Snooker professional Shaun Murphy has made a startling admission about the prize money on offer at this week's Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, revealing he would gladly accept a first-round exit if it meant achieving the tournament's lucrative golden ball break.
The £760,000 Golden Ball Opportunity
The Masters champion faces 15-year-old wildcard entry Ziyad Alqabbani in his opening match on Wednesday in what marks the tournament's third year. This Saudi Arabian event introduces a unique twist: while players can still achieve a traditional 147 maximum break, they then get the opportunity to pot an additional golden ball for a record-breaking 167 total break.
The financial incentive is staggering. Any player successfully completing the golden ball break will pocket £760,000 ($1 million), controversially more than the £250,000 awarded to the tournament champion itself. Players could potentially walk away with combined winnings reaching £1 million.
Murphy's Unconventional Stance
Murphy has openly acknowledged that the substantial reward for achieving a 167 has created an unusual scenario in professional snooker. "I think it's going to go this week," Murphy told the Metro. "I think someone will do it and jeez, I'd love it to be me, I have to say. I'm definitely motivated to do it. I'll be going for it. No question about that."
When asked if he'd be content making the 167 break but losing his first-round match, Murphy responded unequivocally: "Yes! We just couldn't say that anywhere else."
The 43-year-old returns to competition after his early exit from the Champion of Champions earlier this month, using his time away from tournament play to specifically practice achieving snooker's first-ever 167 break.
Preparation Meets Opportunity
"I've been using the days since my Champion of Champions exit to find the best route round the table to a ball stuck on the baulk cushion," Murphy revealed. "This week I must have made probably 20 or 30 167s in the house. So it can be done."
Murphy expressed strong confidence that someone will achieve the feat during this week's competition, noting the remarkable frequency of maximum breaks this season. "I'm as certain as I can be that it'll go this week," he said. "We've seen more 147s this season than ever [at this stage]. It feels like everyone's knocking 147s in."
With 14 maximum breaks already recorded this campaign - just one short of the all-time record - the timing appears perfect. Murphy added: "You'd feel almost a bit short-changed if the top 10 players on the planet didn't have a crack at it somewhere along the line. And with a prize like a million dollars, everyone's very aware and motivated by it."
The three-day tournament features the world's top 10 players plus two local wildcards. The winner of Murphy's opening match against Alqabbani will advance to face Ronnie O'Sullivan on Wednesday. Defending champion Mark Allen returns after his triumph over Luca Brecel last year, while O'Sullivan was the event's inaugural winner.
All quarter-final matches will be contested on Thursday, with the semi-finals and final taking place on Friday, November 21.
