Pro Challenge Series


The Pro Challenge Series was a series of non-ranking snooker tournaments held during the 2009–10 snooker season. The events were open to all players on the main tour and were intended to give tour players more playing opportunities. Seven events were planned but only four took place before the series was cancelled, due to low player participation. The series was not repeated and was replaced by the Players Tour Championship, which started the following season.

Prize fund

Except for event 2, events had a prize fund of £15,000 with the winner receiving £5,000. Event 2, which was played using the six-red format, had a prize fund of £10,000 with the winner receiving £3,000. In event 2 the £500 break prize went to the player with the fastest maximum break.

Schedule

The schedule for the Events 1 to 5 is listed below. Event 4 was cancelled and event 5 was the final tournament played. Event 2 was played using the six-red format. Events 6 and 7 were cancelled.

Event 1

Prize fund

  • Winner: £5,000
  • Runner-up: £2,500
  • Semi-final: £1,500
  • Quarter-final: £500
  • Last 16: £250
  • High break: £500
The first event took place at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds, from 28 to 30 July 2009. Stephen Maguire beat Alan McManus 5–2 in the final. Dave Harold made the highest break of 128. Results are given below.

Preliminary round

Prize fund

  • Winner: £3,000
  • Runner-up: £1,500
  • Semi-finals: £800
  • Quarter-Finals: £400
  • Last 16: £225
  • Fastest maximum break : £500
The second event took place at Pontins, Prestatyn, on 31 August and 1 September 2009, using the six-red format. Ken Doherty beat Martin Gould 6–2 in the final. Stuart Pettman took the prize for the fastest maximum break. Results are given below.

Preliminary round

  • 2–5 '
  • 4–5 '
  • 3–5 '
  • ' w/o-w/d
  • 2–5 '
  • ' 5–2
  • ' 5–0
  • w/d–w/o '
  • 4–5 '
  • 4–5 '
  • 1–5 '
  • 4–5 '
  • 1–5 '
  • 3–5 '
  • 2–5 ''''''

    Maximum breaks

Note: a maximum break in six-red snooker is 75 points.
  • Stuart Pettman
  • Dave Harold
  • Fergal O'Brien
  • Ryan Day

    Event 3

Prize fund

  • Winner: £5,000
  • Runner-up: £2,500
  • Semi-final: £1,500
  • Quarter-final: £500
  • Last 16: £250
  • High break: £500
The third event took place at the Willie Thorne Snooker Centre in Leicester, from 9 to 11 November 2009. Robert Milkins beat Joe Jogia 5–3 in the final. Ricky Walden made the highest break of 140. Results are given below.

Preliminary round

Prize fund

  • Winner: £5,000
  • Runner-up: £2,500
  • Semi-final: £1,500
  • Quarter-final: £500
  • Last 16: £250
  • High break: £500
Event 5 took place at the George Scott Snooker Club in Liverpool, from 16 to 18 February 2010. Barry Hawkins beat Michael Holt 5–1 in the final. Judd Trump made the highest break of 138. Results are given below.

Preliminary round

  • ' 4–2
  • 2–4 '
  • 1–4 '
  • 1–4 '
  • w/d–w/o '
  • 0–4 '
  • 2–4 ''''''

    Century breaks

  • 138 Judd Trump
  • 137 Ken Doherty
  • 135, 129, 121 Liang Wenbo
  • 134 Rod Lawler
  • 132, 128, 104 Stuart Bingham
  • 131 Graeme Dott
  • 130 Craig Steadman
  • 128, 105 Tom Ford
  • 125 Nigel Bond
  • 124 Mark Joyce
  • 123, 106 Barry Hawkins
  • 122 Jamie Cope
  • 122 Adrian Gunnell
  • 109, 102 Michael Holt
  • 106 Simon Bedford
  • 104, 100 Daniel Wells