Hugill Lifts Landywood Q Tour Title
Ashley Hugill defeated Alfie Davies 4-2 at the Landywood Snooker Club to win the seventh WPBSA Q Tour Europe event of the season.
The Englishman won the first Q Tour title of his career to secure his place at the Global Play-Offs on the same weekend that fellow former professional Jamie Clarke earned a two-year World Snooker Tour (WST) tour card by finishing at the summit of the series ranking list.
The leading narrative heading into the seventh and final Q Tour Europe event of the 2025/26 season was the race to finish in top spot on the ranking list to earn an automatic two-year WST tour card.
Clarke led the race prior to the event in Walsall and knew that a run to the title match would guarantee himself a return to the professional ranks after being relegated from the Tour at the end of last season.
Ultimately, an early exit for leading chaser Peter Lines meant that a 4-0 quarter-final victory for Clarke over Belgium’s Sybren Sokolowski, with contributions of 131 and 104, earned the Welshman the series title and tour card.
Hugill, whose best run this season prior to this weekend was semi-finals in both Vienna and Mons, was already out of the running for top spot before the event but made his way to the final day with wins over Yaron Bodor (4-1), Harvey Chandler (4-2) and Oliver Sykes (4-2).
Sunday began strongly for the 31-year-old as he whitewashed Luke Pinches before setting up a title match meeting with Davies by downing Thailand’s Nattanapong Chaikul, the victor over Clarke in the last eight, by a 4-2 scoreline.
It was the former professional who took the opening two frames of the final with breaks of 64 and 97, but Davies hit back to restore parity at 2-2 with help from a visit of 77 in the third.
Hugill remained undeterred, however, and took two tightly contested frames to get over the line as a 4-2 victor and lift his maiden Q Tour crown.
Reflecting on the victory, Hugill said: “I’m relieved – I was desperate to win one of these this season so I’m happy to have done it. I knew if I won my first game then I was guaranteed to be in the Play-Offs, so that was a bit nervy, but after that I went from strength to strength.”
Looking ahead to the Q Tour Global Play-Offs later this month, he added: “I’m really looking forward to the Play-Offs in Spain, it’s a nice part of the world to be in March!”
“It would be great to get back on the Tour – I’ve been away for two years away now but I know that I am more than good enough to be on the Tour and I think it’s time I was back on there.”
The WPBSA Q Tour Global Play-Offs will take place on 15-17 March in Gandia, Spain. Further information including the draw and schedule will be available in due course.