£400 record payday for Cuestars Silver champion
HAMPSHIRE teenager Ryan Hughes said he’s going to “buy lots of things” with his £400 prize money for winning a six-month snooker competition.
The 15-year-old enjoyed a record payday after topping the Open Series 22 rankings at Chandlers Ford SC.
Any lingering doubts were dispelled when third-placed Steven Hughes (no relation), who needed to win the week-26 final and hope his title rival lost all his matches to tie, was a first-round casualty.
The newly-crowned champion, who lives a cycle ride from the club, insisted he never thought first place was possible.
“At the start, I didn’t think I could get anywhere near the top because my handicap was just dropping and dropping,” he admitted.
“I thought I was going to fail.
“One thing that has helped, when I’ve gone into the Plate (for first-round losers), I’ve got to the final.”
He described his pivotal victory over the then rankings leader Brett Wallace two weeks previously as a “key game”.
Hughes, who also won Series 19, missed three of the 26 weeks and reduced his handicap over this series by 12.68 points, more than anyone else.
Last season, Hughes won five of the ten legs on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Tour to claim the rankings title. He also reached his first final on the EASB Regional Junior Tour (South West). And recently he increased his high break in competition to 69.
In the 2015/16 season, he clinched the Cuestars Bronze Tour double – the rankings title and the championship play-off.
Hughes’ World Snooker coach Tim Dunkley said: “Ryan is a winner.
“Over the past two years, he has demonstrated his ability to step up a gear and win important snooker matches.”
The only major move in the Open Series money list on the final day was a three-place climb by Neil Carroll (Rownhams), who beat Grahame Hughes (Ryan’s dad) in the final.
Wallace (Gosport) was second and English under-14 champion Olly Gibbs (Gosport) finished fourth.
Riley Ellis (north Wilts), the only ever-present player, won the Plate final for the third week running to share fifth place with Chloe White (Havant).
Connor Benzey, 15, made the most 30-plus breaks. His total of 68 included 17 half-centuries. Former English under-18 champion Mark Lloyd recorded the series high break of 116.
A new 26-week handicapped series starts on Saturday at 1pm and is guaranteed to pay out a record £1,875 in prize money.
Entry fee is £10 for club members and £13 for non-members. Subject to table availability, there is free practice until the final finishes at roughly 7pm.
Top 12 and prize money: £400 Ryan Hughes (Chandler’s Ford) -18 h/cap, 147 pts; £330 Brett Wallace (Gosport) 0, 145; £260 Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford) -27, 135; £200 Olly Gibbs (Gosport) -20, 132; £130 Riley Ellis (Clyffe Pypard, North Wilts) 29, 129; £130 Chloe White (Havant) 22, 129; £85 Callum White (Havant) 29, 122; £65 Neil Carroll (Rownhams) -15, 113; £42 Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford) -14, 108; £42 Charlie Pringle (Chandler’s Ford) -8, 108; £42 Barry Doswell (Portsmouth) 28, 108; £30 Connor Benzey (Eastleigh) -25, 100.
Picture by Tim Dunkley
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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)