The 1997 UK Championship (officially the 1997 Liverpool Victoria UK Championship) was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place at the Guild Hall in Preston, England. The event started on 12 November 1997 and the televised stages were shown on BBC between 22 and 30 November 1997. This was the last UK championship to be held in Preston, where the event was held since 1978. The following year's competition was held in Bournemouth.

Ronnie O'Sullivan defeated Stephen Hendry 10–6 in the final, ending Hendry's run of three successive UK championship wins. O'Sullivan had been the last player other than Hendry to win the event, as a 17-year-old in 1993. The highest TV break of the competition was 137 made by Stephen Lee and it was worth £5,000.[citation needed]

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:

Winner: £75,000 Runner-up: £39,000 Semi-final: £19,750 Quarter-final: £10,800 Last 16: £5,500 Last 32: £3,450 Last 64: £2,900 Last 96: £1,400Stage one highest break: £1,500 Stage two highest break: £5,000 Total: £440,000

Qualifying

1st Round Best of 11 frames

PlayerScorePlayer
Player Score Player Republic of Ireland Michael Judge (56)3–6England John Read (86) Scotland Euan Henderson (44)1–6England Sean Storey (82) Scotland Jamie Burnett (38)6–1Scotland Craig MacGillivray (159) England David Finbow (39)4–6England Troy Shaw (131) England Tony Jones (60)6–3Scotland John Lardner (130) Wales Paul Davies (48)6–4England Steve Judd (92) Northern Ireland Jason Prince (42)6–4England Matthew Couch (94) Scotland Graeme Dott (33)5–6England David Gray (152) England Joe Johnson (52)3–6Australia Quinten Hann (104) Wales Anthony Davies (61)3–6Scotland Martin Dziewialtowski (116) England Dean Reynolds (51)6–3Republic of Ireland Stephen O'Connor (106) Pakistan Shokat Ali (59)6–4England Karl Payne (77) England Jason Ferguson (37)5–6England Ian McCulloch (76) Wales Matthew Stevens (53)6–3England Jamie Woodman (71) Northern Ireland Dennis Taylor (34)6–2England Wayne Brown (99) England Jonathan Birch (45)6–0England Mark Gray (150)Player Score Player England Karl Broughton (41)6–2Wales Lee Walker (79) England David Roe (49)4–6England Karl Burrows (78) England Paul Hunter (43)6–3England Nick Walker (67) Wales Mark Bennett (50)6–4England Darren Clarke (84) Wales Dominic Dale (54)6–5England Alfie Burden (122) Scotland Drew Henry (40)5–6England Bradley Jones (80) England Jimmy Michie (55)5–6England Peter Lines (90) England Mark Davis (47)5–6England Paul Wykes (69) Wales Tony Chappel (46)5–6Scotland Marcus Campbell (97) England Chris Scanlon (64)6–4England Joe Perry (123) England Willie Thorne (36)6–2England Peter McCullagh (162) Wales Wayne Jones (58)6–4England Leigh Griffin (143) Northern Ireland Gerard Greene (62)6–5England Ian Brumby (101) Netherlands Stefan Mazrocis (65)5–6England Lee Richardson (105) New Zealand Dene O'Kane (35)6–2England Stuart Pettman (87) England Nick Pearce (57)4–6England Gary Ponting (85)
Republic of Ireland Michael Judge (56)3–6England John Read (86)
Scotland Euan Henderson (44)1–6England Sean Storey (82)
Scotland Jamie Burnett (38)6–1Scotland Craig MacGillivray (159)
England David Finbow (39)4–6England Troy Shaw (131)
England Tony Jones (60)6–3Scotland John Lardner (130)
Wales Paul Davies (48)6–4England Steve Judd (92)
Northern Ireland Jason Prince (42)6–4England Matthew Couch (94)
Scotland Graeme Dott (33)5–6England David Gray (152)
England Joe Johnson (52)3–6Australia Quinten Hann (104)
Wales Anthony Davies (61)3–6Scotland Martin Dziewialtowski (116)
England Dean Reynolds (51)6–3Republic of Ireland Stephen O'Connor (106)
Pakistan Shokat Ali (59)6–4England Karl Payne (77)
England Jason Ferguson (37)5–6England Ian McCulloch (76)
Wales Matthew Stevens (53)6–3England Jamie Woodman (71)
Northern Ireland Dennis Taylor (34)6–2England Wayne Brown (99)
England Jonathan Birch (45)6–0England Mark Gray (150)
PlayerScorePlayer
England Karl Broughton (41)6–2Wales Lee Walker (79)
England David Roe (49)4–6England Karl Burrows (78)
England Paul Hunter (43)6–3England Nick Walker (67)
Wales Mark Bennett (50)6–4England Darren Clarke (84)
Wales Dominic Dale (54)6–5England Alfie Burden (122)
Scotland Drew Henry (40)5–6England Bradley Jones (80)
England Jimmy Michie (55)5–6England Peter Lines (90)
England Mark Davis (47)5–6England Paul Wykes (69)
Wales Tony Chappel (46)5–6Scotland Marcus Campbell (97)
England Chris Scanlon (64)6–4England Joe Perry (123)
England Willie Thorne (36)6–2England Peter McCullagh (162)
Wales Wayne Jones (58)6–4England Leigh Griffin (143)
Northern Ireland Gerard Greene (62)6–5England Ian Brumby (101)
Netherlands Stefan Mazrocis (65)5–6England Lee Richardson (105)
New Zealand Dene O'Kane (35)6–2England Stuart Pettman (87)
England Nick Pearce (57)4–6England Gary Ponting (85)

