Scottish Open

History of the Scottish Open Snooker

The history of the Scottish Open Snooker stretches further back than the modern tournament’s 2016 revival. Scotland’s professional ranking event was established under the Scottish Open name in 1998, although the tournament has its roots in earlier Scottish professional events. The first Scottish Open ranking event was staged in Aberdeen in 1998, and Ronnie O’Sullivan won the inaugural edition by defeating Scotland’s John Higgins 9-5 in the final.

The early years immediately established a strong connection with some of snooker’s biggest names. O’Sullivan returned to win the title again in 2000, defeating Mark Williams 9-1. Between O’Sullivan’s two victories, Scottish legend Stephen Hendry claimed the 1999 championship, beating fellow Scot Graeme Dott 9-1 in the final. The tournament was therefore producing heavyweight champions from the beginning rather than quietly waiting for its big moment.

In 2001, Peter Ebdon became champion after beating Ken Doherty 9-7. Stephen Lee then lifted the trophy in 2002, defeating David Gray 9-2. The final Scottish Open of this first ranking-event period was held in 2003, when David Gray beat Mark Selby 9-7 at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh.

The tournament’s story then became considerably more complicated. After the 2003 event, the competition was renamed the Players Championship for the 2004 season. That event was won by Jimmy White, who defeated Paul Hunter 9-7 in Glasgow. The tournament subsequently disappeared from the calendar as a major professional event.

The Scottish Open returned in the 2012-13 season, but this time as a minor-ranking event. Ding Junhui won the title at the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell, defeating Scotland’s Anthony McGill 4-2 in the final. It was a relatively brief return, and the Scottish Open name once again disappeared before the tournament was eventually restored to the main ranking calendar in 2016.

The modern era began in December 2016, when the Scottish Open became part of the newly established Home Nations Series. Marco Fu won the revived tournament in spectacular fashion, defeating local favourite John Higgins 9-4 in the final in Glasgow. Higgins appeared to be cruising after taking a 4-1 lead, but Fu responded by winning eight frames in a row. Fu’s victory was particularly impressive because he produced 11 centuries and 20 additional breaks of more than 50 during the tournament.

The 2017 Scottish Open produced another memorable final. Australia’s Neil Robertson faced China’s Cao Yupeng and eventually prevailed 9-8 in a deciding frame. The tournament was quickly establishing a reputation for closely fought matches and international competition, with players from across the snooker world competing for the title.

In 2018, Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen won the Scottish Open, defeating Shaun Murphy 9-7 in the final. Allen’s victory added another international name to the roll of honour and continued the pattern of different champions emerging during the tournament’s modern era.

Mark Selby then took the title in 2019. He defeated Jack Lisowski 9-6 in the final in Glasgow, having twice fallen behind before taking control of the match. Selby had previously been runner-up in the Scottish Open in 2003, meaning his 2019 triumph completed a particularly neat piece of tournament history.

Selby successfully defended his title in 2020, although that edition was very different from the usual Scottish Open experience. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was played in a bio-secure environment at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes rather than its Glasgow home. Selby defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final to claim his second consecutive Scottish Open title.

The 2021 tournament was won by Belgium’s Luca Brecel, who defeated John Higgins in the final. Brecel’s success added another country to the modern Scottish Open roll of honour and underlined the increasingly international character of professional snooker. The following year brought another major change as the tournament moved to Edinburgh.

In 2022, the Scottish Open moved to the newly redeveloped Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh. It was the first professional snooker event in Edinburgh since 2003, and the venue has remained the tournament’s home ever since. World Snooker Tour confirmed that the event has been staged at Meadowbank every year from 2022 onwards.

Gary Wilson won the 2022 tournament and then produced one of the more unusual pieces of Scottish Open history by successfully defending his title in 2023. Wilson beat Joe O’Connor in the 2022 final before defeating Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham in the 2023 final. Two consecutive Scottish Open titles put Wilson in an exclusive modern-era group and showed just how difficult the event can be to predict.

China’s Lei Peifan won the 2024 Scottish Open, defeating fellow Chinese player Wu Yize in the final. The tournament continued to showcase the strength of China’s emerging snooker generation, while established players remained a major part of the competition. Mark Allen, the 2018 champion, reached the quarter-finals in 2024 after edging Jack Lisowski 4-3 in a deciding frame.

The 2025 Scottish Open produced another fascinating chapter. England’s Chris Wakelin won the championship, beating China’s Chang Bingyu 9-2 in the final. Wakelin had to recover from being 2-1 behind and subsequently won eight frames in a row to secure his second ranking title. His victory earned him £100,000.

Chang’s run to the final was arguably just as remarkable. The 23-year-old defeated 2023 world champion Kyren Wilson, four-time world champion Mark Selby and world number 10 Mark Allen on his way to the title match. He also produced nine century breaks across the tournament, making his unexpected charge one of the standout stories in recent Scottish Open history.

Looking ahead, the 2026 Scottish Open is scheduled to take place from 14 to 20 December at the Meadowbank Centre in Edinburgh. The event remains a world ranking tournament, with the champion set to receive £100,000 from a total prize fund of £550,400. The official roll of honour now includes champions from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Australia, Hong Kong, Belgium and China, reflecting just how international the Scottish Open has become.

From its first ranking incarnation in Aberdeen in 1998, through its periods of disappearance and revival, to its current home in Edinburgh, the Scottish Open Snooker has experienced almost everything a tournament can experience: legendary champions, surprise winners, dramatic comebacks, venue changes, a pandemic-era relocation and the arrival of a new generation of international stars. Its history may have been anything but straightforward, but that is precisely what makes the Scottish Open such an interesting part of the professional snooker calendar.