Pro Challenge Series
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The Pro Challenge Series was a series of non-ranking snooker tournaments held during the 2009–10 snooker season. The events were open to all players on the main tour and were intended to give tour players more playing opportunities. Seven events were planned but only four took place before the series was cancelled, due to low player participation. The series was not repeated and was replaced by the Players Tour Championship, which started the following season.
Prize fund
Except for event 2, events had a prize fund of £15,000 with the winner receiving £5,000. Event 2, which was played using the six-red format, had a prize fund of £10,000 with the winner receiving £3,000. In event 2 the £500 break prize went to the player with the fastest maximum break.
Schedule
The schedule for the Events 1 to 5 is listed below. Event 4 was cancelled and event 5 was the final tournament played. Event 2 was played using the six-red format. Events 6 and 7 were cancelled.
| Date | Country | Tournament | Reds | Venue | City | Winner | Runner-up | Score | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Jul | 30 Jul | ENG | Event 1 | 15 | Northern Snooker Centre | Leeds | Stephen Maguire (SCO) | Alan McManus (SCO) | 5–2 | |
| 31 Aug | 1 Sep | WAL | Event 2 | 6 | Pontins | Prestatyn | Ken Doherty (IRL) | Martin Gould (ENG) | 6–2 | |
| 9 Nov | 11 Nov | ENG | Event 3 | 15 | Willie Thorne Snooker Centre | Leicester | Robert Milkins (ENG) | Joe Jogia (ENG) | 5–3 | |
| Event 4 | Tournament was Cancelled | |||||||||
| 16 Feb | 18 Feb | ENG | Event 5 | 15 | George Scott Snooker Club | Liverpool | Barry Hawkins (ENG) | Michael Holt (ENG) | 5–1 |
Event 1
Prize fund
- Winner: £5,000
- Runner-up: £2,500
- Semi-final: £1,500
- Quarter-final: £500
- Last 16: £250
- High break: £500
The first event took place at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds, from 28 to 30 July 2009. Stephen Maguire beat Alan McManus 5–2 in the final. Dave Harold made the highest break of 128. Results are given below.
Preliminary round
- Fergal O'Brien (IRL) 0–4 Robert Milkins (ENG)
- Mark Boyle (SCO) 2–4 Matthew Selt (ENG)
- Marcus Campbell (SCO) 3–4 Andrew Norman (ENG)
- Gerard Greene (NIR) 4–0 Graeme Dott (SCO)
- Ken Doherty (IRL) w/o–w/d Jimmy White (ENG)
- Andrew Higginson (ENG) 4–1 Lee Spick (ENG)
- Bjorn Haneveer (BEL) 1–4 Ricky Walden (ENG)
- Mark Davis (ENG) 3–4 Stephen Maguire (SCO)
Century breaks
- 128 – Dave Harold
- 127 – Ken Doherty
- 126 – Andrew Norman
- 115 – Ricky Walden
- 107 – Mark Boyle
- 107 – Stephen Maguire
- 106 – Matthew Couch
- 100 – Tom Ford
- 100 – Joe Swail
Event 2
Prize fund
- Winner: £3,000
- Runner-up: £1,500
- Semi-finals: £800
- Quarter-Finals: £400
- Last 16: £225
- Fastest maximum break (x75): £500
The second event took place at Pontins, Prestatyn, on 31 August and 1 September 2009, using the six-red format. Ken Doherty beat Martin Gould 6–2 in the final. Stuart Pettman took the prize for the fastest maximum break. Results are given below.
Preliminary round
- Craig Steadman (ENG) 2–5 Barry Pinches (ENG)
- Stuart Bingham (ENG) 4–5 Mark Boyle (SCO)
- Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (THA) 3–5 Ben Woollaston (ENG)
- Sam Baird (ENG) w/o-w/d Jimmy White (ENG)
- Matthew Couch (ENG) 2–5 Jordan Brown (NIR)
- Joe Swail (NIR) 5–2 Noppadol Sangnil (THA)
- Rod Lawler (ENG) 5–0 Mark Joyce (ENG)
- Joe Delaney (IRL) w/d–w/o Matthew Selt (ENG)
- Dave Harold (ENG) 4–5 Stephen Lee (ENG)
- Ian McCulloch (ENG) 4–5 Fergal O'Brien (IRL)
- Michael Holt (ENG) 1–5 Robert Milkins (ENG)
- Jimmy Robertson (ENG) 4–5 Anthony Hamilton (ENG)
- Mike Dunn (ENG) 1–5 Andrew Norman (ENG)
- Peter Lines (ENG) 3–5 Ryan Day (WAL)
- Chris Norbury (ENG) 2–5 Judd Trump (ENG)
Maximum breaks
Note: a maximum break in six-red snooker is 75 points.
