The Pontins Professional was an invitational professional non-ranking snooker tournament which ran from 1974 until 2000.
History Top snooker professionals had regularly supplemented their income from professional events by playing exhibition matches on the holiday camp circuit, with Pontins being a regular venue for entertaining holiday-makers. Beginning in 1974, a tournament involving eight professional players began at Pontins and became a regular point in the snooker calendar, usually occurring in the summer after the World Snooker Championship. This ran in conjunction with the Pontins Open, in which young amateur players can take part and qualify for the Professional event, provided a springboard for future stars such as Paul Hunter and Judd Trump. There were also juniors, seniors, and ladies events.
While top professional players regularly entered in the tournament's early years, the increase in the number of events on the snooker tour led to the biggest stars choosing not to enter in later years, and the professional tournament was last held in 2000.
Winners
Year Winner Runner-up Final score Season 1974 Ray Reardon John Spencer 10–9 1973/74 1975 Ray Reardon John Spencer 10–9 1974/75 1976 Ray Reardon Fred Davis 10–4 1975/76 1977 John Spencer John Pulman 7–5 1976/77 1978 Ray Reardon John Spencer 7–2 1977/78 1979 Doug Mountjoy Graham Miles 8–4 1978/79 1980 John Virgo Ray Reardon 9–6 1979/80 1981 Terry Griffiths Willie Thorne 9–8 1980/81 1982 Steve Davis Ray Reardon 9–4 1981/82 1983 Doug Mountjoy Ray Reardon 9–7 1982/83 1984 Willie Thorne John Spencer 9–7 1983/84 1985 Terry Griffiths John Spencer 9–7 1984/85 1986 Terry Griffiths Willie Thorne 9–6 1985/86 1987 Neal Foulds Willie Thorne 9–6 1986/87 1988 John Parrott Mike Hallett 9–1 1987/88 1989 Darren Morgan Tony Drago 9–2 1988/89 1990 Stephen Hendry Mike Hallett 9–6 1989/90 1991 Neal Foulds Mike Hallett 9–6 1990/91 1992 Steve James Neal Foulds 9–8 1991/92 1993 Ken Doherty Darren Morgan 9–3 1992/93 1994 Ken Doherty Nigel Bond 9–5 1993/94 1995 Peter Ebdon Ken Doherty 9–8 1994/95 1996 Ken Doherty Nigel Bond 9–7 1995/96 1997 Martin Clark Andy Hicks 9–7 1996/97 1998 Mark Williams Martin Clark 9–6 1997/98 1999 Jimmy White Matthew Stevens 9–5 1998/99 2000 Darren Morgan Jimmy White 9–2 1999/00
Statistics Finalists Rank Name Nationality Winner Finals1437231433034213421362027156813491129112111011110111101111011110111101111011803319022200112001120011200112001120011
Champions by country CountryPlayersTotalFirst titleLast title5121974200010111977199913199319961119901990 See also
Pontins Camber Sands Championship Pontins Open International Open Series – successor of the event with increased amateur participation
References