What is a Major and what is not?

Ali Carter, 2015 Paul Hunter Classic winner

This season World Snooker will provide a record of 19 Ranking Events, but there's been a lot of discussion on whether it's fair to call everyone who wins one of them a "Ranking Event winner" as in the past players had less "Ranking Events" to play and the record of 38 from Stephen Hendry didn't take a couple of seasons to be built, also, in the past European Tour event winners weren't called "Ranking Event winners" even though the European Tour in fact did count points/money towards the World Ranking.
So what makes a tournament more important or more prestigious than another? Well, I'm sure World Snooker won't put a finger on it because of marketing and all this debate is great to get Snooker in the talks.

I'm a Snooker fan who loves to watch Snooker, wherever and whoever, but I'm gonna categorize the tournaments, my criteria will be a combination of fans love, players compromise, media space, prize money and - maybe principally - date and venue it takes place.

1st Class World Championship, The Masters, UK Championship, Welsh Open, Champion of Champions, Players Championship, Paul Hunter Classic
These events are in the ones I'd like to call as Majors, because they're the ones everybody gets excited for and all the players want to peak at it, they also have good space on media and - most of them - a prestigious history behind.
Money takes a big part in it, but the Paul Hunter Classic is a great example of what atmosphere can make. It's a great tribute to Paul Hunter, and Furth hosts the event perfectly. The fans love it and all the players want to win it, Ronnie O`Sullivan, Mark Selby (x2), Shaun Murphy (x2), Judd Trump, Mark Allen and Ali Carter being former champions speaks for itself.

2nd Class World Grand Prix, Shanghai Masters, International Championship, Riga Masters, World Open, German Masters, China Open
Well, now I like to call these tournaments as Big Events, because they have big prize money and a good space on the media, but you're always going to have a couple of big names missing and a few players taking part in it just to get match fit. Don't get me wrong, nobody gets on the table to lose, but many players come to these events as "part of the preparation" for further bigger events. Also, some of them happens in dates where the players are focussing on the bigger ones I cited as "Majors".

3rd Class Gibraltar Open, Indian Open, Championship League
I would call them Average, anyway it has to be said that generally the "average" of Snooker has increased significantly. I think it's not fair to call them "Minors" because the image Snooker have of "Minor Events" is something like a PTC in a Snooker Club with no crowd and only one camera showing it on Internet. These events nowadays are all televised and the level is so high. You don't get any champion who haven't impressed and made many Century Breaks throughout his campaign. But I can't put them in the same class as the ones I have in the "2nd Class" because you have many top players missing and many players only playing to keep their rythm and win a few extra points/money for the Rankings. I'd say not everyone is really too bothered about it. Anyway as I've said, any win nowadays - doesn't matter what, where or when - is a great win, because in every single event you have a high standard and no one wins a tournament playing "average snooker", in fact.


I didn't categorize the Shoot-Out because I think it's a one-off - it shouldn't even be a Ranking Event, but in the other hand it's great fun, many fans love it and it's on free-to-air television with good prize money -, I don't think it would fit in any of the classes I listed. The 6Red World Championship wasn't listed as well, because although it's a World Title up for grabs it's not proper Snooker, however it's one of my favourite events.
I also didn't put the English Open, the Irish Open and the Scottish Open in any of the classes because they'll be played for the first time this season, joining the already existing Welsh Open in the "Home Nation Series". I don't know how the reception by players and fans will be, but I expect it to be good anyway. The European Open will also debut on the Tour and wasn't categorized.

See Full Season Calendar Here

Do you agree with me? Have a better view on it? Then you can contact me through Facebook or Twitter and post your own opinions about it in here!


If you already follow our Facebook page then you know everything that's happening in England at the Guild Hall in Preston where the Qualifying stages for the first 3 Ranking Events of the season are being played. If you don't, give it a like and be aware of everything going on this season in Snooker: Ronnie O`Sullivan Brasil on Facebook