Championship League Group 5 ended on Tuesday with Anthony McGill becoming the fifth player to qualify for March’s Winners’ Group in Leicester.
With three wins from his six round-robin fixtures, McGill reached the group play-offs in third place.
The former Indian Open champion subsequently edged Joe Perry 3-2 in the semi-finals to set up a meeting with David Gilbert in the final.
Gilbert, who only squeaked beyond the league phase with a last gasp 3-2 win over Graeme Dott, ended Mark Williams’ 100% record in Championship League Group 5 with another 3-2 semi-final success.
A decider was again required in the final as McGill fought back from 2-1 behind to collect the £3,000 top prize.
McGill, who has struggled for form over the course of the last couple of years and is in danger of dropping outside the world’s top 32, will join Neil Robertson, Stuart Bingham, Gary Wilson, and Scott Donaldson in the Winners’ Group.
Two more spots are available with Group 6 set to take place on Wednesday and Thursday at the Morningside Arena.
Gilbert, Williams, Perry, and Dott all survive and will get another chance to progress.
Tom Ford and Kyren Wilson finished bottom of Championship League Group 5, however, so have been eliminated from the competition.
With three positions opened up, three-time champion Judd Trump, two-time winner John Higgins, and Mark King are each expected to enter the fray.
The Championship League is making its return to the calendar for a 13th season.
The format remains the same as usual, with seven groups comprising seven players in each battling it out to become group winners.
Those winners will subsequently contest a final group in March to determine who is the overall champion.
The event is played behind closed doors and is aimed primarily at the betting market, but does provide the players who participate in it with useful match practice, some extra dosh, and a possible ticket through to the Champion of Champions.
