Jordan Brown will owe Chris Wakelin a beer after the latter’s victory over Liam Pullen in the World Snooker Championship guaranteed his tour survival.
After losing in the third round of the qualifiers last week in Sheffield, Brown’s career as a professional was in jeopardy.
The former Welsh Open champion was down at number 64 on the provisional end-of-season rankings – just inside the crucial cut-off point to remain on the World Snooker Tour.
There were a few qualifiers at the Crucible who could have pushed Brown out of the top 64 with a deep World Championship run, but one by one they have exited proceedings.
Liam Highfield suffered a 10-7 defeat to reigning world champion Zhao Xintong on the opening day of the venue stages last Saturday.
Antoni Kowalski then suffered a 10-4 loss to Mark Williams, leaving Pullen as the only player who could have leapfrogged his way into the top 64 at Brown’s expense.
But the young Englishman, who emerged from the first round of the qualifiers to secure his Crucible debut, bowed out in a 10-6 reverse to Wakelin on Wednesday.
Brown, then, gratefully keeps his tour card for the upcoming 2026/27 campaign.
Above him on the official two-year list, Lyu Haotian, Ben Mertens, and Jamie Jones also narrowly avoided being relegated this season.
Pullen, Highfield, and Kowalski will also be back next term despite being set to end the current term outside the top 64.
Pullen and Highfield are only halfway through their current two-year cards, and through earning so much prize money in Sheffield this month they will be well-positioned to move up the rankings in the next year.
Kowalski’s maiden two-year stint, on the other hand, ended with his loss to Williams.
But by qualifying for the last 32 of the World Championship draw for the first time, the young Pole did enough to earn a fresh two-year card through the one-year list.
As usual, the top four earners on the one-year standings, who are not otherwise safe, will be awarded new cards where they will begin again from scratch.
Alfie Burden, Julien Leclercq, and Artemijs Zizins are the other three who have benefited from this route.
For several others, though, the end of the World Championship will also signal the climax to their current tenures as professional players.
There are a lot of big names in there, including two-time ranking event winner Robert Milkins and fellow former world number 12 Mark Davis.
Former world champion Graeme Dott will also officially be off the tour next season, but the Scot has been suspended for more than a year anyway following the serious allegations concerning an ongoing criminal case against him.
For the likes of Milkins and Davis, it’ll be Q School in May if they have any desire to seal an immediate return to the pro ranks.
Beyond that, the feeder Q Tour has proven a gateway back for several players in the past – including Zhao Xintong, Michael Holt, and Jamie Clarke in recent times.
Top women players Bai Yulu and Mink Nutcharut’s tour cards have also ended, although they will likely be awarded renewals through their high ranking positions on the World Women’s Snooker Tour.
For 1997 world champion Ken Doherty, it is not yet confirmed whether or not he will be offered a new invitational tour card.
Relegated snooker players (2025/26 season)
Mark Davis
Sanderson Lam
Allan Taylor
Robert Milkins
Wang Yuchen
Duane Jones
Gong Chenzhi
Sunny Akani
Amir Sarkhosh
Liam Davies
Bulcsu Revesz
Graeme Dott
Robbie McGuigan
Mitchell Mann
Farakh Ajaib
Cheung Ka Wai
Huang Jiahao
Haris Tahir
Haydon Pinhey
Chris Totten
Bai Yulu
Ken Doherty
Hatem Yassen
Jonas Luz
Mohammed Shehab
Mink Nutcharut
Kreishh Gurbaxani
Lim Kok Leong
Cao Yupeng
Featured photo credit: WST
Never really understood why retired players are not removed from the rankings and kept there for up to the whole season or even another season dropping down the rankings (due to zero gained points). Why not just remove them immediately? Others move up one place…. why drag it out for so long?