British Open (Snooker)

British Open

Tournament status
Ranking tournament:	1985-2004
Minor ranking tournament:	-
Invitation tournament:	1980-1984
Tournament dates of the last edition
Venue:	Brighton Center , Brighton
Prize money (total):	£ 200,000
Prize money (winner):	£ 30,000
Frames in the final:	Best of 17
Records
Most wins:	Steve Davis  (5 ×)
Highest Break:	147 ( Maximum Break ) James Wattana (1992) Graeme Dott (1998/99) Stephen Hendry (1999/00) John Higgins (2003) David McDonnell (Qual. 1995) Jason Prince (Qual. 1998/99)
Venue (s) on the map
Derby Plymouth Newcastle Telford Brighton

The British Open was a professional snooker tournament , which from 1985 to 2004 had the status of a world ranking tournament .

history

The tournament was founded in 1980 as an invitation tournament under the name British Gold Cup . In 1981 the Yamaha Group became the main sponsor. In the next few years the name of the tournament changed to Yamaha Organs Trophy and from 1982 to 1984 to Yamaha International Masters . In 1984 it came to the peculiarity that the final was not held in a direct duel, but in a group of three. From 1985 the tournament was simply called the British Open and got the status of a ranking tournament.

The venue was the English city of Derby until 1993 . In 1992, the Thai James Wattana managed the first maximum break in tournament history, it was only the ninth official break of this kind in professional snooker. Over the years, three more maximum breaks should follow, plus two more in the qualifying rounds. There were two editions in the 1999 calendar year, as the date of the event was postponed from spring to November.

With five wins between 1981 and 1993, Steve Davis is the tournament's record winner. Record winners for the time as a ranking tournament (from 1985) are the Scots Stephen Hendry and John Higgins with four triumphs each.

winner

year	venue	winner	Result	finalist	Main sponsor	season
British Gold Cup - no ranked tournament status
1980	Derby - Assembly Rooms	Alex Higgins	5: 1	Ray Reardon	-	1979/80
Yamaha Organs Trophy - no ranking tournament status
1981	Derby - Assembly Rooms	Steve Davis	9: 6	David Taylor	Yamaha	1980/81
Yamaha International Masters - no ranking tournament status
1982	Derby Assembly Rooms	Steve Davis	9: 7	Terry Griffiths	Yamaha	1981/82
1983		Ray Reardon	9: 6	Jimmy White		1982/83
1984		Steve Davis	-	Dave Martin John Dunning		1983/84
British Open - Ranking tournament status
1985	Derby Assembly Rooms	Silvino Francisco	12: 9	Kirk Stevens	Dulux	1984/85
1986		Steve Davis	12: 7	Willie Thorne		1985/86
1987		Jimmy White	13: 9	Neal Foulds		1986/87
1988		Stephen Hendry	13: 2	Mike Hallett	MIM Britannia Unit Trusts	1987/88
1989		Tony Meo	13: 6	Dean Reynolds	Anglian	1988/89
1990		Bob chaperone	10: 8	Alex Higgins	Pearl Assurance	1989/90
1991		Stephen Hendry	10: 9	Gary Wilkinson		1990/91
1992		Jimmy White	10: 7	James Wattana		1991/92
1993		Steve Davis	10: 2	James Wattana	Wickes Home Improvements	1992/93
1994	Plymouth Plymouth Pavilions	Ronnie O'Sullivan	9: 4	James Wattana	-	1993/94
1995		John Higgins	9: 6	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Castella	1994/95
1996		Nigel Bond	9: 8	John Higgins		1995/96
1997		Mark Williams	9: 2	Stephen Hendry	-	1996/97
1998		John Higgins	9: 8	Stephen Hendry		1997/98
1999 (I)		Fergal O'Brien	9: 7	Anthony Hamilton		1998/99
1999 (II)		Stephen Hendry	9: 5	Peter Ebdon		1999/00
2000		Peter Ebdon	9: 6	Jimmy White		2000/01
2001	Newcastle - Telewest Arena	John Higgins	9: 6	Graeme Dott	Stan James	2001/02
2002	Telford - International Center	Paul Hunter	9: 4	Ian McCulloch	-	2002/03
2003	Brighton Brighton Center	Stephen Hendry	9: 6	Ronnie O'Sullivan		2003/04
2004		John Higgins	9: 6	Stephen Maguire		2004/05

Web links

• British Open at Chris Turner's Snooker Archive ( Memento from April 18, 2016 in the Internet Archive )