In 2023: 900 Stars Starred in Open Series at Woking…

Some good news for Woking…

A HANDFUL OF STARS who competed in the fast and furious Snooker Legends 900 turned out to Woking Snooker Centre for the WPBSA Open Series Event on the weekend.

But it was the teenage talent Oliver Sykes who scooped the WPBSA Open Series on Saturday, November 4th.

35 entries was a good turnout for the event, which was eventually won by the talented Cuestars Under-21 star 17-year-old Oliver Sykes, who defeated Labeeb Ahmed in the final 3 – 1.

Australian professional Ryan Thomerson, the World no 110 on the Main Tour, was present at the event and reached the quarter-finals.

In 2022: SnookerZone interviewed Ryan Thomerson, nicknamed in the early days as “First Round Ryan”. Read it here …

Marcos Dayao, who made a John Higgins-like clearance in the first week of the 900, Cuestars Senior Dharminder Lilly, winner of week 6, Billy Castle, who had a good run in one week, and is one commentator on the event, also played in the Open event at Woking.

Many of the top amateurs in the game, from the different tours, could be described as professionals in all but name. For example, Michael Holt, now an amateur, is really a professional in all but name.

Home Wokng star player and World Women’s No 15, Jasmine Bolsover, 23, who gave a gutsy performance in week five of the event of the 900, narrowly missing out on semi-final places in the event, also starred in the star-studded line-up at the Surrey-based club, and has made a Youtube recorded 147 there.

Woking star of the World Disability Tour, who recently reached a final in Germany, Dalton The Digger Lawrence also played in the event and played SnookerZone’s Chris Gaynor in the first round, who competed in the event for the first time.

Chris Gaynor, 41, also a loyal long-standing member of the club since 2015, who has competed in Cuestars events, and nearly won matches, and the weekend tournaments at Woking where he has been a semi-finalist in the handicap, and the 2023 Bob Mason Open, competed in the event for the first time in the WPBSA Open Series, and said: “It was great to see a good turnout at the event and these events are great for players of all abilities to play top players, some who play for five hours a day, and have that luxury, and improve and keep learning the game.

These kinds of events were never held at Woking for a long time from 2015 onwards, until the introduction of Club Manager Peter Ruddick and his team, so it is good to see all these events back on at a snooker club. Well done to Terry Teeman for the Tournament Director role.

SnookerZone wrote a newspaper article about Woking C and local star Peter Butler in the Byfleet League when Woking C won the Division 2 League Title and Peter Butler had made a 63, the highest break of that division that season. World No 15 Jasmine Bolsover has also been featured in the Woking News in the past for the Coaching Day done with WPBSA Coach Kai Michael and World no 7 Emma Parker.

IN 2023: SEE THAT SUCCESSFUL COACHING DAY HERE

Congratulations to Peter Butler for recently making a century at the Club. We spoke to Butler, who runs the Sunday Junior Coaching Club at the club over the weekend, who was over the moon and had “always wanted to make it.”

Massive congratulations to @SnookerWoking , @snookercuestars & @ByfleetLeague player Pete Butler @shots_pb on his first ton .(101) @snookerhub pic.twitter.com/I4kQBxBxwT

— Cue Surrey (@CueSurrey) November 5, 2023

“Gaynor added on his Open Series appearance: “I was pleased to support the turnout for the event and enjoy competing and trying to further develop my game under the pressure of competition when I can, against some of the top stars of the game. Even though I didn’t get through the first round, I made a delightful five-ball break on the colours at the end of the last frame, despite needing snookers, and showed my opponent I hadn’t been intimidated by the occasion. I gave a good account of myself during the match and sometimes the scorelines in frames don’t reflect that! I played some great safety, which is the strongest part of my game. I will keep pushing on.”

Some top players from the Premier Division of the Byfleet League also appeared in the line-up.

Monday in the 900 sees Matt Ford, another we’ve interviewed on SnookerZone, as well as Cuestars founder John Hunter, who plays on Tuesday.

Dayao spoke to Gaynor of SnookerZone at the event and said he thoroughly enjoyed his experience playing in the Snooker Legends 900 in Week One.

The Snooker Legends 900 continues for the final week of TV qualifying this week for the Grand Finals on November 22nd, where one lucky star will pick up the Snooker Legends 900 trophy and pocket a £10,000 amateur prize, the biggest in amateur snooker since Pot Black.

Catch the 900 on Mondays to Wednesdays at 10 PM on Sky 427 and The YouTube SportyStuff TV channel.

Good luck to everyone who is competing in the 900 this week for the final week of TV qualifying. 

WOKING NOW HAS ITS OWN YOUTUBE CHANNEL