Judd Trump claimed Championship League Group Three by beating Barry Hawkins 3-0 in the final at the Ricoh Arena on Tuesday.
Trump, a three-time champion of the annual invitational event, only just squeezed into the play-off stages after finishing fourth in the round-robin.
The Englishman lost his final group tie to Mark Selby but managed to qualify for the semi-finals courtesy of a superior frame difference over Luca Brecel.
Trump duly took full advantage, compiling a brace of century breaks and a further run of 85 in edging past Stuart Bingham in the last four.
The 29 year-old was fully warmed up at this point and subsequently thumped Hawkins in the final with breaks of 127, 82, and 61.
Victory in Championship League Group Three sends Trump into March’s Winners’ Group, where he’ll join Neil Robertson and Jack Lisowski.
Trump earned £6,100 for his exploits while Selby’s excellent 143 total clearance proved enough to award to world number one the £500 high break prize.
Four more places in the Winners’ Group are to be determined with Group Four set to take place over the next couple of days in Coventry.
Hawkins, Bingham, Selby, and Brecel will have another crack at qualifying, with newcomers Ryan Day, Graeme Dott, and Ali Carter entering the fray.
English pair Kyren Wilson and Jimmy Robertson were eliminated from the tournament after finishing bottom of Championship League Group Three.
For all the players involved, the Championship League serves as a useful competition to gain match practice against their close rivals at a key juncture of the campaign, while it also offers an avenue into the lucrative Champion of Champions later in the year.
The action is played behind closed doors but the matches are streamed live for the betting market.
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