Welsh Open

History of the Welsh Open Snooker

The history of the Welsh Open Snooker begins in 1992, when the tournament was introduced as a professional ranking event. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which had been staged from 1980 to 1991 and was restricted to Welsh players. The creation of the Welsh Open therefore represented an important change: rather than being a championship exclusively for Welsh professionals, it became an international ranking tournament open to the wider professional snooker circuit.

The inaugural Welsh Open took place from 10 to 16 February 1992 at the Newport Leisure Centre. Scotland’s Stephen Hendry became the first champion, defeating Welshman Darren Morgan 9–3 in the final. Morgan had the consolation of recording the tournament’s highest break, a 132. The first edition immediately established a pattern that would become familiar throughout the tournament’s history: elite international players competing against talented Welsh contenders in front of a passionate home audience.

The early years were dominated by some of the defining players of the era. Ken Doherty won in 1993, beating Alan McManus 9–7, before Steve Davis claimed consecutive titles in 1994 and 1995. Davis defeated McManus 9–6 in 1994 and John Higgins 9–3 in 1995. In 1996, the Welsh Open finally had a home winner when Mark Williams defeated John Parrott 9–3.

Stephen Hendry returned to the winners’ circle in 1997, defeating Mark King 9–2. Paul Hunter then won the title in 1998, beating John Higgins 9–5. The 1999 tournament produced another memorable success for Mark Williams, who defeated Hendry 9–8 in the final. That victory made Williams the first and, to date, only Welsh player to win the Welsh Open more than once.

The tournament moved from Newport to Cardiff in 1999, with the Cardiff International Arena becoming an important venue in its history. John Higgins won the 2000 title by defeating Stephen Lee 9–8, before Ken Doherty captured his second Welsh Open crown in 2001. Paul Hunter then became a two-time champion in 2002, beating Doherty 9–7.

Hendry claimed his third Welsh Open title in 2003, defeating Mark Williams 9–5. The following two editions belonged to Ronnie O’Sullivan. He beat Steve Davis 9–8 in 2004 and Stephen Hendry 9–8 in 2005, giving the tournament two consecutive finals that went the full distance. Stephen Lee won in 2006, beating Shaun Murphy 9–4, while Australia’s Neil Robertson became the first player from outside the British Isles to win the title when he defeated Andrew Higginson 9–8 in 2007.

Mark Selby joined the list of champions in 2008, defeating Ronnie O’Sullivan 9–8. Ali Carter followed in 2009 with a 9–5 victory over Joe Swail. John Higgins then returned to winning ways in 2010 and 2011, defeating Ali Carter 9–4 and Stephen Maguire 9–6 respectively. Those victories began an important period of success for Higgins, who would eventually establish himself as the tournament’s record winner.

Ding Junhui became the first Chinese winner of the Welsh Open in 2012, beating Mark Selby 9–6. Stephen Maguire won in 2013 after defeating Stuart Bingham 9–8, while O’Sullivan returned to the top in 2014 with a 9–3 victory over Ding. Higgins won again in 2015, defeating Ben Woollaston 9–3, before O’Sullivan claimed his fourth Welsh Open title in 2016 by beating Neil Robertson 9–5.

The 2016–17 season brought another significant change. The Welsh Open became part of the newly established Home Nations Series alongside the English Open, Northern Ireland Open and Scottish Open. From 2017 onwards, the Welsh Open trophy was named the Ray Reardon Trophy in honour of the legendary Welsh six-time world champion from Tredegar. Reardon’s connection with Welsh snooker made the trophy particularly fitting for the event.

Stuart Bingham won the 2017 tournament, defeating Judd Trump 9–8 in another dramatic final. John Higgins then captured his fifth Welsh Open title in 2018, beating Barry Hawkins 9–7. Neil Robertson won for a second time in 2019, defeating Bingham 9–7. Shaun Murphy claimed the 2020 title with a dominant 9–1 victory over Kyren Wilson.

The 2021 edition produced one of the tournament’s most memorable modern stories. Jordan Brown, ranked outside the world’s elite, defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan 9–8 in the final to win his first ranking title. It was a remarkable underdog triumph and a perfect demonstration of why the Welsh Open can never be treated as a predictable event.

Joe Perry won in 2022, defeating Judd Trump 9–5. The tournament then moved to its current home at Venue Cymru in Llandudno for the 2023 edition. Robert Milkins won that year, beating Shaun Murphy 9–7, while Gary Wilson became champion in 2024 after defeating Martin O’Donnell 9–4.

Mark Selby won the Welsh Open for a second time in 2025, defeating Stephen Maguire 9–6 in the final. His title defence, however, lasted only one match in 2026, when China’s Jiang Jun defeated him 4–3 in the opening round.

The 2026 Welsh Open ultimately belonged to Barry Hawkins. The Englishman defeated Yize Wu 6–4 in the semi-final before overcoming Jack Lisowski 9–5 in the final on 1 March at Venue Cymru. The victory gave Hawkins his first Welsh Open title and his fifth ranking title. Lisowski’s run to the final was also significant, while John Higgins reached the semi-finals and recorded a 144 break during the tournament.

By the end of its 35th consecutive edition in 2026, the Welsh Open had firmly established itself as one of professional snooker’s most enduring ranking tournaments. From Hendry’s inaugural triumph in Newport to Hawkins’ success in Llandudno, its history has featured world champions, breakthrough stars, Welsh heroes, dramatic deciding frames and more than a few unexpected results. With the tournament continuing as part of the Home Nations Series, the Welsh Open Snooker remains an important part of the modern snooker calendar and a tournament with plenty more history waiting to be written.