The UK Open Billiards Championship, formerly known as the United Kingdom Professional English Billiards Championship, is an English billiards tournament, first contested in 1934. Joe Davis won the inaugural UK Professional English Billiards Championship title with a 18,745–18,309 defeat of Tom Newman. The tournament was originally organised by the Billiards Association and Control Council (BA&CC). After a dispute over a world championship challenge match, the Professional Billiard Players Association (PBPA) — which had been re-established in 1968 by reigning world billiards champion Rex Williams and seven other players – disaffiliated from the BA&CC. The PBPA changed its name to the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) in 1970, and declared itself the governing body for the professional games of snooker and English billiards.
After 1934, the UK Championship was the premier event of the billiards season in the UK, in the absence of any contests for the world championships. Walter Lindrum had won the World Professional Championship in 1933, and insisted that the competition should be held in Australia for his defence. Lindrum retained the world championship in 1934, and it was not contested again until 1952. The Championship was staged three more times before being in abeyance from 1952 to 1978. After a further hiatus from 2002, World Billiards, a WPBSA-affiliated organisation, reinstituted the tournament as an open event in 2015. From 1987, it has sometimes been played as a "short format" event, for example in January 1988 the matches before the final were the best-of-seven games of 150-up (i.e. the first player to reach 150 points won the game), and the final was the best-of-thirteen games of 150-up.
The competition was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and, as of April 2023, had not been held since. The tournament has been staged 36 times and produced 17 different champions. Mike Russell has won the title a record eight times, one more than Joe Davis's total. Causier has taken four titles, and the only other players to have won the tournament more than once are two-time champions Williams, Robby Foldvari, and Roxton Chapman.
Finals
+List of UK Professional/Open Billiards Championship finalsYearChampionRunner-upScore in the finalVenue 18,745–18,309 Thurston's Hall, London 21,733–19,910 Thurston's Hall, London 21,710–19,791 Thurston's Hall, London 22,601–18,321 Thurston's Hall, London 20,933–19,542 Thurston's Hall, London 21,601–18,383 Thurston's Hall, London –1945 Not held walkover Not held 7,002–6,428 Leicester Square Hall, London Not held 9,046–5,069 Burroughes Hall, London 8,120–6,011 Leicester Square Hall, London –1978 Not held 2,952–2,116 Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds 2,518–2,423 Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds 1,592–1,112 Winter Gardens, Margate Not held 1,500–1,032 Victoria Snooker Centre, Southend –1986 Not held 3–1 Romiley Forum, Stockport 7–3 Marton Hotel and Country Club, Middlesbrough 7–0 Marton Hotel and Country Club, Middlesbrough 1,478–1,058 Marton Hotel and Country Club, Middlesbrough 1,794–1,538 Radion Plaza, Sheffield 4–1 Royal Hampshire Snooker Lodge, Aldershot 4–0 Radion Plaza, Sheffield 1,073-332 Plymouth Pavilions 1,240–1,114 Bellingham Hotel, Wigan 1,690–1,277 Bellingham Hotel, Wigan 2,476–580 Norwich Sports Village 698–293 Preston Guild Hall 2,204–807 Hospitality Inn, Harrogate 1,382–1,293 Spa Hotel, Harrogate 5–1 Bournemouth International Centre 5–4 Barbican Centre, York –2014 Not held 409–351 Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds 913-427 Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds 946-915 Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds 796–667 Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds 632–315 Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds 875–388 Landywood Snooker Club, Walsall 1,094–223 Landywood Snooker Club, Walsall
Multiple champions +Multiple time UK Professional/Open Billiards Championship winners Player Total Years 8 1988 (Nov), 1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997 (Mar), 1998, 2017 7 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1936, 1939, 1946 5 2000, 2001, 2019, 2025, 2026 2 1979, 1981 2 1992, 1993 2 1999, 2015
Notes
References Citations
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