Masters (Snooker)
The Masters is an invitation snooker tournament, which takes place annually in London. The tournament is one of the main tour, but brings no points for the world rankings.
For prestige reasons and especially because of the prize money (there 's about £ 600,000, including £ 200,000 for the winner ) that is unsurpassed in the amounts set out in the World Championship, the UK Championship and the International Championship, is the world leader in the rule completely at the start.
History
The Masters was first staged in 1975, then as Benson & Hedges Masters. John Spencer won the first title in 1975 when the tournament was held the only time in the West Centre Hotel in Fulham, London. The next three years was played at the New London Theatre. From 1979 to 2006, the tournament at Wembley Conference Centre was held. As of 1990, there were with the Benson & Hedges Championship a tournament where you could win prize money and also a wild card for the Masters.
In 2006, the tournament was the last time the Wembley Conference Centre, as the building was subsequently demolished. The new venue was the nearby Wembley Arena. Since 2012 the Alexandra Palace in London venue of the tournament.
After the ban on tobacco advertising in the UK, Benson & Hedges had to withdraw in 2004 as the main sponsor. The Benson & Hedges Championship were discontinued and replaced by a regular qualification tournament for which there was only a starting place for the Masters, but no prize money. 2005 Riley's Club sponsored the tournament. From 2006 to 2008, the invitational tournament was called the SAGA Insurance Masters, the sponsor since changes annually.
The most successful player at the Masters Stephen Hendry, who could triumph six times. On his heels is dense Ronnie O'Sullivan, who won the tournament in 2014 for the fifth time. Two players at the Masters is so far a maximum break succeeded Kirk Stevens in 1984 ( in the match against Jimmy White ) and Ding Junhui in 2007 ( against Anthony Hamilton).