Ronnie O’Sullivan has vowed to bank $1m (£780,000) by potting the golden ball when he returns to defend his World Masters of Snooker title in Saudi Arabia next year.
O’Sullivan won the inaugural staging of the sport’s newest big-money event when he beat world champion Luca Brecel 5-2 in Riyadh on Wednesday night.
Tournament organisers offered $500,000 (£390,000) for any player who potted the golden ball, which is unique to the event and only comes into play after a perfect 147 break.
Neither O’Sullivan nor any other player managed that feat, so Saudi sports chief Turki Al-Sheikh announced the bonus would double to $1m at the 2025 World Masters of Snooker.
“I’ll get there next year,” said O’Sullivan, whose win earned him £250,000. “You don’t want to take it all at once. The tournament this year and the golden ball next year. It would be great.”
It was the Essex player’s third title already this year, following the Masters at Alexandra Palace and the World Grand Prix in Leicester.
The seven-time world champion was also gushing about the addition of the new event, one of the latest moves in Saudi Arabia’s significant investments across sports.
“You want to make the sport as big as you can make it. Coming to places like this, the Saudis are a powerhouse,” he added.
“If anyone can inject anything into snooker, it will be the people who have put on the tournament this week. Hopefully they’ve enjoyed it, the crowds have enjoyed it, we [the players] have certainly enjoyed it.”
During the prize giving ceremony, Al-Sheikh revealed talks had taken place with O’Sullivan about opening a snooker academy in the kingdom.
“We are honoured to discuss with O’Sullivan to have an academy by his name in Saudi Arabia,” the General Entertainment Authority chair added.
The World Masters of Snooker represented the latest collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Matchroom, the British multi-sport promoter which is a major player in boxing and darts.
Next up is Matchroom client Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight fight with Cameroonian mixed martial arts fighter-turned-boxer Francis Ngannou in Riyadh on Friday night.
O’Sullivan banked £250,000 for winning the Saudi snooker tournament but didn’t get the golden ball