Riyadh Season World Masters: Biggest prize in snooker history still on as Ronnie O'Sullivan chases 'golden ball' max

ByEurosport

Updated 06/03/2024 at 14:05 GMT

The Riyadh Season World Masters is down to the last four in Saudi Arabia, with the 12-player invitational event still offering up the heaviest prize money in the televised era of professional snooker. A whopping £645,000 is available from the lucrative three-day event if a player wins the tournament and makes a 'golden' 167 maximum break on the final day of play on Wednesday.

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Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Allen and world champion Luca Brecel remain in the hunt to claim the biggest prize money in snooker history at the World Masters in Saudi Arabia.

World No. 1 O'Sullivan and Trump meet in a repeat of the 2022 World Championship final in Wednesday's second semi-final (4pm GMT) after Allen and Brecel battle it out earlier in the day (2pm) for a final place in the evening in the city of Riyadh (7pm GMT).

There are huge financial rewards on offer at the tournament, with a possible £645,000 available if the winner can also make a landmark 'golden' 167 maximum break.

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The champion of the World Masters earns £250,000 with another £395,000 available for the historic 167 break exclusive to the 12-player tournament.

To put that into perspective, the winner of the world title earns £500,000 with another £20,000 up for grabs for the highest break prize at the Crucible Theatre – £125,000 less than the potential earnings in Saudi.

The losing finalist would also overtake those earnings if they can make the maximum 167 in Wednesday's final three matches, with the runner-up guaranteed a tidy £125,000.

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Such is the regularity of 147 breaks in the modern game, a player would have to produce two 147 breaks at the World Championship, UK or Masters to earn a £147,000 bonus.

The Masters in January offered £250,000 to winner O'Sullivan, with £15,000 for the highest break – an event which saw Ding Junhui and Allen make totemic 147s.

The Rocket also earned £250,000 for claiming an eighth UK Championship, with Xu Si picking up £15,000 for the highest break prize after rolling in a 147.

The losers of the semi-finals in Saudi earn £75,000 for their short trips to the Gulf region.

John Higgins was almost in serious money when he lost position on the final yellow after sinking 15 reds and 15 blacks in his 4-2 win over Mark Williams on Monday before failing to pot a ball in his 4-0 quarter-final drubbing by O'Sullivan, who produced breaks of 135, 129, 102 and 82 in a rapid sparkling display of break-building.