Champion Of Champions 2024 | The Race To Landywood
The 2024 Champion of Champions takes place on Saturday 22 June at Landywood Snooker Club and the race to qualify is ramping up with just one ranking event to go before the season finale.
The prestigious one-day event sees the top two ranked players from each classification group invited to compete in a best-of-11 frame contest at the Landywood Snooker Club.
Here is how the race shapes up heading into the Wilson Interiors Hull Open, the final ranking event of the season, with only one Champion of Champions match up currently confirmed.
Groups 1+2
- Tony Southern (Q) – 46,400
- Gary Swift – 23,800
- Shahab Siddiqui – 17,800
- Dave Beaumont – 17,200
- Kurt Deklerck – 16,000
- Mahomed Abubaker – 16,000
Tony Southern, twice a runner-up in the Champion of Champions, has already guaranteed his place at Landywood Snooker Club in June as he holds an unassailable 22,600 point lead over second-place Gary Swift – who can join Southern at the event by reaching the final of the upcoming Wilson Interiors Hull Open.
The 10,000 points on offer at the Wilson Interiors Hull Open means that players provisionally ranked down to 6th place could still mathematically overtake Swift, including the previous two Champions of Champions winners Shahab Siddiqui and Mahomed Abubaker.
Group 3
- Kal Mattu (Q) – 54,800
- Joe Hardstaff – 38,600
- Kit Kennedy – 31,800
Kal Mattu’s spot in the Champion of Champions is confirmed after a strong season that has seen the 53-year-old cueist reach the last three ranking event finals.
Only Kit Kennedy can stop a repeat of last year’s final, where Joe Hardstaff defeated Mattu 6-3 to win the prestigious title.
Hardstaff currently holds a 6,800 lead over Kennedy in the provisional rankings and therefore heads to Hull in May knowing that reaching the final will be enough to secure his place at Landywood Snooker Club.
Group 4
- William Thomson – 51,200
- Carl Gibson – 47,200
- David Church – 44,500
There will be an exciting subplot to Group 4 at the upcoming Wilson Interiors Hull Open with three players firmly in contention for the two spots at the Champion of Champions.
Reigning champion William Thomson sits in pole position with a 4,000 point lead at the top of the provisional rankings.
Victory in Belgium for Carl Gibson, his second consecutive ranking title, saw him climb into second place and open up a slender lead of 2,700 points over David Church, who was eliminated in the group stages in Bruges.
Should Gibson and Thomson meet in a second consecutive ranking final in Hull then they will earn themselves a further rematch at Landywood Snooker Club in June, while Church knows that securing the title at the Tradewell Snooker Club will guarantee his place.
Group 5
- Dave Bolton – 40,000
- Dalton Lawrence – 39,200
- Gerdy Dupont – 32,800
Dave Bolton has taken the WDBS tour by storm this season by remaining unbeaten and securing four consecutive ranking event titles.
Victory at the Belgian Open saw Bolton move to number one in the rankings for the first time in his career and he now sits in pole position to qualify for the Champion of Champions.
His place is not yet guaranteed, however, with both Dalton Lawrence and Gerdy Dupont mathematically able to topple the 48-year-old Englishman.
Should he reach the semi-finals, then Bolton will confirm his place at Landywood Snooker Club, while Lawrence can secure his place by reaching the Hull Open title match.
Group 6A
- Alan Reynolds (Q) – 46,000
- Faisal Butt (Q) – 33,700
Group 6A is guaranteed a repeat of the 2023 Champion of Champions final as Alan Reynolds and Faisal Butt have both earned their places at the event in June regardless of what happens in the final ranking event of the season.
Having won eight of the last nine 6A events between them, Reynolds and Butt have been in dominant form and Butt will be out for revenge at Landywood Snooker Club after falling to a 6-0 defeat to Reynolds in last year’s final.
Group 6B
- Leroy Williams (Q) – 59,800
- Matthew Haslam – 41,400
- Christopher Goldsworthy -34,000
Victory at the recent Belgian Open secured Leroy Williams’ spot at the Champion of Champions with an unassailable advantage of 18,400 points at the top of the provisional rankings.
Matthew Haslam is currently looking the favourite to join him and set up a repeat of last year’s final, with only Christopher Goldsworthy able to stop him.
Goldsworthy, currently sat in third and trailing Haslam by 7,400 points, must win his third WDBS ranking title in Hull and hope that Haslam does that make it to the semi-finals or further.
Group 7
- Mike Gillespie (Q) – 41,600
- Dylan Rees – 33,600
- Ronnie Allen – 28,500
- Colvin O’Brien – 23,800
Reigning champion Mike Gillespie will have the chance to defend his crown at Landywood Snooker Club after securing his place in the event once again with a run to the final of the Belgian Open.
This season’s Irish Open and UK Disability Snooker Championship winner Dylan Rees currently sits in second place and is on course to face Gillespie for the prestigious title, but he can still be mathematically overtaken by Ronnie Allen and Colvin O’Brien.
Despite securing his maiden ranking title in Belgium, O’Brien will need to once again win the title in Hull and hope that Rees picks up no points.
Meanwhile 80-year-old Ronnie Allen, who sits in third place, realistically needs to win a first WDBS ranking title of his career in Hull and also hope other results go his way.
Group 8
- Lewis Knowles – 48,000
- Luke Drennan – 43,200
- Gary Taylor – 42,800
Lewis Knowles looks a strong favourite to return to Landywood Snooker Club to defend the title he won last year as he sits at the top of the provisional rankings in group eight.
Knowles is not yet guaranteed of his place, but requires only 1,800 points in Hull to confirm his place at the Champion of Champions.
Luke Drennan has moved into second position following his victory at the Belgian Open, but with lead of just 400 points over Gary Taylor we are in for a dramatic race in Hull with whoever goes furthest qualifying for the Champion of Champions.
The Wilson Interiors Hull Open takes place 17-19 May. Enter Now.
