The RIBSA Grand Prix takes place on Saturday at the Ivy Rooms in Carlow.
The sixth ranking event of the Irish amateur season has a year-low 43 entries but the majority of the front-runners at the top of the rankings are in attendance.
Among them is recent European Under-21 champion Josh Boileau, who’ll be attempting to conclude what he surely hopes will be his last campaign on domestic soil for quite some time in the number one spot.
Boileau, of course, will be invited to the Main Tour with a two-year card thanks to his continental success in Poland last month.
The Kildare cueist has one ranking title to his name but trails former national champions Michael Judge, Jason Devaney and Rodney Goggins in the standings.
The situation is so tight, though, that with only 50 points separating the top six there’s still ample opportunity for a dramatic turnaround with two events remaining.
SnookerHQ‘s Jonathan Williams lies just outside that bracket in seventh place, and will be hoping for a strong end to his return season in order to earn one of the positions available for the various international competitions over the summer.
