Rory McLeod (snooker player)
Encyclopedia
Rory McLeod is an English
professional snooker
player. After ten years on the Challenge Tour he reached the Main Tour professional ranks for the 2001/2002 season, paving the way for a solid journeyman career.
although this victory against a noticeably ill Paul Hunter
was bittersweet. His best results of 2004/2005 were 2 last-48 runs, the Welsh Open
run including a victory over Shaun Murphy
. He marrowly missed out on a place in the last 16 of the 2007 Grand Prix
, losing on frame difference in his group to Barry Hawkins
.
He qualified for the 2008 UK Championship by beating Jimmy White
and Dave Harold
where he played Ronnie O'Sullivan
. He slipped 6–0 down before launching an impressive comeback by winning five consecutive frames (including three successive centuries), but ultimately lost 9–6. Later in the season he defeated Ian McCulloch
to qualify for the World Championship for the first time in 2009, becoming the first black player to have done so. He faced Mark King
in the first round but despite putting in a resilient performance lost 10–6. However, his performances throughout the season saw him rise to his highest ranking yet of #39.
In 2009 he won the Masters Qualifying Event, beating Andrew Higginson
6–1 in the final, to earn a place at the final stages of the 2010 Masters where he lost 6–2 to Mark Williams
.
He followed this up by qualifying for the UK Championship, being knocked out in the first round by Neil Robertson
.
McLeod qualified for the World Snooker Championship
for the second time in 2011
, and was drawn against seeded player Ricky Walden
in the first round. In a minor upset, McLeod won the match 10–6 to set up a second-round match with world #1 John Higgins. After the match, Walden criticised McLeod's slow style of play, though McLeod was playing only marginally slower than Walden. McLeod responded to the criticism by arguing that Walden was more responsible for the pace of the match. McLeod was ultimately defeated by the eventual champion John Higgins 13–7 in the second round.
On 1 July 2011, respected Dutch referee Jan Verhaas
stated on his Twitter page that McLeod refused to shake the hand of female snooker referee Ivy Zhu after his victory over Robert Milkins
in a qualifier for the Australian Goldfields Open
. Verhaas' comment read: "Rory McLeod refused to shake female ref Ivy Zhu's hand this morning because of his muslim beliefs. You may think what you like about it...".
McLeod qualified for the 2011 Australian Goldfields Open
, and beat Peter Ebdon
in the first round 5 frames to 3, before going out to Shaun Murphy
in the second round.
McLeod has qualified for the 2011 UK Championship.
n parentage, and is the only black professional snooker player. He was born in Wellingborough
, Northamptonshire
, where he attended Victoria Junior School, Westfield Boys School and Sir Christopher Hatton School. He first played snooker seriously at the Embassy Club, Wellingborough, in his early teens, but was also a talented schoolboy footballer. A former pub landlord, he became a Muslim
around 2000. He now spends much of his time in Qatar
, where he coaches their national snooker team.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional snooker
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 :...
player. After ten years on the Challenge Tour he reached the Main Tour professional ranks for the 2001/2002 season, paving the way for a solid journeyman career.
Career
McLeod has reached the last 16 of five ranking tournaments. The first of these was the 2005 Grand PrixGrand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
although this victory against a noticeably ill Paul Hunter
Paul Hunter
Paul Alan Hunter was an English professional snooker player. His media profile developed swiftly and he became known as the "Beckham of the Baize" because of his good looks and flamboyant style....
was bittersweet. His best results of 2004/2005 were 2 last-48 runs, the Welsh Open
Welsh Open (snooker)
The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...
run including a victory over 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...
. He marrowly missed out on a place in the last 16 of the 2007 Grand Prix
Grand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
, losing on frame difference in his group to 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...
.
He qualified for the 2008 UK Championship by beating Jimmy White
Jimmy White
James Warren "Jimmy" White MBE is an English professional snooker player. Nicknamed the "Whirlwind" and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a multiple World Championship finalist renowned for losing each of the six finals he contested.White's extensive list of achievements,...
and Dave Harold
Dave Harold
David 'Dave' Harold is an English professional snooker player from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. He is known by the nicknames of "the Hard Man" and "the Stoke Potter"...
where he played Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...
