Snooker referee Jan Verhaas completes career hat-trick following Shaun Murphy's Masters 147 break

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Top snooker referee Jan Verhaas completed a unique career hat-trick when he officiated Shaun Murphy’s maximum 147 break at the 2025 Masters on Saturday afternoon.

Murphy became only the fifth player in Masters history to make a 147 break, his feat of perfection arriving in the sixth frame of his 6-3 semi-final victory over Mark Allen at the Alexandra Palace in London.

It was Murphy’s ninth 147 in professional competition, and he now sits joint-fourth alongside Stuart Bingham on the all-time list of those who have made the most. Ronnie O’Sullivan still leads that particular metric with 15.

Unless final opponent Kyren Wilson constructs one in the title match on Sunday, Murphy will bank the whole £15,000 highest break bonus for this year’s 50th anniversary Masters staging. If he makes another 147 in the final or at any point during the 2025 World Snooker Championship, Murphy will be set to receive a £147,000 bonus for multiple maximums across this season’s four biggest events.

However, it wasn’t just Murphy out in the middle who was celebrating the 15 red, 15 black clearance - referee Jan Verhaas was, too.

The experienced and highly-respected official oversaw the eighth 147 of his career on the sport’s top tier, but this one was extra special - and it wasn’t just because it came at such an iconic venue in front of big live and TV audiences.

This was the first time that Verhaas had the white gloves on for a 147 at the Masters, it now means he has officiated 147s in all three of snooker’s Triple Crown events.

The Netherlands’ Verhaas reffed his first maximum at the 2000 Scottish Open when Ronnie O’Sullivan cleared the table, and in 2003, O’Sullivan weaved his magic again in front of Verhaas, but this time it came on the biggest stage of all at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield during the World Championship.

In fact, four of the eight 147s Verhaas has officiated have been constructed by O’Sullivan - the other two coming at the 2010 World Open (when Jan persuaded O’Sullivan to pot the final black) and 2014 UK Championship.

Verhaas has refereed three 147s at the UK Championship, including the first maximum break ever made in a Triple Crown final when Neil Robertson potted them all during the 2015 showpiece match at the York Barbican.

And now, Verhaas has been at close quarters for a perfect frame at all three Triple Crowners following Murphy’s magic in the final four of this year’s tournament.

He is only the second referee to have done this in the history of the sport; Brendan Moore was the first when he ticked his third and final box when refereeing Mark Selby’s 147 in the 2023 World Championship final - the first-ever 147 in a world final.

Who is snooker referee Jan Verhaas?

Jan Verhaas is currently professional snooker's most experienced referee having first officiated on the sport's premier tour in 1993.

The renowned 6-foot figure initially got involved with snooker whilst refereeing at a local club near his home in the Netherlands, before being encouraged to do his qualifications and go further up the ranks.

In 2003, Verhaas became the first person from outside of Britain to referee a World Snooker Championship final. He has gone on to officiate six world finals at the Crucible in total, with his most recent coming in 2017. Verhaas is part of an elite club to have refereed all three Triple Crown event finals on multiple occasions.

Darts fan Verhaas also plays a big role behind the scenes with tournament administration, helping develop up-and-coming referees, and gatekeeping the sport's official playing rules.

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