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

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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

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Pontins Spring Open

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[1]

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

Pontins Autumn Open

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Year Winner Runner-up Final score Season
1976[2]   Cliff Wilson (WAL)   Paul Medati (ENG) 7–4 1976/77
1977[2]   Billy Kelly (IRE)   George Scott (ENG) 7–5 1977/78
1978[2]   Jimmy White (ENG)   Sid Hood (ENG) 7–6 1978/79
1979[2]   Tony Knowles (ENG)   Dave Martin (ENG) 7–0 1979/80
1980[2]   Paul Medati (ENG)   Vic Harris (ENG) 7–4 1980/81
1981   Bill Oliver (ENG)   Ian Williamson (ENG) 7–5 1981/82
1982   Steve Duggan (ENG)   Kevin Lowndes (ENG) 7–3 1982/83
1983   Roger Bales (ENG)   Gary Filtness (ENG) 7–0 1983/84
1984   Barry West (ENG)   Gary Hancock (ENG) 7–3 1984/85
1985   Gary Bray (ENG)   Mark Johnston-Allen (ENG) 7–5 1985/86
1986   Tony Wilson (IOM)   Craig Edwards (ENG) 5–4 1986/87
1987   Nick Terry (ENG)   Mark Johnston-Allen (ENG) 5–4 1987/88
1988   Jason Ferguson (ENG)   Jonathan Birch (ENG) 5–2 1988/89
1989   Jonathan Birch (ENG)   Drew Henry (SCO) 5–4 1989/90
1990   Anthony Hamilton (ENG)   Joe Swail (NIR) 5–1 1990/91
1991   Drew Henry (SCO)   John Read (ENG) 5–2 1991/92
1992   Nick Walker (ENG)   Anthony Harris (ENG) 5–3 1992/93
1993   Peter Lines (ENG)   Andrew Hannah (ENG) 5–1 1993/94
1994   John Read (ENG)   Craig Edwards (ENG) 5–2 1994/95
1995   Graeme Dott (SCO)   Stephen Lee (ENG) 5–1 1995/96
1996   Matthew Couch (ENG)   Gary Ponting (ENG) 5–4 1996/97
1997   James McGouran (SCO)   Matthew Couch (ENG) 5–3 1997/98
1998   Matthew Couch (ENG)   Brian Salmon (ENG) 5–1 1998/99
1999   Craig Butler (ENG)   Matthew Farrant (WAL) 5–4 1999/00
2000   Kuldesh Johal (ENG)   Colin Morton (ENG) 5–3 2000/01
2001   Sean O'Neill (NIR)   Rodney Goggins (IRL) 5–1 2001/02
2002   Tim English (WAL)   Brendan O'Donoghue (IRL) 5–4 2002/03
2003   Mark King (ENG)   Craig Butler (ENG) 5–4 2003/04
2004   Stuart Bingham (ENG)   Mark Davis (ENG) 4–2 2004/05
2005   Joe Swail (NIR)   Dave Harold (ENG) 5–3 2005/06
2006   Ryan Day (WAL)   Jamie Cope (ENG) 5–2 2006/07
2007   Jamie Cope (ENG)   Lee Page (ENG) 5–0 2007/08
2008   Craig Steadman (ENG)   Leo Fernandez (IRL) 5–0 2008/09
2009   Michael Georgiou (CYP)   David Donovan (WAL) 5–2 2009/10
2010   Rob James (ENG)   Michael Holt (ENG) 5–4 2010/11

Pontins World Series

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

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "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.
  2. ^ a b c d e Morrison, Ian (1986). The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Snooker. Twickenham: Hamlyn Publishing Group. p. 100. ISBN 0600501922.