World Grand Prix Snooker: Information and a Potted History

The only qualification route for the tournament is via the one-year ranking list – cumulative prize money earned from ranking events during the current season, with the top 32 players on that list being invited. Despite having won the event in 2017, Barry Hawkins was unable to defend his crown the following year because he was outside the 32 qualification places.

Seeding is based on the one-year list positions, meaning the number one seed plays the number 32 seed in round one. 2 plays 31, 3 plays 30, etc.

Since the 2019 edition, the World Grand Prix has been part of the three-pronged Player Series, always providing the opener for that programme of events. 

Except for its inaugural installment in 2015*, the World Grand Prix has always been a ranking event, with all tour card holders having the opportunity to qualify for it. 

Venues in Llandudno, Preston, Cheltenham, Milton Keynes (behind closed doors due to Covid-19), Coventry and Leicester have hosted the World Grand Prix. 

Please note, the World Grand Prix is different to the former professional ranking event the Grand Prix that ran for several years between 1984 to 2009. 

*Qualification for the 2015 event was via ranking points earned from the one-year list and the 2014 World Championship which was part of the previous season (2013/14). This inaugural edition of the World Grand Prix was non-ranked. From the 2016 World Grand Prix onwards, only one-year list ranking points were used, and the event obtained ranking status.

World Grand Prix Snooker: Most successful players, stats, stories, best finals 

Judd Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan both have three World Grand Prix titles to their names, although Trump has five final appearances to O'Sullivan's four. 

The tournament's most successful exponents have twice clashed in the final with one victory each. Trump won the inaugural installment - the only time it was non-ranked - in 2015. Having defeated Mark Williams 5-4 on the final black in the last eight, Trump recovered from 5-1 down to deny Martin Gould 6-5 in the semi-finals. 

Things weren't looking great for Trump in the final as he trailed 7-4, but he conjured up a six-frame burst to take home the silverware. 

O'Sullivan returned the favour in 2024, though, coming back from 4-0 and 6-3 down to claim a 10-7 victory. Earlier in the event, O'Sullivan produced an all-time great performance when he registered four century breaks in a 6-2 semi-final win over Ding Junhui; all this having secured a record-extending eighth Masters title only the week before. 

The World Grand Prix final has twice gone to a deciding frame - Shaun Murphy ousted Stuart Bingham in 2016 (the first time it was played as a ranking event) and Mark Allen pipped Trump in 2023. 

Possibly the best performance in a World Grand Prix final came from Barry Hawkins who constructed five century breaks - all in the space of just eight frames - as he secured the top prize in 2017. 

Three times the top seed has gone on to be crowned champion: O'Sullivan (2018), Trump (2020 December edition) and Allen (2023). The lowest seed to triumph was Murphy (14th) in 2016.

No one has successfully defended the World Grand Prix title.

World Grand Prix Snooker: Roll of Honour, Locations and Winner's Prize 

2015: Judd Trump 10-7 Ronnie O'Sullivan (Llandudno, Wales) | £100,000 - Non ranked

2016: Shaun Murphy 10-9 Stuart Bingham (Llandudno, Wales) | £100,000 

2017: Barry Hawkins 10-7 Ryan Day (Preston, England) | £100,000 

2018: Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-3 Ding Junhui (Preston, England) | £100,000 

2019: Judd Trump 10-6 Ali Carter (Cheltenham, England) | £100,000 

2020(Feb): Neil Robertson 10-8 Graeme Dott (Cheltenham, England) | £100,000 

2020(Dec): Judd Trump 10-7 Jack Lisowski (Milton Keynes, England) | £100,000 

2021: Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-8 Neil Robertson (Coventry, England) | £100,000 

2023: Mark Allen 10-9 Judd Trump (Cheltenham, England) | £100,000 

2024: Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-7 Judd Trump (Leicester, England) | £100,000 

World Grand Prix Snooker 147 Breaks 

A maximum 147 break has yet to be made at the World Grand Prix. 

The highest break in the tournament’s history, so far, is 145 which was crafted by Trump in 2017 and Murphy in 2024.