Barnsley will stage a World Snooker ranking tournament for the first time in October when the English Open comes to the town.
The event will run from October 16 to 22 at the Barnsley Metrodome with 128 of the world’s best players in action, and tickets are on sale now.
The tournament was new to the calendar last season and staged in Manchester, with China’s Liang Wenbo beating Judd Trump in the final.
Top stars including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby, John Higgins, Neil Robertson, and Shaun Murphy also competed for the Steve Davis Trophy.
Now it moves to South Yorkshire with a stellar field of the sport’s top players expected to enter and battle for the title.
The English Open, televised live by Eurosport, is the first of the season’s Home Nations series and carries a top prize of £70,000.
And any player winning all four Home Nations events will also earn a massive £1 million bonus.
Therefore, the champion in Barnsley will head to the next event in Belfast dreaming of that unprecedented prize.
World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are delighted to bring a ranking tournament to Barnsley for the first time.”
“We have staged various qualifying events at the Metrodome in recent years and we are sure it will prove an excellent venue.
“We know what fantastic support there is for snooker in the Yorkshire region, the county is very much a global centre for our sport as it also hosts the World Championship in Sheffield and the UK Championship in York.
“So we expect to see fans come out in their droves to support the English Open in Barnsley and make sure it stays in their town.
“With 128 players in action it really is an incredible chance to see so many of your heroes for the price of a single ticket, with value for money that you won’t see anywhere else in sport. Seats will sell fast though so get them booked quickly.”
Visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets for more information with regard tickets.
Home Nations Series 2017/18
English Open – Barnsley Metrodome. October 16-22
Northern Ireland Open – Waterfront Centre, Belfast. November 20-26
Scottish Open – Emirates Arena, Glasgow. December 11-17
Welsh Open – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff. February 26 to March 4