Main draw

Top half

Round 1 (Last 64) Best of 17 framesRound 2 (Last 32) Best of 17 framesRound 3 (Last 16) Best of 17 framesQuarter-finals Best of 17 framesSemi-final Best of 17 frames
1Scotland Stephen Hendry9
86England John Read2
1Scotland Stephen Hendry9
82England Sean Storey7
27England Martin Clark5
82England Sean Storey9
1Scotland Stephen Hendry9
14England Anthony Hamilton8
31England Mick Price6
38Scotland Jamie Burnett9
38Scotland Jamie Burnett3
14England Anthony Hamilton9
14England Anthony Hamilton9
131England Troy Shaw2
1Scotland Stephen Hendry9
10Scotland Alan McManus5
10Scotland Alan McManus9
60England Tony Jones6
10Scotland Alan McManus9
21England Jimmy White7
21England Jimmy White9
48Wales Paul Davies2
10Scotland Alan McManus9
42Northern Ireland Jason Prince5
18England Dave Harold6
42Northern Ireland Jason Prince9
42Northern Ireland Jason Prince9
5England Peter Ebdon5
5England Peter Ebdon9
152England David Gray6
1Scotland Stephen Hendry9
53Wales Matthew Stevens5
8England Nigel Bond6
104Australia Quinten Hann9
104Australia Quinten Hann6
116Scotland Martin Dziewialtowski9
22Northern Ireland Joe Swail5
116Scotland Martin Dziewialtowski9
116Scotland Martin Dziewialtowski9
51England Dean Reynolds7
28England Brian Morgan7
51England Dean Reynolds9
51England Dean Reynolds9
59Pakistan Shokat Ali6
9Canada Alain Robidoux3
59Pakistan Shokat Ali9
116Scotland Martin Dziewialtowski1
53Wales Matthew Stevens9
11Malta Tony Drago9
76England Ian McCulloch7
11Malta Tony Drago8
53Wales Matthew Stevens9
26England Rod Lawler7
53Wales Matthew Stevens9
53Wales Matthew Stevens9
4Wales Mark Williams1
24England Steve James5
34Northern Ireland Dennis Taylor9
34Northern Ireland Dennis Taylor3
4Wales Mark Williams9
4Wales Mark Williams9
45England Jonathan Birch6

Bottom half

Round 1 (Last 64) Best of 17 framesRound 2 (Last 32) Best of 17 framesRound 3 (Last 16) Best of 17 framesQuarter-finals Best of 17 framesSemi-final Best of 17 frames
3Republic of Ireland Ken Doherty9
41England Karl Broughton3
3Republic of Ireland Ken Doherty4
30England Neal Foulds9
30England Neal Foulds9
78England Karl Burrows6
30England Neal Foulds2
16England Stephen Lee9
25Scotland Chris Small9
43England Paul Hunter8
25Scotland Chris Small4
16England Stephen Lee9
16England Stephen Lee9
50Wales Mark Bennett5
16England Stephen Lee9
20England Mark King2
15Wales Darren Morgan9
54Wales Dominic Dale2
15Wales Darren Morgan9
80England Bradley Jones6
23Republic of Ireland Fergal O'Brien2
80England Bradley Jones9
15Wales Darren Morgan5
20England Mark King9
20England Mark King9
90England Peter Lines4
20England Mark King9
6England John Parrott6
6England John Parrott9
69England Paul Wykes1
16England Stephen Lee4
7England Ronnie O'Sullivan9
7England Ronnie O'Sullivan9
97Scotland Marcus Campbell6
7England Ronnie O'Sullivan9
29Northern Ireland Terry Murphy5
29Northern Ireland Terry Murphy9
64England Chris Scanlon8
7England Ronnie O'Sullivan9
17England Gary Wilkinson4
17England Gary Wilkinson9
36England Willie Thorne7
17England Gary Wilkinson9
12Thailand James Wattana8
12Thailand James Wattana9
58Wales Wayne Jones6
7England Ronnie O'Sullivan9
62Northern Ireland Gerard Greene6
13England Steve Davis2
62Northern Ireland Gerard Greene9
62Northern Ireland Gerard Greene9
19England Andy Hicks8
19England Andy Hicks9
105England Lee Richardson8
62Northern Ireland Gerard Greene9
85England Gary Ponting6
32Scotland Billy Snaddon6
35New Zealand Dene O'Kane9
35New Zealand Dene O'Kane5
85England Gary Ponting9
2Scotland John Higgins4
85England Gary Ponting9

Final

Final: Best of 19 frames. Referee: John Williams The Guild Hall, Preston, England, 30 November 1997.
Stephen Hendry (1) Scotland6–10Ronnie O'Sullivan (7) England
First session: 103–29 (89), 75–37, 13–78 (78), 10–115 (78), 63–44 (57), 88–16 (67), 28–67, 73–21 (68), 33–98 (98) Second session: 23–75, 0–89 (89), 0–72, 0–79 (54), 0–82, 80–1, 17–70 (70)
89Highest break98
0Century breaks0
450+ breaks6

Century breaks