{"id":12169,"date":"2026-06-02T10:38:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T10:38:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=12169"},"modified":"2026-06-02T10:38:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T10:38:29","slug":"future-of-snookers-q-school-under-review-but-important-role-will-remain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=12169","title":{"rendered":"Future of snooker&#8217;s Q School under review but &#8216;important role&#8217; will remain"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876680\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u6469\u5929\u697c\uff08\u548c\u5de6\u4fa7\u5b8c\u5168\u5bf9\u9f50\uff09 -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row: 3\/5; height: 750px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876678\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e6\" data-zoneid=\"5876682\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2172776803.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-28615164\" alt=\"2024 BetVictor English Open - Day 2\" decoding=\"sync\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Andrew Higginson is one of 12 to come through Q School this year (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Q School has been offering a route onto the World Snooker Tour since 2011 but the dreaded tournament is under review, with focus on different pathways to the professional game.<\/p>\n<p>The current format of Q School sees players battle it out to win two-year tour cards, with eight available over two events in Leicester and four on offer over two tournaments in Bangkok.<\/p>\n<p>They are infamously unpleasant events, with one graduate from 2026 Q School, Phil O\u2019Kane, describing it as \u2018the worst tournament in the world\u2019 ahead of his 14th visit this year, which proved to be his first successful one.<\/p>\n<p>Two more successful Q School students this year, Liam Davies and Gong Chenzhi, both immediately said they never want to return.<\/p>\n<p>There is no prize money on the line, just the chance to compete on the professional circuit over the next two years, meaning defeat in the two events leaves players consigned to the amateur game for at least another year.<\/p>\n<p>There is huge pressure on a few days of action, although amateur players do have other routes onto tour, through the season-long Q Tour and other knockout amateur tournaments.<\/p>\n<p>Professionals who have just dropped off tour in April do have the chance to bounce straight back at Q School, which WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson says must be a mechanism that remains.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2177159664.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-28511977\" alt=\"2024 Wuhan Open Snooker - Day 1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>19-year-old Liam Davies came through Q School after two years on tour (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There have been calls for more tour cards on offer on Q Tour and fewer at Q School, but the opportunity to immediately regain a tour card will not be eliminated, having seen the likes of Davies and Gong do just that this year.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Q School is an opportunity for players to bounce back on the tour. We mustn\u2019t put that to one side,\u2019 Ferguson told <strong>Metro<\/strong>. \u2018The cut-off on the tour is very fierce these days. We\u2019re losing massively talented players. Liam Davies. What\u2019s he doing at Q School? What a talent.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018So Q School does play an important role, but there are other ways of doing it. We\u2019ve put together Q tour and the Q Tour Global Playoffs. 778 players competed in Q Tour in the last 12 months, globally. It\u2019s extensive. <\/p>\n<p>\u2018Then if you look at the World Amateur Championships, World Junior Championships, which are completely open events. They are also great opportunities for talent to come through. So the pathways to the tour are really extensive now.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We should always review everything that\u2019s being done with Q School. But I think the one important thing is to recognise the fact that there is that bounce-back system for players falling off the tour.\u2019<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2230999638.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-28615147\" alt=\"WST 2025 Wuhan Open\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Jason Ferguson suggests a knockout tournament will not be scrapped (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Q School has remained open to anyone who is willing to pay to enter \u2013 the fee currently standing at \u00a3960 to have a crack at turning pro.<\/p>\n<p>Ferguson says there should remain this option as some players either can\u2019t or don\u2019t want to play all year round on the amateur circuit.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018There are also those players that don\u2019t want to play all season in Q Tours and want to have a go once a year,\u2019 he said. \u2018I think the answer is a mix of everything.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The one thing to recognise is just how fierce that cut off on the tour is now. 64 players on the two-year list. Four players on the one-year list. Just look at the players outside of that that are fighting for survival. It\u2019s pretty tough out there.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The WPBSA chairman, who reached a high ranking of number 28 in the world during his playing days, says cut-offs for tour survival, along with many other things, are being reviewed.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2186555337.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-28280038\" alt=\"2024 UK Championship - Day 1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Robert Milkins lost his tour card last season and failed to come through Q School (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On the potential for the cut-off to stay on tour being changed, he said: \u2018I wouldn\u2019t like to say at this moment in time, but what I\u2019m saying is that it has changed drastically over the years. <\/p>\n<p>\u2018We used to see a few players on and off tour all the time. What you\u2019re seeing now is real talent dropping out and it does force you down the road of having a look at it. <\/p>\n<p>\u2018Of course, there\u2019s only finite numbers that you can cope with on a tour. <\/p>\n<p>\u2018We\u2019re in as good a shape as we can be, but nothing\u2019s cast in stone. We\u2019ve got to keep reviewing everything all the time, every year. Keep reviewing what we\u2019re doing commercially, keep reviewing what we\u2019re doing with qualifying, what we\u2019re doing development wise, everything\u2019s reviewed all the time.