Ronnie O’Sullivan missed a crucial opportunity to pocket the unique golden ball in a practice session before the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship. Known as ‘The Rocket’, O’Sullivan aims to avoid a similar mishap during the tournament and secure his second title victory.
The championship introduces a special golden ball worth an additional 20 points, which remains on the table as long as a player has the chance to achieve a 147 break. If a player successfully achieves a maximum break, they earn the opportunity to pot the valuable golden ball, potentially setting a record-breaking 167 break.
The stakes are notably high as the player accomplishing this feat stands to gain a remarkable bonus of £760,000 ($1 million), surpassing the standard £250,000 awarded to the tournament winner. However, O’Sullivan’s practice session revealed the challenging nature of potting the golden ball.
In a video shared by the World Snooker Tour on social media, nine out of the 12 tournament competitors were filmed successfully pocketing a black ball on the practice table before attempting the golden ball shot. O’Sullivan, being the first to try, unfortunately saw his shot rebound off the cushion.
Fortunately, O’Sullivan wasn’t alone in missing the mark. Other players like Neil Robertson, Zhao Xintong, Shaun Murphy, and Ding Junhui will also be hoping for better luck if they get another opportunity during their matches.
On the contrary, Mark Williams, Mark Allen, and John Higgins aim to capitalize on their successful golden ball pots during practice. Kyren Wilson even displayed confidence with a no-look pot.
O’Sullivan will commence his campaign on Wednesday evening against either Shaun Murphy, the Masters champion, or Saudi Arabian teenager Ziyad Alqabbani in the opening round. The 49-year-old previously triumphed in the inaugural tournament in March 2024 by defeating Luca Brecel in the final. While chasing another title in Riyadh, O’Sullivan expressed his desire to be the first player to achieve a 167 break.
In anticipation of the competition, O’Sullivan remarked, “I’d rather get the big break. I mean, I won the tournament before, and it’s great to win it again, but to get the 167, I think that’d be amazing. An amazing achievement if anybody could do it.”
He added, “Someone said there’s been 14 147s this year, so that’s a hell of a lot. But to get that golden ball, that’s the true test. I don’t think anyone will do it, if that’s my personal opinion. I’d be happy to be wrong.”
Mark Allen returns as the defending champion after triumphing over Luca Brecel in the previous year’s final. The Riyadh Season Snooker Championship features the top 10 players globally, along with two Saudi Arabian wildcards.
The competition spans three days, culminating in the semi-finals and final scheduled for Friday, November 21.