This was shared on TNT by Desmond Kane yesterday:

Ronnie O’Sullivan handed nightmare draw in quest to hit £1m golden jackpot in Riyadh with Zhao Xintong and Judd Trump chasing snooker’s richest prize

By Desmond Kane

Published 25/10/2025

The winner of the third Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in Saudi Arabia could earn a whopping £1m for three days work if they claim the title and produce the sport’s first 167 break. The richest prize in the sport is available with the champion earning £250,000 and a further $1m (£751,000) on the line for the first player to sink a Golden Ball after making a 147 maximum break.

Ronnie O’Sullivan will have to do it the hard way if he is to claim a second title in three seasons at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in Saudi Arabia next month.

The seven-time world champion won the inaugural staging of the event last year, but has been handed a potential minefield when the invitational event is staged between November 19-21 at Boulevard City, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

O’Sullivan will open his campaign on the first day of the competition against Masters champion Shaun Murphy or local player Ziyad Al–Qabbani, with the winner of that contest facing world champion Zhao Xintong the following night in the quarter-finals.

It does not get easier for the snooker GOAT, with world No. 1 Judd Trump or new Xi’an Grand Prix winner Mark Williams next up in the semi-finals on the final day.

The event, made up of the top nine players in the world and the Crucible winner Zhao, has become famous for offering a $1m prize (£751,000) if any player can produce the first 167 in snooker history – a traditional 147 followed by potting a ‘golden ball’ worth 20 points after sinking the final black.

The golden ball has been perched in the middle of the baulk cushion for the first two editions of the event, but there has been speculation it might be moved to a more favourable location this year.

The golden ball is traditionally removed from the table by the referee when a 147 is no longer possible in a frame.

“The first one is going to be special,” said O’Sullivan, who is based in Dubai and has a snooker academy in Riyadh.

“You can’t take anything away from someone who does it down the line, but that first one is always going to be remembered.

“It will be some history and create some serious headlines.

“Big prize. $1m. No one’s ever won a prize like that in snooker ever before.“

Four-time world champion John Higgins was on course for the 167 in the maiden staging of the event, but ran out of position on 120 in trying to land on the yellow off a tricky black before missing the yellow.

“Our dream is to see the gold ball potted at the end of a maximum break to complete the world’s first ever 167!” said Naif Al-Jaweini, the general manager of Riyadh Season Snooker.

“I am sure every player in the field shares this dream as this achievement would help bring our sport to a new level on a global scale.”

…

On paper at least, the top half of the draw looks slightly more favourable in the chase for the lucrative £250,000 first prize.

Defending champion Mark Allen is in line to take on Higgins or Ding Junhui – who opens against home hope Ayman Alamri on Wednesday, November 19 – in the last eight as world No. 2 Kyren Wilson meets Neil Robertson, who returns to the country after his £500,000 victory at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August.

All matches are the best of seven frames with the best-of-nine frame final due to take place on Friday, November 21 at 19:00 UK time.

O’Sullivan defeated Luca Brecel 5-2 in the first final in March 2024, with Allen running out a 5-1 winner over Brecel before Christmas last year.