The goal of Ronnie O’Sullivan and company is to score the first-ever 167 in a brand-new snooker competition in Saudi Arabia.
With the possibility of making history, Ronnie O’Sullivan and a few of the top names in snooker have flown to Saudi Arabia for the Riyadh Season World Masters. The new competition, which will make its debut in the Middle East, will pay players an incredible £395,000.
A player can only pot the 23rd ball on the table, which is worth 20 points, if they have made a maximum break of 147. The gold ball, which is positioned along the baulk cushion, is then their chance to try for both history and a potentially life-altering financial gain.
O’Sullivan has expressed his desire to take home the prize of around £400k, but he could be cruelly turned down before he even sits down to play. The Rocket has a history of turning down opportunities to make maximal breaks due to the meager financial reward, but with the amount of money up for grabs in Saudi Arabia, he should be ready for some significant breaks.
But under the World Snooker Tour regulations, the £395k bonus will only be given to the first player to score a 167. This implies that O’Sullivan will not have a chance to grab the golden ball before others who arrive at the table before him do.
O’Sullivan would forfeit the substantial prize if he happens to be the second, third, or fourth player to make a 167, according to the existing regulations. Professional snooker competitions typically award cash prizes to players who score 147 or higher.
The first round of the event begins on Monday. In order to face Ali Carter and Mark Williams in the second round, wildcard entrants Omar Alajlani and Ali Alobaidli will face off against late entrants Ding Junhui and John Higgins.
The quarterfinals are held the next day after the second round, which takes place on Monday night. At this point in the competition, O’Sullivan will face either Williams or a qualifier, but up to seven matches will have previously happened.
