Q Tour Set For Leeds Finale
The final event of the 2022/23 WPBSA Q Tour is set to run from 6-8 January 2023 at the Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds following which two crucial ranking battles will be decided.
The premier amateur qualifying circuit to the World Snooker Tour, the WPBSA Q Tour once again carries two professional tour qualifying places across the 2022/23 season. The first will be won by the top ranked player following the conclusion of play this Sunday, with the next 16 to contest a second card at the Q Tour Playoffs in March.
Number One
Following the conclusion of the penultimate Q Tour event last month at the Landywood Snooker Club, Scotland’s Ross Muir leads the way by just 50 points from England’s George Pragnell.
With each of this season’s five events won by a different player, the battle for top spot remains tight, with no fewer than 13 players still mathematically in contention to finish as number one and claim the coveted World Snooker Tour place.
Of the chasing pack behind Event 1 winner Muir, both Pragnell and Event 5 winner Daniel Wells could move to top spot by reaching the last 32 if Muir were to lose his opener.
Farakh Ajaib – who won Event 3 in Belgium – is the other player within touching distance of Muir heading into the tournament, needing at least a last 16 run in Leeds to be in with a chance of earning the automatic card.
Outside of the top four, Event 4 winner Billy Castle could overtake Muir with a run to the semi-finals, while Event 2 king Martin O’Donnell would draw level on points with Muir – but crucially ahead on countback – by reaching the last four.
Beyond O’Donnell, the position is clear for the remaining seven players from former professional Rory McLeod down to 13th placed Liam Davies, with all needing to win the title and hope for other results to go their way to stand any chance of claiming top spot on Sunday evening.
Playoffs
While there is just one automatic tour card set to be earned this weekend, there will of course be a second professional place to be won by the player who can come through a season-ending playoff event to be held at the Q House Snooker Academy across the weekend of 4-5 March 2023.
With a maximum 2,500 points on offer for winning the event, and current 17th ranked player Michael Georgiou with 1,175 points to his name, the race for playoff places remains wide open in Leeds.
