Connor’s Christmas Cheer

IT WAS four-and-a-half months into 2015 before Connor Benzey (pictured) won his first ever individual snooker competition.

This year, it took just one day for the 13-year-old from Eastleigh to taste success.

Benzey finished the nine-day Christmas Cup at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club 13 points clear of ten-year-old Oliver Sykes.

He took an unbeatable lead into New Year’s Day after a break-building blitz the previous afternoon. Runs of 46, 45 and 39 in consecutive frames helped to clinch his first school holiday title at his home club.

The son of Southampton’s 2001 Town Champion Mark Benzey enjoyed three major successes last year. He was crowned the Eastleigh & District Under-13 League champion, he beat Sykes in the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour championship play-off and he recorded his first competitive half-century break of 53.

Activities during the Christmas Cup included the Cuestars Coaching Programme, billiards, cricket and handicapped snooker. The lads competed for four hours a day for nine days under the watchful eye of World Snooker coach Tim Dunkley.

As previously reported, Benzey passed Level 8 of the coaching programme and became only the second current Cuestars member to pass Level 9.

Defending champion Charlie Pringle, who finished third, rounded off the event with a personal best 49 break in the final frame of the competition against Harry Joyce, who is tipped to reach Bronze Tour standard within the next few months.

Competitions for under-18s are held on every weekday, 11am-3pm, during every school holiday at Chandler’s Ford SC. The cost is £6 a day. Non-members and complete beginners are welcome. The next event is the February Half-Term Cup from February 15-19.

Final rankings: Connor Benzey 104 pts, Oliver Sykes 91, Charlie Pringle 85, Oli Line 84, Harry Joyce 73, Bowen Zhu 56, Ryan Hughes 42, Steven Hughes 25, Max Bishop 21, Callum Short 16.

Report and picture by Tim Dunkley