Challenge Tour (snooker)
Encyclopedia
The Challenge Tour was a series of professional snooker
tournaments that ran from the 1997/1998 season
until the 2004/2005 season
. The tour was immediately below the level of the WPBSA Main Tour. The series was initially known as UK Tour.
, a two-tiered tour structure was adopted from the 1997/1998 season
resulting in the Main Tour and the UK Tour. The Main Tour had an exclusive membership, whereas initially the whole professional membership could compete on the UK Tour and the best performers could earn promotion. From the 1999/2000
season entry was limited to players not competing on the Main Tour, and from the 2001/2002
season the UK Tour itself had an exclusive membership. From the 2000/2001 season
it was rebranded the Challenge Tour.
In its first season there were five events, but the number was reduced to four in the following seasons. There were two official maximum breaks at the UK Tour, both being made in the 1998/1999 season
. In Event 3 Stuart Bingham
made it against Barry Hawkins
and in Event 4 Nick Dyson
made it against Adrian Gunnell
. The tour was discontinued after 2004/2005
, but the concept was revived in 2010/2011
in the form of the Players Tour Championship
.
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
tournaments that ran from the 1997/1998 season
Snooker season 1997/1998
The snooker season 1997/1998 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1997 and 1998. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...
until the 2004/2005 season
Snooker season 2004/2005
The snooker season 2004/2005 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2004 and 2005. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...
. The tour was immediately below the level of the WPBSA Main Tour. The series was initially known as UK Tour.
History
Due to over-subscription of the World Snooker TourWorld Snooker Tour
The World Snooker Tour is a circuit of snooker tournaments organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association for their members. To compete as a professional player, players must be WPBSA members. The circuit comprises a two-tier tour structure, with a primary tour and a...
, a two-tiered tour structure was adopted from the 1997/1998 season
Snooker season 1997/1998
The snooker season 1997/1998 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1997 and 1998. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...
resulting in the Main Tour and the UK Tour. The Main Tour had an exclusive membership, whereas initially the whole professional membership could compete on the UK Tour and the best performers could earn promotion. From the 1999/2000
Snooker season 1999/2000
The snooker season 1999/2000 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1999 and 2000. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...
season entry was limited to players not competing on the Main Tour, and from the 2001/2002
Snooker season 2001/2002
The snooker season 2001/2002 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2001 and 2002. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...
season the UK Tour itself had an exclusive membership. From the 2000/2001 season
Snooker season 2000/2001
The snooker season 2000/2001 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2000 and 2001. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...
it was rebranded the Challenge Tour.
In its first season there were five events, but the number was reduced to four in the following seasons. There were two official maximum breaks at the UK Tour, both being made in the 1998/1999 season
Snooker season 1998/1999
The snooker season 1998/1999 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1998 and 1999. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...
. In Event 3 Stuart Bingham
Stuart Bingham
Stuart Bingham is an English professional snooker player. He was the 1996 English Amateur and World Amateur champion, but for many years was something of a journeyman professional. He had a run of strong results in late 2005, to earn him a top 32 world rankings place he has yet to lose...
made it against Barry Hawkins
Barry Hawkins
Barry Hawkins is an English professional snooker player. He has reached three ranking semi-finals, and spent five seasons inside the top 32 of the rankings. He has also played in the World Championship the last six years running.-Early career:Before taking up snooker professionally he was an...
and in Event 4 Nick Dyson
Nick Dyson
Nick Dyson is an English professional snooker player. He is one of a few players to have scored more than one 147 in tournament play. He has reached the last 32 of eight tournaments, including the 1991 and 2001 World Championship, but never progressed beyond this stage...
made it against Adrian Gunnell
Adrian Gunnell
Adrian Gunnell is an English professional snooker player from Telford. He has reached the last-16 in four world ranking events , but has yet to progress beyond that stage...
. The tour was discontinued after 2004/2005
Snooker season 2004/2005
The snooker season 2004/2005 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2004 and 2005. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...
