Andrew Higginson is back on the World Snooker Tour after emerging as one of the four Q School graduates, with Event 2 concluding in Leicester on Sunday.
Higginson first turned professional all the way back in 1996 and reached the final of the Welsh Open 11 years later.
During the 2011/12 season when he reached the last 16 of the World Championship, the Widnes Warrior was ranked as high as number 18 in the world rankings.
That same campaign also saw him win a minor ranking event on the now defunct PTC series, beating John Higgins in the final in Sheffield.
Good results proved harder to come by in recent years, and this marks the second time since 2023 that Higginson has had to come through the tough Q School test.
Now 48, Higginson beat fellow veterans Mark Davis and Mark Joyce in the last two rounds at the Mattioli Arena to seal his return to the pro circuit.
The other three Q School graduates from Event 2 all have proven main tour pedigree as well, meanwhile.
Gong Chenzhi, who ended the hopes of two-time ranking event winner Robert Milkins in a dramatic penultimate-round affair that ended 4-3, bounced back after being relegated at the end of the recently finished season.
In the last round, China’s Gong overcame Brian Ochoiski with a 4-2 scoreline, ending the latter’s aspirations of becoming the first ever professional player from France.
Elsewhere, Mitchell Mann beat Allan Taylor 4-2 while Stuart Carrington secured his return with a 4-1 defeat of Israeli Yaron Bodor.
There were 12 pro tour tickets in total available through Q School this year, with eight hailing from the tournaments in Leicester and four from two separate competitions held in Bangkok.
Liam Davies, Cheung Ka Wai, Sean O’Sullivan, and Phil O’Kane graduated from Q School Event 1 at the Mattioli Arena a week ago.
In Thailand, the main tour spots were awarded to Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon, Deng Haohui, Huang Jiahao, and Liu Yang.
All 12 players will have the opportunity to compete for lucrative sums of money across the upcoming 2026/27 and 2027/28 snooker seasons.
Qualifying for the China Open and the Wuhan Open take place in mid-June before Championship League Snooker – the new campaign’s first ranking event – commences on June 22.
Featured photo credit: WST
I think only three are newbies amongst this year’s graduates.
Higginson has made over 160 career centuries.
Carrington part of an exclusive club to have made three consecutive centuries at the Crucible.
Man is the last Brummie to appear at the Crucible.