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Pontins Open

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Pontins Open
Tournament information
VenuePontins
LocationPrestatyn
CountryWales
Established1974
FormatPro–am event
Final year2011

The Pontins Open events were a series of pro–am snooker tournaments which ran from 1974 until 2011.[1]

History

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From the early 1970s, top professionals had supplemented their income entertaining and coaching holiday makers on the holiday camp circuit and at Pontin's in particular. That organisation organised several Snooker Festivals at which ordinary members of the public could join with top amateurs and the best professionals in open tournaments.

The first of these events was held in 1974 and eight top professionals were invited to take part in the Pontins Professional (which ended in 2000) while many others joined them in the Open event where up to 1000 hopefuls would set out with the chance to meet one of their idols in the later rounds. The most important of these festivals was the Pontins Spring Open held at Prestatyn, Wales. A similar Open event, the Pontins Autumn Open was held later in the year and attracted almost as many top names as the spring event.

The professionals had to concede up to 25 points per frame to the amateurs (this figure varied over the years) and this format meant that many of the star names fell to good amateurs. In the earlier years nearly all the top players took part but as the number of tour events increased very few entered in later years.

The Autumn Open ended in 2009 and the Spring Open ended in 2011 and the festival in later years also hosted the final Challenge Tour event where players battle for places on the main tour in the following season.

A later event which began in 2006, the Pontins World Series consisted of six qualifying events, open to amateurs and main tour professionals and was played in the summer and autumn. Points were awarded for each event with the best five results counting towards a merit table. The leading 64 players qualified to play in the series final. This tournament ran for four editions ending in 2009.[1]

Finals

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Pontins Spring Open

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[1]

Year Winner Runner-up Final score Season
1974  Doug Mountjoy (WAL)  John Spencer (ENG) 7–4 1973/74
1975  Ray Reardon (WAL)  John Virgo (ENG) 7–1 1974/75
1976  Doug Mountjoy (WAL)  Lance Pibworth (ENG) 7–1 1975/76
1977  Alex Higgins (NIR)  Terry Griffiths (WAL) 7–4 1976/77
1978  Steve Davis (ENG)  Tony Meo (ENG) 7–6 1977/78
1979  Steve Davis (ENG)  Jimmy White (ENG) 7–3 1978/79
1980  Willie Thorne (ENG)  Cliff Wilson (WAL) 7–3 1979/80
1981  John Hargreaves (ENG)  Cliff Wilson (WAL) 7–2 1980/81
1982  John Parrott (ENG)  Ray Reardon (WAL) 7–4 1981/82
1983  Terry Griffiths (WAL)  Ray Reardon (WAL) 7–3 1982/83
1984  Neal Foulds (ENG)  Doug Mountjoy (WAL) 7–4 1983/84
1985  Jim Chambers (ENG)  John Parrott (ENG) 7–6 1984/85
1986  John Parrott (ENG)  Tony Putnam (ENG) 7–6 1985/86
1987  Stefan Mazrocis (ENG)  Barry Pinches (ENG) 7–2 1986/87
1988  Ken Doherty (IRL)  Colin Morton (ENG) 7–5 1987/88
1989  Peter Ebdon (ENG)  Ken Doherty (IRL) 7–4 1988/89
1990  Tony Rampello (ENG)  Paul Davies (WAL) 7–3 1989/90
1991  Mike Hallett (ENG)  Wayne Brown (ENG) 7–5 1990/91
1992  Declan Hughes (NIR)  Steve James (ENG) 7–2 1991/92
1993  Mike Hallett (ENG)  Steve James (ENG) 7–6 1992/93
1994  Wayne Brown (ENG)  Graeme Dott (SCO) 7–3 1993/94
1995  Mark Williams (WAL)  Peter Ebdon (ENG) 7–4 1994/95
1996  Ken Doherty (IRL)  Darren Morgan (WAL) 7–3 1995/96
1997  Ken Doherty (IRL)  Paul Bunyard (ENG) 7–6 1996/97
1998  James McGouran (SCO)  Neal Foulds (ENG) 7–0 1997/98
1999  John Gallagher (IRL)  Luke Simmonds (ENG) 7–4 1998/99
2000  Ian Preece (WAL)  Scott MacKenzie (SCO) 7–4 1999/00
2001  Luke Simmonds (ENG)  Brian Morgan (ENG) 7–5 2000/01
2002  Paul Sweeny (ENG)  Scott MacKenzie (SCO) 4–3 2001/02
2003  Judd Trump (ENG)  Mike Hallett (ENG) 4–2 2002/03
2004  Stuart Bingham (ENG)  Wayne Cooper (ENG) 5–3 2003/04
2005  Jamie Cope (ENG)  Mike Finn (ENG) 5–0 2004/05
2006  Stuart Bingham (ENG)  Tom Harris (ENG) 5–2 2005/06
2007  Leo Fernandez (IRL)  Daniel Wells (WAL) 5–2 2006/07
2008  David Grace (ENG)  Nigel Bond (ENG) 5–1 2007/08
2009  Stuart Bingham (ENG)  Matthew Couch (ENG) 5–1 2008/09
2010  Nigel Bond (ENG)  Stephen Craigie (ENG) 5–2 2009/10
2011  Leo Fernandez (IRL)  Sydney Wilson (ENG) 5–1 2010/11

