The Global Snooker Centre

TOURNAMENT HISTORIES

THE GRAND PRIX

(LG Cup) (Formerly The Professional Players Tournament)

Prior to the 1982/3 season, the world rankings had been based solely on performances in the world championship. The WPBSA decided to extend ranking status to one existing event, the Jameson International, and to promote another themselves which would be open to all professionals. So began the Professional Players Tournaments which was un-sponsored and un-televised. The initial event was held in Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham with a field of sixty. Players were not seeded so that you had Ray Reardon against Alex Higgins, a repeat of the world final a few months previously, in the second round. It was Reardon who went on to take the winner’s prize beating Jimmy White in the final and this was to prove his last major victory. In 1983 the event moved to Redwood Lodge, Bristol. As the field has increased a qualifying round was necessary and the top 32 were seeded. Only four of the top 16 reached the quarter-finals and Tony Knowles beat Joe Johnson in the final.

The event was proving so successful that the BBC took interest as State Express had pulled the plug on one of the major televised events, The World Team Classic. Rothmans stepped in with sponsorship, and with a new name, The Rothmans Grand Prix, the tournament moved to the Hexagon in Reading, the previous home of the team event. The first Grand Prix was an emotional affair as it was a first major win for Dennis Taylor who almost pulled out having following the death of his mother. Cliff Thorburn was the runner-up. Taylor, by then reigning world champion, reached the final again the following year and he took Steve Davis to the final frame before losing 10-9.

The 1986 final went into the record books because Rex Williams, who had been a professional since 1951, became the oldest player to reach a ranking final. He could not complete the job and Jimmy White took the crown. Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis dominated the next five years with the Scot winning three and Davis two. Jimmy White’s 10-9 victory over Ken Doherty in 1992 was the last under Rothmans’ sponsorship. Skoda Cars took over for 1993 which saw the first ranking win for Peter Ebdon who beat Ken Doherty 9-6.

Still with sponsorship form Skoda, the event moved to Derby in 1994 when it gave another young player his first title as a professional. This time it was John Higgins with the first of three events he won that season.

Sunderland was the venue for the last Grand Prix under the Skoda banner in 1995 when Hendry reclaimed the title from Higgins. Now without any sponsorship, the event moved to Bournemouth’s International Centre for the next two seasons. Mark Williams took the first of these and, carrying on the tradition of providing players with their first victories, Dominic Dale was a surprise winner in 1997.

The Grand Prix then swapped venues with the UK Championship and moved to Preston’s Guild Hall where yet another first-time winner emerged in Stephen Lee, 9-2 victor over Marco Fu in 1998.

In 1999 Ronnie O’Sullivan achieved the only maximum the event has seen but it was Higgins who beat Williams in the final before the tournament moved again, this time to Telford, for what was to be the end, for the time being at least, of the Grand Prix story. Williams won the title for a second time.

Sponsors were found at last for the 2001/02 season and the Grand Prix name disappeared from the calendar to be replaced by the LG Cup but to all intents and purposes it was the same event.

It also took a major event back to Preston’s Guild Hall which had been dropped the previous season. Ronnie O’Sullivan set the tournament alight with his fifth maximum but it was Stephen Lee who beat Peter Ebdon in the final for his second ranking title and an £82,500 cheque.

Chris Small caused a major upset in 2002, beating fellow Scot Alan McManus in the final, having defeated both John Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan along the way; and he beat Jimmy Michie, a surprise semi finalist to book his place in the final. McManus ended a great revival run by Steve Davis, with a 6-4 semi final victory.

It was more like business as usual in 2003, as big guns John Higgins and Mark Williams went head to head in the final. But although Williams took the title, Higgins grabbed the headlines, with a 147 maximum break during the final.

LG's three year contract came to an end after the 2003 event and for 2004 the event reverted to its original title of The Grand Prix.

For the second year running John Higgins made a 147 but it didn't help him beat event giant killer Ricky Walden.

The loudest cheers of the event were reserved for home-town boy Ian McCulloch who reached the final, before bowing to the winner Ronnie O'Sullivan. both Rory McLeod with 142 and Nigel Bond with a 140, achieved their career highest breaks during the qualifying rounds.

In 2005 John Higgins swept all before him, producing imperious form that saw him demolish Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final, including an unprecedented run of 494 unanswered points and four century breaks in succession.

Previous Winners and Runners Up

Year	Venue	Sponsor	Winner	Runner Up	Score	1st Prize
PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS TOURNAMENT
1982	International SC, Birmingham	none	Ray Reardon	Jimmy White	10-5	£5,000
1983	Redwood Lodge, Bristol	none	Tony Knowles	Joe Johnson	9-8	£12,500
GRAND PRIX
1984	Hexagon Theatre, Reading	Rothmans	Dennis Taylor	Cliff Thorburn	10-2	£45,000
1985	Hexagon Theatre, Reading	Rothmans	Steve Davis	Dennis Taylor	10-9	£50,000
1986	Hexagon Theatre, Reading	Rothmans	Jimmy White	Rex Williams	10-6	£55,000
1987	Hexagon Theatre, Reading	Rothmans	Stephen Hendry	Dennis Taylor	10-7	£60,000
1988	Hexagon Theatre, Reading	Rothmans	Steve Davis	Alex Higgins	10-6	£65,000
1989	Hexagon Theatre, Reading	Rothmans	Steve Davis	Dean Reynolds	10-0	£70,000
1990	Hexagon Theatre, Reading	Rothmans	Stephen Hendry	Nigel Bond	10-5	£75,000
1991	Hexagon Theatre, Reading	Rothmans	Stephen Hendry	Steve Davis	10-6	£75,000
1992	Hexagon Theatre, Reading	Rothmans	Jimmy White	Ken Doherty	10-9	£80,000
1993	Hexagon Theatre, Reading	Skoda	Peter Ebdon	Ken Doherty	9-6	£60,000
1994	Assembly Rooms, Derby	Skoda	John Higgins	Dave Harold	9-6	£60,000
1995	Crowtree Centre, Sunderland	Skoda	Stephen Hendry	John Higgins	9-5	£60,000
1996	Bournemouth International Centre	none	Mark J. Williams	Euan Henderson	9-5	£60,000
1997	Bournemouth International Centre	none	Dominic Dale	John Higgins	9-6	£60,000
1998	Guild Hall, Preston	none	Stephen Lee	Marco Fu	9-2	£60,000
1999	Guild Hall, Preston	none	John Higgins	Mark J. Williams	9-8	£62,000
2000	Telford International Centre	none	Mark J. Williams	Ronnie O'Sullivan	9-5	£62,000
LG CUP
2001	Guild Hall, Preston	LG Electronics	Stephen Lee	Peter Ebdon	9-4	£82,500
2002	Guild Hall Preston	LG Electronics	Chris Small	Alan McManus	9-5	£82,500
2003	Guild Hall Preston	LG Electronics	Mark Williams	John Higgins	9-5	£82,500
GRAND PRIX
2004	Guild Hall Preston	Totesport	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Ian McCulloch	9-5	£60,000
2005	Guild Hall Preston		John Higgins	Ronnie O'Sullivan	9-2	£60,000
2006
2007

Maximum Breaks in the Grand Prix / LG Cup
1999	Ronnie O'Sullivan	v	Graeme Dott
2001	Ronnie O'Sullivan	v	Drew Henry
2003	John Higgins	v	Mark Williams
2004	John Higgins	v	Ricky Walden

Chris Turner/Janie Watkins 2007.