The BBC have proudly claimed the Masters, UK and World Championship as snooker’s majors for decades. A lot of fans have their own views of what the major tournaments in snooker should be and think it should venture further than tournaments residing within the UK. While these events do have a lot of historical significance, I thought I would pose the question to the audience as to what you think the majors in snookers should be. Meanwhile, here are my picks.
World Snooker Championship
No explanation necessary
European/German Masters
I think a ‘Masters’ event should remain as a major but perhaps the German or European Masters should take its place. Both events date pack to the early-mid 1990s and could offer the flexibility of being held in various locations around Europe. Most tournaments in the calendar are housed in Europe anyway so I think it’s a natural choice to have a Masters as a snooker major.
China Open
One of the most significant regions representing the game, it makes sense to hold a major event within the country. There have been many rumours of the World Championship eventually being moved to China, but I think converting an event such as the China Open would do well to bridge this gap and show the importance of China as a growth area in the game.
Scottish (International) Open
One of the longest standing events that remain on the calendar to this day, the Scottish Open has stood the test of time through a series of name/brand revisions. Initially, the tournament was known as the International Open which, similar to the European Masters, could benefit from being held in a variety of locations where snooker has potential for a packed audience.
My choices aim to represent the variety of regions where snooker has the most footfall as opposed to having all major events in one spot. Ideally, I would prefer if snooker had greater traction in an area like the US because I think having a major there would be great for the sport. Or even if the Dubai Classic was still around, this could also be a potential contender in my eyes.
Also, my majors change the Triple Crown notion by adding one more event to the mix in order to be in line with other sports. I also chose events that all players have a chance at winning i.e. didn’t choose events like the Tour Championship or Champion of Champions which only allow the top ranked players for a certain period to qualify.
Obviously, something would probably have to change regarding the format of these events in order to make them ‘major-worthy’ but as it stands, these would be my choices. But I pose the question to you. Which tournaments, past or present, would make up your snooker majors? You can choose three or four, but the decision is entirely yours! Or do you think the Triple Crown should remain as is?
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