According to Ronnie O’Sullivan, he is less concerned with the reasons Saudi Arabia introduced the “167 break” in the first place than he is with what the reward will be.
The first-ever Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker will take place in Saudi Arabia from March 4–6, and among the ten professionals scheduled to compete are O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, and Luca Brecel. Every World Snooker Tour encounter will be governed by standard rules, with the anticipated addition of a new component.
There will be an additional ball brought in, called the Riyadh Season ball, which is worth 20 points. However, the player must be on a maximum break and all other balls must be potted before the gold ball may be potted. That would.
When asked about the Saudi Arabian competition, O’Sullivan responded, “What’s the prize for a 167? Have they made the announcement? It will undoubtedly be a substantial prize.
“Listen, the Saudis are free to act anyway they choose. They are a formidable group. It will be fantastic to travel there because it appears that every other sport is active in Saudi Arabia.”
HE Advisor Turki Alalshikh stated in a statement issued by the World Snooker Tour last week: “We are excited to be holding our first-ever professional snooker competition in the Kingdom. Millions of people watch and play snooker worldwide, and we are excited to have some of the best players and snooker enthusiasts visit our nation and show them what Saudi Arabia and the Riyadh Season have to offer.”
O’Sullivan, who won the World Grand Prix in Leicester to go along with his Masters victory earlier this month, has had a fantastic start to 2024. The 48-year-old defeated Judd Trump 10-7 on Sunday at Morningside Arena after trailing 4-0 at one point. The match was exciting to watch.
