Ronnie O’Sullivan missed the opportunity to pocket the special golden ball during a pre-tournament practice session for the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship. Known as ‘The Rocket,’ O’Sullivan will be aiming to avoid a similar mishap when competing for his second championship title.
The unique element of this event is the introduction of a golden ball that carries an additional 20 points. This ball remains on the table as long as a player has the potential to achieve a maximum 147 break. Should a player succeed in achieving this feat, they have the chance to pot the valuable golden ball for a groundbreaking 167 break.
The stakes are notably high as the player who accomplishes this remarkable feat stands to receive a substantial £760,000 ($1 million) bonus, surpassing the £250,000 prize awarded to the tournament winner. Despite the challenge, O’Sullivan’s practice session highlighted the difficulty in successfully potting the golden ball.
In a video shared by the World Snooker Tour on social media, nine out of the 12 tournament participants were seen successfully potting a black ball on the practice table before attempting the golden ball shot. While O’Sullivan faced a setback with his shot rebounding off the cushion, other players like Neil Robertson, Zhao Xintong, Shaun Murphy, and Ding Junhui also struggled to hit the mark.
Conversely, Mark Williams, Mark Allen, and John Higgins displayed successful attempts at potting the golden ball during their practice sessions. Kyren Wilson even exhibited confidence by executing a no-look shot.
O’Sullivan is set to begin his campaign on Wednesday evening against either Shaun Murphy or Ziyad Alqabbani. The 49-year-old previously emerged victorious in the inaugural tournament in March 2024 by defeating Luca Brecel in the final. Despite pursuing another title in Riyadh, O’Sullivan expressed a desire to be the first player to achieve a 167 break.
The Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, featuring the world’s top 10 players and two Saudi Arabian wildcards, will conclude with both semi-finals and the final taking place on Friday, November 21.