Players Championship (snooker)

Players Championship

Tournament information
Venue	S.E.C.C.
Location	Glasgow
Country	Scotland
Established	1981
Organisation(s)	World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
Format	Ranking event
Final Year	2004
Final champion(s)	Jimmy White

The Players Championship was a professional snooker tournament. It is the most recent name of the ranking tournament held in Scotland every year. The tournament has had a bewildering number of name changes in its history. Until recently it was commonly known as the Scottish Open, and prior to that as the International Open, and briefly as the Matchroom Trophy. Apart from a hiatus in the 1990/1991 and 1991/1992 seasons, the tournament remained a ranking event until 2003/2004.

History

The tournament began in 1981 as the International Open at the Assembly Rooms in Derby, and became the the following year the second ranking event after the World Championship. The event moved to the Eldon Square in Newcastle upon Tyne. Until 1984 the event was sponsored by Jameson Whiskey.^[1]

In 1985 the event moved to the Trentham Gardens in Stoke-on-Trent and was renamed (for this year only) to the Goya Matchroom Trophy due to sponsorship from Matchroom and Goya. The International Open name returned the following year and the sponsorship was overtaken by BCE (1986 and 1989) and Fidelity Unit Trusts (1987 and 1988). After 1989 the went to a two year hiatus.^[1]

The event returned in the 1992/1993 season with the sponsorship of Sky Sports. The event was moved to the second half of the season and was played at the Plymouth Pavilions. The event was moved again in 1994, this time to the Bournemouth International Centre. After an unsponsored year Sweater Shop took over for 1995 and 1996. In 1997 the event was moved to the Aberdeen Exhibition Centre and it was sponsored by Highland Spring.^[1]

In 1998 the event was renamed to Scottish Open, and it was sponsored by Imperial Tobacco through their Regal brand, who also sponored the Scottish Masters and Welsh Open.^[1][2] In 2003 the event was moved to Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh. For the first time in twelve years no top 16 player reached the final. The event than was renamed to the Players Championship for 2004, as it became the final event in the LG Electronics Tour.^[2] The event was sponsored by Daily Record and held at the SECC in Glasgow. After the event Sky decided not to renew their contract, and without television coverage the event was dropped.^[3]

Steve Davis is the tournament's most prolific winner with a record 6 wins from 8 finals. This included a 9–0 whitewash of Dennis Taylor in the 1981 final. There was two maximum breaks in the history of the tournament, both at the 2000 event. Stephen Maguire at the first qualifying round against Phaitoon Phonbun and Ronnie O'Sullivan in the last 32 against Quinten Hann.^[2][4]

Winners

^[1][2][3]

Year	Winner	Opponent	Final score	Season
International Open (non-ranking)
1981	Steve Davis	Dennis Taylor	9–0	1981/82
International Open (ranking)
1982	Tony Knowles	David Taylor	9–6	1982/83
1983	Steve Davis	Cliff Thorburn	9–4	1983/84
1984	Steve Davis	Tony Knowles	9–2	1984/85
Goya Matchroom Trophy (ranking)
1985	Cliff Thorburn	Jimmy White	12–10	1985/86
International Open (ranking)
1986	Neal Foulds	Cliff Thorburn	12–9	1986/87
1987	Steve Davis	Cliff Thorburn	12–5	1987/88
1988	Steve Davis	Jimmy White	12–6	1988/89
1989	Steve Davis	Stephen Hendry	9–4	1989/90
1993	Stephen Hendry	Steve Davis	10–6	1992/93
1994	John Parrott	James Wattana	9–5	1993/94
1995	John Higgins	Steve Davis	9–5	1994/95
1996	John Higgins	Rod Lawler	9–3	1995/96
1997	Stephen Hendry	Tony Drago	9–1	1996/97
Scottish Open (ranking)
1998	Ronnie O'Sullivan	John Higgins	9–5	1997/98
1999	Stephen Hendry	Graeme Dott	9–1	1998/99
2000	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Mark Williams	9–1	1999/00
2001	Peter Ebdon	Ken Doherty	9–7	2000/01
2002	Stephen Lee	David Gray	9–2	2001/02
2003	David Gray	Mark Selby	9–7	2002/03
Players Championship (ranking)
2004	Jimmy White	Paul Hunter	9–7	2003/04

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Turner, Chris. "International Open, Goya Matchroom Trophy". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/int.html. Retrieved 4 November 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Turner, Chris. "Scottish Open". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/scotopen.html. Retrieved 4 November 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Turner, Chris. "Players Championship". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/playchamp.html. Retrieved 4 November 2011. 
4. ^ Turner, Chris. "Maximum breaks". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Max.html. Retrieved 4 November 2011.