 16 Oct English Open EventCity in Manchester, England 96 23 Oct 30 Oct International Championship Baihu Media Broadcasting Centre in Daqing, China 101 1 Nov 5 Nov China Championship Guangzhou Gymnasium in Guangzhou, China 107 7 Nov 12 Nov Champion of Champions Ricoh Arena in Coventry, England 107 14 Nov 20 Nov Northern Ireland Open Titanic Belfast in Belfast, Northern Ireland 98 22 Nov 4 Dec UK Championship Barbican Centre in York, England 107 12 Dec 18 Dec Scottish Open Commonwealth Arena in Glasgow, Scotland 94 15 Jan 22 Jan Masters Alexandra Palace in London, England 107 1 Feb 5 Feb German Masters Tempodrom in Berlin, Germany 96 6 Feb 12 Feb World Grand Prix Preston Guild Hall in Preston, England 107 13 Feb 19 Feb Welsh Open Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales 98 23 Feb 26 Feb Shoot Out Watford Colosseum in Watford, England 10 2 Jan 2 Mar Championship League Ricoh Arena in Coventry, England 30 3 Mar 5 Mar Gibraltar Open Tercentenary Sports Hall, Victoria Stadium in Gibraltar, Gibraltar 42 6 Mar 12 Mar Players Championship Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Wales 108 27 Mar 2 Apr China Open Beijing University Students' Gymnasium in Beijing, China 108 15 Apr 1 May World Championship Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England 1815 Ranking event Non-ranking event

World Ladies Billiards and Snooker Start Finish Tournament Venue Winner Runner-up 25 Aug 28 Aug Paul Hunter Ladies Classic Ballroom in Nuremberg, Germany 41 7 Oct 8 Oct UK Ladies Championship Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds, England 51 14 Jan 15 Jan Eden Women's Masters Cueball Derby in Derby, England 40 18 Feb Connie Gough Trophy Dunstable Snooker Club in Dunstable, England 42 13 Mar 19 Mar World Women's Championship Lagoon Billiard Room in Toa Payoh, Singapore 65 7 Apr World Women's 6-Red Championship Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds, England 43 10 Apr World Women's 10-Red Championship Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds, England 42

Seniors events Start Finish Tournament Venue Winner Runner-up 22 Mar 24 Mar World Seniors Championship Baths Hall in Scunthorpe, England 40

Other events Start Finish Tournament Venue Winner Runner-up 5 May 8 May Vienna Open 15 Reds Köö Wien Snooker Club in Vienna, Austria 51 8 Jun 12 Jun Pink Ribbon South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester, England 43 17 Oct 21 Oct Haining Open Haining Sports Center in Haining, China 53 Matt Selt is the 2016 Haining Open Champion after beating Li Hang 5-3 in the final 19 Dec 23 Dec Singapore Open Lagoon Billiard in Toa Payoh, Singapore 54 27 Jan 29 Jan Italian Open Sala Torre in Bolzano, Italy 32

Points distribution 2016/2017 points distribution for World Snooker Tour ranking events:

Tournament/Round→ R144 R128 R96 R80 R64 R48 R32 R16 QF SF F W Riga Masters – 0 – – 525 – 1,050 2,250 4,500 11,250 18,750 37,500 Indian Open – 0 – – 2,000 – 3,000 6,000 9,000 13,500 25,000 50,000 World Open – 0 – – 4,000 – 6,500 8,000 12,500 21,000 40,000 90,000 Paul Hunter Classic – 0 – – 525 – 900 1,725 3,000 4,500 9,000 18,750Shanghai Masters – 0 500Players who lose their first match receive no ranking points. – 2,000 3,000 6,000 8,000 12,000 19,500 35,000 85,000European Masters – 0 – – 1,312 – 2,625 4,500 8,250 13,125 26,250 56,250English Open – 0 – – 2,500 – 3,500 6,000 10,000 20,000 30,000 70,000 – 0 – – 4,000 – 7,000 12,000 17,500 30,000 65,000 125,000Northern Ireland Open – 0 – – 2,500 – 3,500 6,000 10,000 20,000 30,000 70,000UK Championship – 0 – – 5,000 – 10,000 15,000 22,500 35,000 75,000 170,000Scottish Open – 0 – – 2,500 – 3,500 6,000 10,000 20,000 30,000 70,000German Masters – 0 – – 1,500 – 3,000 3,750 7,500 15,000 26,250 60,000World Grand Prix – – – – – – 5,000 7,500 12,500 20,000 40,000 100,000Welsh Open – 0 – – 2,500 – 3,500 6,000 10,000 20,000 30,000 70,000Shoot Out – 0 – – 500 – 1,000 2,000 4,000 8,000 16,000 32,000 Gibraltar Open – 0 – – 525 – 900 1,725 3,000 4,500 9,000 18,750Players Championship – – – – – – – 10,000 15,000 30,000 50,000 125,000China Open – 0 – – 4,000 – 6,500 8,000 12,500 21,000 35,000 85,000World Championship 0 – – 8,000 – 12,000 16,000 25,000 37,500 75,000 160,000 375,000

Notes

References

External links Snooker season 2016/2017 at Snooker.org