, but the concept was revived in 2010/2011
Snooker season 2010/2011
The 2010/11 snooker season is a series of snooker tournaments played during 2010 and 2011. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :-New professional players:...
in the form of the Players Tour Championship
Players Tour Championship
The Players Tour Championship is a snooker series comprising 12 regular events and a Grand Final. Each event lasts for at least three days, with a qualifying event for amateurs should the event be oversubscribed...
.
Event finals
| Season | Event | Winner | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Tour | ||||
| 1997/1998 | Event 1 |  Paul McPhillipsPaul McPhillips Left-hander Paul McPhillips is a Scottish professional snooker player. He is best known as the regular practice partner of Stephen Hendry-Career:He was the UK Junior Champion in 1987... |
 Michael HoltMichael Holt (snooker player) Michael Holt is a professional snooker player from Nottingham, England. , he has reached the quarter finals of three ranking tournaments – the 1999 UK Championship, the 2003 LG Cup, and the 2005 Grand Prix.-Career:... |
6–5 |
| Event 2 |  Mark Fenton |
Antony Bolsover |
6–4 | |
| Event 3 | Simon Bedford Simon Bedford Simon Bedford is an English professional snooker player. His best run to date in a professional ranking event was to qualify for the 1998 World Championship beating Gary Wilkinson 10–9, before losing 10–6 to Steve Davis. He also reached the last 32 of the European Open in 2004 and the Grand Prix in... |
Robert Milkins Robert Milkins - External links :* * * *... |
6–4 | |
| Event 4 |  Patrick WallacePatrick Wallace Patrick Wallace is a former professional snooker player from Dungannon in Northern Ireland. He is an accountancy graduate from Queens University, Belfast... |
Shaun Murphy Shaun Murphy (snooker player) Shaun Murphy is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned... |
6–4 | |
| Event 5 | Paul Sweeny |
Hugh Abernethy |
6–5 | |
| 1998/1999 | Event 1 | Alfie Burden Alfred Burden Alfred "Alfie" Burden is an English professional snooker player who lives in London.-Career:Burden originally had his eyes set on making a career as a professional footballer, but a badly broken leg curtailed this ambition. He spent a couple of seasons at Arsenal F.C. as a schoolboy apprentice,... |
Anthony Davies Anthony Davies Anthony Davies is a former Welsh professional snooker player. He turned professional in 1991, and his best performance was at the 1995 Thailand Open, where he reached the quarter-finals. His highest professional break was 147, in the 1995 Thailand... |
6–5 |
| Event 2 | Joe Swail Joe Swail -External links:*... |
Alfie Burden Alfred Burden Alfred "Alfie" Burden is an English professional snooker player who lives in London.-Career:Burden originally had his eyes set on making a career as a professional footballer, but a badly broken leg curtailed this ambition. He spent a couple of seasons at Arsenal F.C. as a schoolboy apprentice,... |
6–1 | |
| Event 3 | Stuart Bingham Stuart Bingham Stuart Bingham is an English professional snooker player. He was the 1996 English Amateur and World Amateur champion, but for many years was something of a journeyman professional. He had a run of strong results in late 2005, to earn him a top 32 world rankings place he has yet to lose... |
Matthew Couch Matthew Couch Matthew Couch is an English professional snooker player from Scunthorpe. A professional since 1992, Couch has had little success in ranking events, although he reached the quarter-finals of the UK Championship in 1998, and his highest break is 141 from 2002.He returned to the Main Tour for the... |
6–1 | |
| Event 4 | James Reynolds |
Jason Ferguson Jason Ferguson (snooker player) Jason Ferguson is a former professional snooker player. He reached the World Snooker Championship on three occasions, and was for four seasons ranked in the world's top 32 players, reaching a peak position of #28.... |
6–4 | |
| 1999/2000 | Event 1 | Matt Wilson |
Barry Hawkins Barry Hawkins Barry Hawkins is an English professional snooker player. He has reached three ranking semi-finals, and spent five seasons inside the top 32 of the rankings. He has also played in the World Championship the last six years running.-Early career:Before taking up snooker professionally he was an... |
