Pontins Open

The Pontins Open events were a series of pro–am snooker tournaments which ran from 1974 until 2011.[1]

Pontins Open
Tournament information
VenuePontins
LocationPrestatyn
CountryWales
Established1974
FormatPro–am event
Final year2011

History

From the early 1970s, top professionals had supplemented their income entertaining and coaching holiday makers on the holiday camp circuit and at Pontin's in particular. That organisation organised several Snooker Festivals at which ordinary members of the public could join with top amateurs and the best professionals in open tournaments.

The first of these events was held in 1974 and eight top professionals were invited to take part in the Pontins Professional (which ended in 2000) while many others joined them in the Open event where up to 1000 hopefuls would set out with the chance to meet one of their idols in the later rounds. The most important of these festivals was the Pontins Spring Open held at Prestatyn, Wales. A similar Open event, the Pontins Autumn Open was held later in the year and attracted almost as many top names as the spring event.

The professionals had to concede up to 25 points per frame to the amateurs (this figure varied over the years) and this format meant that many of the star names fell to good amateurs. In the earlier years nearly all the top players took part but as the number of tour events increased very few entered in later years.

The Autumn Open ended in 2009 and the Spring Open ended in 2011 and the festival in later years also hosted the final Challenge Tour event where players battle for places on the main tour in the following season.

A later event which began in 2006, the Pontins World Series consisted of six qualifying events, open to amateurs and main tour professionals and was played in the summer and autumn. Points were awarded for each event with the best five results counting towards a merit table. The leading 64 players qualified to play in the series final. This tournament ran for four editions ending in 2009.[1]

Finals

Pontins Spring Open

[1]

Year Winner Runner-up Final score Season
1974 Doug Mountjoy John Spencer 7–4 1973/74
1975 Ray Reardon John Virgo 7–1 1974/75
1976 Doug Mountjoy Lance Pibworth 7–1 1975/76
1977 Alex Higgins Terry Griffiths 7–4 1976/77
1978 Steve Davis Tony Meo 7–6 1977/78
1979 Steve Davis Jimmy White 7–3 1978/79
1980 Willie Thorne Cliff Wilson 7–3 1979/80
1981 John Hargreaves Cliff Wilson 7–2 1980/81
1982 John Parrott Ray Reardon 7–4 1981/82
1983 Terry Griffiths Ray Reardon 7–3 1982/83
1984 Neal Foulds Doug Mountjoy 7–4 1983/84
1985 Jim Chambers John Parrott 7–6 1984/85
1986 John Parrott Tony Putnam 7–6 1985/86
1987 Stefan Mazrocis Barry Pinches 7–2 1986/87
1988 Ken Doherty Colin Morton 7–5 1987/88
1989 Peter Ebdon Ken Doherty 7–4 1988/89
1990 Tony Rampello Paul Davies 7–3 1989/90
1991 Mike Hallett Wayne Brown 7–5 1990/91
1992 Declan Hughes Steve James 7–2 1991/92
1993 Mike Hallett Steve James 7–6 1992/93
1994 Wayne Brown Graeme Dott 7–3 1993/94
1995 Mark Williams Peter Ebdon 7–4 1994/95
1996 Ken Doherty Darren Morgan 7–3 1995/96
1997 Ken Doherty Paul Bunyard 7–6 1996/97
1998 James McGouran Neal Foulds 7–0 1997/98
1999 John Gallagher Luke Simmonds 7–4 1998/99
2000 Ian Preece Scott MacKenzie 7–4 1999/00
2001 Luke Simmonds Brian Morgan 7–5 2000/01
2002 Paul Sweeny Scott MacKenzie 4–3 2001/02
2003 Judd Trump Mike Hallett 4–2 2002/03
2004 Stuart Bingham Wayne Cooper 5–3 2003/04
2005 Jamie Cope Mike Finn 5–0 2004/05
2006 Stuart Bingham Tom Harris 5–2 2005/06
2007 Leo Fernandez Daniel Wells 5–2 2006/07
2008 David Grace Nigel Bond 5–1 2007/08
2009 Stuart Bingham Matthew Couch 5–1 2008/09
2010 Nigel Bond Stephen Craigie 5–2 2009/10
2011 Leo Fernandez Sydney Wilson 5–1 2010/11

Pontins Autumn Open

[1]

Year Winner Runner-up Final score Season
1981 Bill Oliver Ian Williamson 7–5 1981/82
1982 Steve Duggan Kevin Lowndes 7–3 1982/83
1983 Roger Bales Gary Filtness 7–0 1983/84
1984 Barry West Gary Hancock 7–3 1984/85
1985 Gary Bray Mark Johnston-Allen 7–5 1985/86
1986 Tony Wilson Craig Edwards 5–4 1986/87
1987 Nick Terry Mark Johnston-Allen 5–4 1987/88
1988 Jason Ferguson Jonathan Birch 5–2 1988/89
1989 Jonathan Birch Drew Henry 5–4 1989/90
1990 Anthony Hamilton Joe Swail 5–1 1990/91
1991 Drew Henry John Read 5–2 1991/92
1992 Nick Walker Anthony Harris 5–3 1992/93
1993 Peter Lines Andrew Hannah 5–1 1993/94
1994 John Read Craig Edwards 5–2 1994/95
1995 Graeme Dott Stephen Lee 5–1 1995/96
1996 Matthew Couch Gary Ponting 5–4 1996/97
1997 James McGouran Matthew Couch 5–3 1997/98
1998 Matthew Couch Brian Salmon 5–1 1998/99
1999 Craig Butler Matthew Farrant 5–4 1999/00
2000 Kuldesh Johal Colin Morton 5–3 2000/01
2001 Sean O'Neill Rodney Goggins 5–1 2001/02
2002 Tim English Brendan O'Donoghue 5–4 2002/03
2003 Mark King Craig Butler 5–4 2003/04
2004 Stuart Bingham Mark Davis 4–2 2004/05
2005 Joe Swail Dave Harold 5–3 2005/06
2006 Ryan Day Jamie Cope 5–2 2006/07
2007 Jamie Cope Lee Page 5–0 2007/08
2008 Craig Steadman Leo Fernandez 5–0 2008/09
2009 Michael Georgiou David Donovan 5–2 2009/10
2010 Rob James Michael Holt 5–4 2010/11

Pontins World Series

[1]

Year Winner Runner-up Final score Season
2006 Ken Doherty Ricky Walden 4–2 2006/07
2007 Joe Perry Ricky Walden 4–2 2007/08
2008 Jamie Cope Craig Steadman 4–1 2008/09
2009 Stuart Bingham Ken Doherty 3–1 2009/10

References
  1. "Brief History of the Pontins Open and Professional". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 28 February 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
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