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere in snooker administration, the WPBSA held an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) after calls to do so from the Professional Snooker Players Association (PSPA) to deal with a number of issues for players on the professional tour.<\/p>\n<p>Despite a significant step being taken to call the EGM, turnout from players was poor at the meeting on May 22 in Sheffield but \u2018positive and constructive dialogue\u2019 continues.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We\u2019re very open-minded on if improvements can be made anywhere in player representation and player support,\u2019 said Ferguson.<\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: Stephen Hendry predicts snooker\u2019s next first time major winner<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: Stephen Hendry recalls how \u2018smirking\u2019 Ronnie O\u2019Sullivan left him fuming<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: Four graduate from snooker\u2019s Q School to join stars of professional tour<\/span><\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom\">\n\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Comment now<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-comment\" href=\"#social-comment\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-preferred-source\" href=\"#social-preferred-source\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-preferred-source__label\">Add as preferred source<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/section>\n<div class=\"newsletter-end-card accent--snooker\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-end-card__inner\">\n<h4>The Table<\/h4>\n<p>Stay ahead of snooker&#8217;s next big break with Metro&#8217;s resident expert Phil Haigh in his new weekly newsletter.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 728px 160px; gap:2px; width:908px; background:#eee; padding:2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u901a\u680f\u9876\u90e8\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u6a2a\u5e45 908x258 \u8de8\u6574\u884c -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; height:258px; background:#ff6b6b; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114307\" data-width=\"908\" data-height=\"258\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114307});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u7b2c\u4e8c\u901a\u680f\uff1a728\u00d790 \u901a\u680f -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; height:90px; background:#4ecdc4; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114300\" data-width=\"728\" data-height=\"90\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114300});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u4e3b\u680f\uff1a\u591a\u5e7f\u544a\u5806\u53e0 -->\r\n  <div style=\"display:grid; 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background:#ff9ecd; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114305\" data-width=\"250\" data-height=\"250\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114305});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n    <div style=\"height:139px; background:#c792ea; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114302\" data-width=\"133\" data-height=\"139\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114302});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n    <div style=\"height:125px; background:#91e7ac; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t\r\n<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114303\" data-width=\"125\" data-height=\"125\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114303});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u7ad6\u680f\uff1a160\u00d7600 \u6574\u5217\u9ad8\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row:3\/8; height:600px;  display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114301\" data-width=\"160\" data-height=\"600\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114301});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<br \/> Future of snooker&#8217;s Q School under review but &#8216;important role&#8217; will remain<br \/>\n<br \/>#Future #snookers #School #review #important #role #remain<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Andrew Higginson is one of 12 to come through Q School this year (Picture: Getty&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12170,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[3604,468,5966,7283,3926,583,7322],"class_list":["post-12169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-future","tag-important","tag-remain","tag-review","tag-role","tag-school","tag-snookers"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2172776803_1780394575.jpg",1200,630,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2172776803_1780394575-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2172776803_1780394575-300x158.jpg",300,158,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2172776803_1780394575-768x403.jpg",640,336,true],"large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2172776803_1780394575-1024x538.jpg",640,336,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2172776803_1780394575.jpg",1200,630,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2172776803_1780394575.jpg",1200,630,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2172776803_1780394575-1115x630.jpg",1115,630,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2172776803_1780394575-800x500.jpg",800,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2172776803_1780394575-1024x538.jpg",1024,538,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2172776803_1780394575-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2172776803_1780394575-400x250.jpg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?cat=6\" rel=\"category\">Sports<\/a>","tag_info":"Sports","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12169"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12169\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}