In-form Aaron Hill wins big invitational pro-am snooker event on home soil in Ireland

Held at the CYMS Snooker Club in Newbridge, the impressive field featured a plethora of current professional tour card holders and players who have competed on the top flight in recent times.

Nearly 100 years old, the host venue is experiencing a new dawn having been kitted out with new equipment earlier this year after receiving 65,000 Euros from the Sports Council of Ireland.

A new tournament and Ireland's biggest pro-am for several years, contestants cued up for a slice of the 5,000 Euros prize fund and to lift The Leo Kennedy Cup - named in honour of the Club's late former chairman who had been a member there for 54 years.

One of snooker's hottest properties right now, 23-year-old Hill began his route to the title with 4-1 wins over Mark Gleeson and Johnny Farrell on Saturday. Returning the next day, 'The Breeze' whitewashed Ryan Cronin 4-0, and then denied Philip Browne 4-1 to reach the final.

Emerging from the other side of the draw was former Welsh Open champion and current world number 62 Jordan Brown.

A quarter-finalist at his home professional event the Northern Ireland Open last month, the Antrim cueman eliminated World Disability Snooker star Dylan Rees 4-1 before dismissing ex-professional Davy Morris, 4-0.

In the last eight, Brown made a 68 break in the deciding frame as he ousted Shoot Out finalist and fellow tour card holder Liam Graham 4-3, he then booked a spot in the title match after defeating former UK and Masters champion Matthew Stevens, 4-2. Welshman Stevens had been playing in exhibitions in Ireland in the days leading up to this.

In a thrilling final, Hill pipped Brown 4-3 to claim the inaugural title - keeping it south of the border - and pocket the 2,000 Euros first prize.

One of the World Snooker Tour’s most improved players over the past 12 months, former European under-21 champion Hill has risen to a career-high world ranking of 43.

This season, he has reached the quarter-finals of the English Open, and the last 16 of the Wuhan Open, Xi’an Grand Prix, and Northern Ireland Open. Hill has also crafted his first two maximum 147 breaks in professional competition.

Earlier this calendar year, Hill made the last eight of the German Masters, and was agonisingly close to a Crucible debut when he lost 10-9 to David Gilbert in the final round of World Championship qualifying.

Hill will aim to make the 32-player UK Championship main draw when he takes part in qualifying in Wigan next week. He’ll enter the fray in round three, meaning he needs to navigate two rounds in order to reach the BBC-televised stages at the Barbican Centre in York a few days later.

First up, the Irishman will face either Liu Wenwei, Krzysztof Czapnik or Long Zehuang, and he could meet Jack Lisowski in a final qualifying round showdown.

Brown is battling to keep his place on the sport’s top flight beyond this term as he tries to keep inside the top 64 cut-off. Buoyed by that aforementioned run in Belfast, he will play either the pro tour’s oldest player Jimmy White or it’s youngest Michal Szubarczyk in qualifying round two.