- Stuart Pettman (2 min 31 sec)
- Dave Harold (3 min 16 sec)
- Fergal O'Brien (4 min 30 sec)
- Ryan Day (no time)
Event 3
Prize fund
- Winner: £5,000
- Runner-up: £2,500
- Semi-final: £1,500
- Quarter-final: £500
- Last 16: £250
- High break: £500
The third event took place at the Willie Thorne Snooker Centre in Leicester, from 9 to 11 November 2009. Robert Milkins beat Joe Jogia 5–3 in the final. Ricky Walden made the highest break of 140. Results are given below.
Preliminary round
- Michael Holt (ENG) 3–4 Joe Perry (ENG)
- Mark Williams (WAL) 1–4 Jamie Cope (ENG)
- Ricky Walden (ENG) 4–0 Mike Dunn (ENG)
- James Wattana (THA) 3–4 Craig Steadman (ENG)
- Chris Norbury (ENG) w/d–w/o Gerard Greene (NIR)
- Joe Jogia (ENG) 4–2 Stephen Lee (ENG)
- Nigel Bond (ENG) 4–2 Atthasit Mahitthi (THA)
- Peter Lines (ENG) 4–0 Andrew Higginson (ENG)
- Graeme Dott (SCO) w/d–w/o Barry Pinches (ENG)
- Anthony Hamilton (ENG) 1–4 Fergal O'Brien (IRL)
- Ben Woollaston (ENG) 4–3 Andrew Norman (ENG)
- Mark Davis (ENG) 4–1 Paul Davies (WAL)
- Noppadol Sangnil (THA) 1–4 Mark Joyce (ENG)
- Simon Bedford (ENG) 2–4 Judd Trump (ENG)
- Joe Swail (NIR) 3–4 Mark King (ENG)
- Matthew Couch (ENG) 2–4 Andy Hicks (ENG)
- Stuart Bingham (ENG) 4–2 Ryan Day (WAL)
- Lee Spick (ENG) 2–4 Ken Doherty (IRL)
- Robert Milkins (ENG) 4–2 Zhang Anda (CHN)
- Dave Harold (ENG) 4–3 Barry Hawkins (ENG)
Century breaks
- 140, 105, 103, 102, 102, 100 – Ricky Walden
- 137, 118 – Robert Milkins
- 137 – Simon Bedford
- 137 – Craig Steadman
- 129 – Jamie Cope
- 125, 104 – Stuart Bingham
- 123, 116, 102 – Judd Trump
- 121 – Rod Lawler
- 120 – Ken Doherty
- 113, 103 – Sam Baird
- 113 – Liu Song
- 110 – Mark King
- 107 – Matthew Couch
- 102 – Joe Jogia
Event 5
Prize fund
- Winner: £5,000
- Runner-up: £2,500
- Semi-final: £1,500
- Quarter-final: £500
- Last 16: £250
- High break: £500
Event 5 took place at the George Scott Snooker Club in Liverpool, from 16 to 18 February 2010. Barry Hawkins beat Michael Holt 5–1 in the final. Judd Trump made the highest break of 138. Results are given below.
Preliminary round
- Liang Wenbo (CHN) 4–2 Jamie Cope (ENG)
- Matthew Selt (ENG) 2–4 Michael Holt (ENG)
- Matthew Couch (ENG) 1–4 Ben Woollaston (ENG)
- Sam Baird (ENG) 1–4 Judd Trump (ENG)
- Stephen Lee (ENG) w/d–w/o Adrian Gunnell (ENG)
- Barry Pinches (ENG) 0–4 Graeme Dott (SCO)
- Ken Doherty (IRL) 2–4 Chris Norbury (ENG)
Century breaks
- 138 – Judd Trump
- 137 – Ken Doherty
- 135, 129, 121 – Liang Wenbo
- 134 – Rod Lawler
- 132, 128, 104 – Stuart Bingham
- 131 – Graeme Dott
- 130 – Craig Steadman
- 128, 105 – Tom Ford
- 125 – Nigel Bond
- 124 – Mark Joyce
- 123, 106 – Barry Hawkins
- 122 – Jamie Cope
- 122 – Adrian Gunnell
- 109, 102 – Michael Holt
- 106 – Simon Bedford
- 104, 100 – Daniel Wells