. He slipped 6–0 down before launching an impressive comeback by winning five consecutive frames (including three successive centuries), but ultimately lost 9–6. Later in the season he defeated Ian McCulloch
Ian McCulloch (snooker player)
-External links:**...
to qualify for the World Championship for the first time in 2009, becoming the first black player to have done so. He faced Mark King
Mark King (snooker player)
Mark King is an English professional snooker player. He has not yet won a ranking tournament, but came close when he was a beaten finalist in the 1997 Regal Welsh Open and the 2004 Irish Masters.- Career :...
in the first round but despite putting in a resilient performance lost 10–6. However, his performances throughout the season saw him rise to his highest ranking yet of #39.
In 2009 he won the Masters Qualifying Event, beating 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...
6–1 in the final, to earn a place at the final stages of the 2010 Masters where he lost 6–2 to Mark Williams
Mark Williams (snooker player)
Mark James Williams, MBE is a Welsh professional snooker player who has been World Champion twice, in 2000 and 2003. Often noted for his single-ball potting, he has earned the nickname, The Welsh Potting Machine...
.
He followed this up by qualifying for the UK Championship, being knocked out in the first round by Neil Robertson
Neil Robertson (snooker player)
Neil Robertson is an Australian professional snooker player and the 2010 World Champion and World #4...
.
McLeod qualified for the World Snooker Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
for the second time in 2011
2011 World Snooker Championship
The 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 16 April and 2 May 2011 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 74th edition of the event and was the last ranking event of the 2010/2011 snooker season...
, and was drawn against seeded player Ricky Walden
Ricky Walden
-External links:**...
in the first round. In a minor upset, McLeod won the match 10–6 to set up a second-round match with world #1 John Higgins. After the match, Walden criticised McLeod's slow style of play, though McLeod was playing only marginally slower than Walden. McLeod responded to the criticism by arguing that Walden was more responsible for the pace of the match. McLeod was ultimately defeated by the eventual champion John Higgins 13–7 in the second round.
On 1 July 2011, respected Dutch referee Jan Verhaas
Jan Verhaas
Jan Verhaas is a Dutch snooker referee. He lives in Brielle.-Career:After working as a process operator for Shell Chemicals, Verhaas qualified as a class 1 snooker referee in 1990. At the age of 25, he was discovered during a tournament in Rotterdam...
stated on his Twitter page that McLeod refused to shake the hand of female snooker referee Ivy Zhu after his victory over Robert Milkins
Robert Milkins
- External links :* * * *...
in a qualifier for the Australian Goldfields Open
2011 Australian Goldfields Open
-Final:-Qualifying:These matches took place between 26 and 30 June 2011 at the World Snooker Academy, Sheffield, England. David Gilbert was the only player to go through all four rounds of qualifying to make it to the main stage.-Preliminary round:...
. Verhaas' comment read: "Rory McLeod refused to shake female ref Ivy Zhu's hand this morning because of his muslim beliefs. You may think what you like about it...".
McLeod qualified for the 2011 Australian Goldfields Open
2011 Australian Goldfields Open
-Final:-Qualifying:These matches took place between 26 and 30 June 2011 at the World Snooker Academy, Sheffield, England. David Gilbert was the only player to go through all four rounds of qualifying to make it to the main stage.-Preliminary round:...
, and beat Peter Ebdon
Peter Ebdon
Peter "Ebbo" Ebdon is an English professional snooker player and former world champion renowned for his remarkably focused, determined style of play.-Early years:...
in the first round 5 frames to 3, before going out to Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy may refer to:*Shaun Murphy , English snooker player*Shaun Murphy , retired Australian soccer player*Shaun Murphy , aka Stoney, American singer-See also:...
in the second round.
McLeod has qualified for the 2011 UK Championship.
Personal life
McLeod is of JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n parentage, and is the only black professional snooker player. He was born in Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, where he attended Victoria Junior School, Westfield Boys School and Sir Christopher Hatton School. He first played snooker seriously at the Embassy Club, Wellingborough, in his early teens, but was also a talented schoolboy footballer. A former pub landlord, he became a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
around 2000. He now spends much of his time in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, where he coaches their national snooker team.