6–4 |
| Event 2 | Andrew Higginson Andrew Higginson Andrew Higginson is an English professional snooker player, currently living in Widnes. He is best known for reaching the final of the 2007 Welsh Open as a virtual unknown... |
Scott MacKenzie |
6–3 | |
| Event 3 | Simon Bedford Simon Bedford Simon Bedford is an English professional snooker player. His best run to date in a professional ranking event was to qualify for the 1998 World Championship beating Gary Wilkinson 10–9, before losing 10–6 to Steve Davis. He also reached the last 32 of the European Open in 2004 and the Grand Prix in... |
Barry Hawkins Barry Hawkins Barry Hawkins is an English professional snooker player. He has reached three ranking semi-finals, and spent five seasons inside the top 32 of the rankings. He has also played in the World Championship the last six years running.-Early career:Before taking up snooker professionally he was an... |
6–5 | |
| Event 4 | Barry Hawkins Barry Hawkins Barry Hawkins is an English professional snooker player. He has reached three ranking semi-finals, and spent five seasons inside the top 32 of the rankings. He has also played in the World Championship the last six years running.-Early career:Before taking up snooker professionally he was an... |
Craig Butler Craig Butler Craig Butler is a professional Canadian football defensive back in the Canadian Football League for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was drafted 12th overall by the Riders in the 2011 CFL Draft and signed with the team on June 1, 2011. He played CIS football for the Western Ontario Mustangs.-... |
6–1 | |
| Challenge Tour | ||||
| 2000/2001 | Event 1 | Adrian Rosa |
Surinder Gill |
6–4 |
| Event 2 | Andrew Norman Andrew Norman Andrew Norman is an English professional snooker player who lives in Bristol, who turned professional in 2001. He has progressed up the ranking list between 2005 and 2007, jumping 30 places... |
Luke Fisher |
6–3 | |
| Event 3 | Shaun Murphy Shaun Murphy (snooker player) Shaun Murphy is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned... |
Andrew Norman Andrew Norman Andrew Norman is an English professional snooker player who lives in Bristol, who turned professional in 2001. He has progressed up the ranking list between 2005 and 2007, jumping 30 places... |
6–3 | |
| Event 4 | Shaun Murphy Shaun Murphy (snooker player) Shaun Murphy is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned... |
Luke Simmonds |
6–2 | |
| 2001/2002 | Event 1 | James Reynolds |
Steve Judd |
6–5 |
| Event 2 |  Leo FernandezLeo Fernandez Leo Fernandez is a current amateur and former professional snooker player born in Limerick, Ireland and living in London, England. He is currently competing on the Pontins International Tour , attempting to gain promotion to the Main Tour to regain professional status... |
Ryan Day Ryan Day -External links:* * *... |
6–3 | |
| Event 3 | Lee Spick Lee Spick Lee Spick is an English snooker player. He has reached the last 48 of ranking events on four occasions, twice in the World Championship and twice in the China Open.-Career:He reached the last 48 of the 2006 World Championship and the 2007 China Open... |
Joe Delaney |
6–3 | |
| Event 4 | David Gilbert David Gilbert (snooker player) David Gilbert is an English professional snooker player. Gilbert is a former World Snooker Young Player of Distinction. Gilbert practices in Tamworth, Staffordshire at 'Tamworth Cue Sports Leisure Club'.-Career:... |
Ryan Day Ryan Day -External links:* * *... |
6–3 | |
| 2002/2003 | Event 1 | Chris Melling Chris Melling (pool player) Chris "The Magician" Melling is a British 8-ball pool player and former world number 1.He won the English Pool Association World Rules World Championship twice, in 2001 and 2003. He was ranked #1 in 2003 by the World Eight-ball Pool Federation.... |
Tom Ford Tom Ford (snooker player) -External links:*... |
6–2 |
| Event 2 | Adrian Rosa |
Stuart Mann |
6–5 | |
| Event 3 | Michael Rhodes |
Luke Simmonds |
6–5 | |