Pontins Autumn Open

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Year Winner Runner-up Final score Season
1976[2]  Cliff Wilson (WAL)  Paul Medati (ENG) 7–4 1976/77
1977[2]  Billy Kelly (IRE)  George Scott (ENG) 7–5 1977/78
1978[2]  Jimmy White (ENG)  Sid Hood (ENG) 7–6 1978/79
1979[2]  Tony Knowles (ENG)  Dave Martin (ENG) 7–0 1979/80
1980[2]  Paul Medati (ENG)  Vic Harris (ENG) 7–4 1980/81
1981  Bill Oliver (ENG)  Ian Williamson (ENG) 7–5 1981/82
1982  Steve Duggan (ENG)  Kevin Lowndes (ENG) 7–3 1982/83
1983  Roger Bales (ENG)  Gary Filtness (ENG) 7–0 1983/84
1984  Barry West (ENG)  Gary Hancock (ENG) 7–3 1984/85
1985  Gary Bray (ENG)  Mark Johnston-Allen (ENG) 7–5 1985/86
1986  Tony Wilson (IOM)  Craig Edwards (ENG) 5–4 1986/87
1987  Nick Terry (ENG)  Mark Johnston-Allen (ENG) 5–4 1987/88
1988  Jason Ferguson (ENG)  Jonathan Birch (ENG) 5–2 1988/89
1989  Jonathan Birch (ENG)  Drew Henry (SCO) 5–4 1989/90
1990  Anthony Hamilton (ENG)  Joe Swail (NIR) 5–1 1990/91
1991  Drew Henry (SCO)  John Read (ENG) 5–2 1991/92
1992  Nick Walker (ENG)  Anthony Harris (ENG) 5–3 1992/93
1993  Peter Lines (ENG)  Andrew Hannah (ENG) 5–1 1993/94
1994  John Read (ENG)  Craig Edwards (ENG) 5–2 1994/95
1995  Graeme Dott (SCO)  Stephen Lee (ENG) 5–1 1995/96
1996  Matthew Couch (ENG)  Gary Ponting (ENG) 5–4 1996/97
1997  James McGouran (SCO)  Matthew Couch (ENG) 5–3 1997/98
1998  Matthew Couch (ENG)  Brian Salmon (ENG) 5–1 1998/99
1999  Craig Butler (ENG)  Matthew Farrant (WAL) 5–4 1999/00
2000  Kuldesh Johal (ENG)  Colin Morton (ENG) 5–3 2000/01
2001  Sean O'Neill (NIR)  Rodney Goggins (IRL) 5–1 2001/02
2002  Tim English (WAL)  Brendan O'Donoghue (IRL) 5–4 2002/03
2003  Mark King (ENG)  Craig Butler (ENG) 5–4 2003/04
2004  Stuart Bingham (ENG)  Mark Davis (ENG) 4–2 2004/05
2005  Joe Swail (NIR)  Dave Harold (ENG) 5–3 2005/06
2006  Ryan Day (WAL)  Jamie Cope (ENG) 5–2 2006/07
2007  Jamie Cope (ENG)  Lee Page (ENG) 5–0 2007/08
2008  Craig Steadman (ENG)  Leo Fernandez (IRL) 5–0 2008/09
2009  Michael Georgiou (CYP)  David Donovan (WAL) 5–2 2009/10
2010  Rob James (ENG)  Michael Holt (ENG) 5–4 2010/11

Pontins World Series

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Year Winner Runner-up Final score Season
2006  Ken Doherty (IRL)  Ricky Walden (ENG) 4–2 2006/07
2007  Joe Perry (ENG)  Ricky Walden (ENG) 4–2 2007/08
2008  Jamie Cope (ENG)  Craig Steadman (ENG) 4–1 2008/09
2009  Stuart Bingham (ENG)  Ken Doherty (IRL) 3–1 2009/10

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Brief History of the Pontins Open and Professional". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 28 February 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e Morrison, Ian (1986). The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Snooker. Twickenham: Hamlyn Publishing Group. p. 100. ISBN 0600501922.