Riyadh Season Snooker Championship Day One: Wednesday order of play, prize money, golden ball - when John Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan play

Despite not being a ranking tournament - and accusations of ‘sportswashing’ - the competition offers a bumper prize pot for those lucky enough to be invited.

The 12-man field is made up of 10 of the world’s top players, along with a couple of local wildcards who will relish their chance to take on their heroes.

Mark Allen is the defending champion while Ronnie O’Sullivan won the inaugural tournament - both will be back to try and win a second title, along with Scotland’s John Higgins.

And there’s the small matter of the $1,000,000 bonus for anybody who manages to pot the ‘Riyadh Season Ball’.

Here’s everything you need to know about today’s opening day of play.

When is the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship?

The tournament takes place from Wednesday, November 19, to Friday, November 21.

Where is the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship 2025 being played?

The venue is entertainment centre Boulevard City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

What is the prize money at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship 2025?

There is a total prize pot of £785,000, broken down as follows:

• Winner: £250,000
• Runner-up: £125,000
• Semi-finals: £75,000
• Quarter-finals: £50,000
• Round 2: £25,000
• Round 1: £5,000

There is also a bonus $1,000,000 for anybody who can make a 167 break by clearing the table then potting the Riyadh Season Ball.

How do you score an invite to the 2025 Riyadh Season Snooker Championship?

The 12 man field is made up of the defending champion (this year that’s Mark Allen) the World Champion (that’s Zhao Xintong), the eight other highest-ranked players in the snooker world rankings, and two local wildcard players.

Who is playing at the 2025 Riyadh Season Snooker Championship today?

Here’s what’s happening at the tournament today, Wednesday, November 19 - and when.

First round - play starts at 2pm

Ding Junhui v Ayman Alamri

Shaun Murphy v Ziyad Al-Qabbani

Second round - play starts at 7pm

John Higgins v Ding/Alamri

Ronnie O'Sullivan v Murphy/Al-Qabbani

What is the format of the 2025 Riyadh Season Snooker Championship?

All matches are played as the best of seven frames (first to four) except the final, which will be played as the best of nine frames (first to five).

What is the schedule for the 2025 Riyadh Season Snooker Championship?

Here’s when the matches will be played, and when they start in the UK:

• Wednesday, November 19: Two first round matches in the first session (starting at 2pm) and two second matches in the second session (starting at 7pm)
• Thursday, November 20: Two quarter-final matches in the first session (starting at 2pm) and two quarter-final matches in the second session (starting at 7pm)
• Friday, November 21: Two semi-final matches in the first session (starting at 2pm), followed by the final in the second session (starting at 7pm).

When is John Higgins playing his first match in the 2025 Riyadh Season Snooker Championship?

Scottish player John Higgins wiull start his campaign today against either Ding Junhui or Ayman Alamri. Depending on how long the preceding match takes, the match will get started at around 9pm.

When is Ronnie O’Sullivan playing his first match in the 2025 Riyadh Season Snooker Championship?

The Rocket will be playing either Shaun Murphy or Ziyad Al-Qabbani today at 7pm.

What’s the Riyadh Season Ball?

The Riyadh Season Ball is a gold ball that is worth 20 points that can only be potted after a player has completed a 147 maximum break - meaning that a player can complete a break of 167.

It is placed in the middle of the baulk cushion, in line with the brown ball spot, and remains in play until it is no longer possible to complete a maximum break - at which point it is removed.

If a player accidentally pots or hits the gold ball his opponent is awarded four penalty points.

Any player who manages to pot the golden ball after a 147 maximum break will win $1 million. The feat has yet to be accomplished in the prvious two editions of the competition.

Who is favourite to win the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship?

The bookies have Judd Trump as the 7/2 favourite for the tournament, followed by Zhao Xintong (9/2), Neil Robertson (11/2), Kyren Wilson (11/2) and Ronnie O’Sullivan (13/2).

Can I watch the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship opn television?

There will be live coverage of the International Open on TNT Sports which UK viewers can stream through Discovery+.

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