| Event 4 |  Kurt MaflinKurt Maflin Kurt Maflin , is a Norwegian professional snooker player.-Career:He began playing snooker at the age of four, achieving a high break of 25 by the time he was five. He increased his time spent at the table practising... |
James Leadbetter |
6–2 | |
| 2003/2004 | Event 1 |  Stefan MazrocisStefan Mazrocis Stefan Mazrocis is an international standard Dutch amateur snooker player. He was born of Latvian/English parentage, spent his early snooker years of snooker in Leicester, England honing his snooker skills. He has recorded three maximum breaks in a single day... |
Paul Davison Paul Davison Paul Davison is a professional snooker player from Pickering, North Yorkshire.He has qualified for the snooker main tour on a few occasions, and has managed to do so for the 2008/2009 and 2010/2011 season.-Career:... |
6–2 |
| Event 2 | Hugh Abernethy |
Gary Wilson |
6–0 | |
| Event 3 | Brian Salmon |
Steve James Steve James (snooker player) Stephen James is an English professional snooker player.-Career:A former postman, the high point of his career was his sole ranking title – the Mercantile Credit Classic in 1990, beating Australian Warren King 10–6 in the final... |
6–1 | |
| Event 4 | Gary Wilson |
 Jin LongJin Long Jin Long is a Chinese professional snooker player. He has managed to regain a Main Tour place by winning the 2008 Asian Championship, beating Aditya Mehta 7–3 in the final, having had spells on the tour on three previous occasions... |
6–4 | |
| 2004/2005 | Event 1 | Jamie Cope Jamie Cope -External links:***... |
Chris Norbury Chris Norbury Chris Norbury is an English professional snooker player. He played in the latter stages of the Paul Hunter Classic in both 2008 and 2009, losing in the first round to Shaun Murphy 4-1 in 2008, and losing to Dave Harold 4-2 in 2009.... |
6–2 |
| Event 2 | James Tatton James Tatton James Tatton is an English professional snooker player. He turned professional in 1996 and his highest break is 142.-References:*... |
Matthew Barnes |
6–4 | |
| Event 3 | James McBain |
Mark Allen Mark Allen (snooker player) Mark Allen is a Northern Irish professional snooker player. He won the World Amateur Championship in 2004. The following year he turned professional and took only three seasons to reach the elite top 16... |
6–3 | |
| Event 4 | Jamie Cope Jamie Cope -External links:***... |
Matthew Couch Matthew Couch Matthew Couch is an English professional snooker player from Scunthorpe. A professional since 1992, Couch has had little success in ranking events, although he reached the quarter-finals of the UK Championship in 1998, and his highest break is 141 from 2002.He returned to the Main Tour for the... |
6–0 | |
Order of Merit winners
| Season | Winner |
|---|---|
| UK Tour | |
| 1997/1998 | Paul McPhillips Paul McPhillips Left-hander Paul McPhillips is a Scottish professional snooker player. He is best known as the regular practice partner of Stephen Hendry-Career:He was the UK Junior Champion in 1987... |
| 1998/1999 | Alfie Burden Alfred Burden Alfred "Alfie" Burden is an English professional snooker player who lives in London.-Career:Burden originally had his eyes set on making a career as a professional footballer, but a badly broken leg curtailed this ambition. He spent a couple of seasons at Arsenal F.C. as a schoolboy apprentice,... |
| 1999/2000 | Barry Hawkins Barry Hawkins Barry Hawkins is an English professional snooker player. He has reached three ranking semi-finals, and spent five seasons inside the top 32 of the rankings. He has also played in the World Championship the last six years running.-Early career:Before taking up snooker professionally he was an... |
| Challenge Tour | |
| 2000/2001 | Shaun Murphy Shaun Murphy (snooker player) Shaun Murphy is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned... |
| 2001/2002 | Ryan Day Ryan Day -External links:* * *... |
| 2002/2003 | Martin Gould Martin Gould Martin Gould is an English professional snooker player from Pinner in the London Borough of Harrow. He practises at the Whetstone Snooker Club. He works part-time as a debt collector, where he picked up his nickname "Solid Gould".... |
| 2003/2004 | Brian Salmon |
| 2004/2005 | Jamie Cope Jamie Cope -External links:***... |