Stan Moody has guaranteed his place on the professional main tour after claiming the WSF Junior Championship title in Sydney.
The 16 year-old from Halifax beat fellow Yorkshire potter Liam Pullen 5-1 in the final on Friday in Australia.
Victory for the up-and-coming teenager means he’ll receive a two-year card to compete on the professional circuit during the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns.
Moody and 17 year-old Pullen both qualified from the early round-robin phase at the Mounties Club with 100% records.
They were rarely tested in the knockout stages either, with Moody scoring two whitewash triumphs before being finally pushed in a dramatic semi-final thriller with Iulian Boiko that ended 4-3.
Pullen also only dropped three frames in the knockouts en route to his place in the final, and he produced a terrific 143 total clearance during his last-four defeat of Filips Kalnins.
There was much excitement ahead of the intriguing title-deciding showdown between the two young competitors from England.
Former world champion Shaun Murphy and 1994 Masters winner Alan McManus were among the star names watching the live streaming.
But the contest turned out to be one-sided, with Moody dominating the opening exchanges to establish an insurmountable 4-0 lead.
The occasion clearly got to Pullen, whose pot success rate was well below that of his opponent, and although he avoided the bagel, it was Moody who wrapped up proceedings in the sixth frame.
The latter made headlines in 2022 with his appearance in the Snooker Shoot Out, showing his potential by beating Lu Ning in the first round.
More opportunities against high-profile players await the youngster in the next couple of seasons.
The flagship WSF Championship, meanwhile, gets under way next in Sydney with Stan Moody and Liam Pullen again among those in the draw.
Featured photo credit: WSF
