Snooker’s professional players have voted to keep the Coral Shoot Out tournament as a world ranking event.
Last month the one-frame knock out event was made a ranking event for the first time, with Anthony McGill winning the £32,000 top prize in Watford.
World Snooker subsequently asked all tour players to vote on whether the ITV-televised tournament should remain as a ranking event or be removed from the calendar.
Of the 125 players who voted, 90 voted to keep the Shoot Out as a ranking event, and 35 voted to remove it.
World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “I am very pleased with the result of the vote, with 72% of tour players voting in favour. The Shoot Out will go ahead as a full ranking event in 2018, and following that we will evaluate its commercial success, as we would for any other tournament.”
I’m surprised a bit at that. Thought the players would be against it. Made it a bit better for entertainment I think. Adds a bit of pressure.
I’d say David Gilbert was sick though. Had Guoding’s time foul been recognized, Gilbert would’ve been a frame away from a place in the top 16.
The question put to them was more “keep it or ditch it”. A third option of keeping it, but as a non-ranker, wasn’t really provided.