Snooker player Shaun Murphy says Amateurs shouldnt be allowed to play with pros....
- Thread starter buckshotshoey
- Start date
noppon s-k is no walk in the park for ronnie. been rock solid so far.
there are many upsets this tournament but it's also because the field is sharpened up, and they're not far behind these days. it's cutthroat competition. hicks, lines and woollaston are the biggest surprises to me.
there are many upsets this tournament but it's also because the field is sharpened up, and they're not far behind these days. it's cutthroat competition. hicks, lines and woollaston are the biggest surprises to me.
SnookerHub
New member
Close, but not quite right.
Yes, these events are for 128 players. As there is currently only 122 pros they always look to top up the events to 128 from the Q School Order of Merit, after the addition of any wildcards - like they have in the Home Nations events.
Si Jiahui has been on the tour before but dropped off and didn't quite make it back via Q School.
Any prize money is available for winners, pro or amateur and they also get the same ranking points.
There is a way to get on the tour via the one year list, and players have done that recently - James Cahill for example.
The strange thing about all this is that the pros don't seem to know how the system works!
Neil Robertson's comments in support of Murphy are a good example of that.
What a match that was between Jack Lisowski and Hossein Vafaei. Jack is the Lou Butera of snooker. I've never seen a snooker player play that fast. Hossein was more deliberate in his shooting style, and when he came with a miss, he just smiled, very cool, calm, and collected. This was a tense-filled frame at the end. It had the crowd going "ooh" for the good hots and then loud groans when the missed. Jack wins and moves to the quarterfinals. After the match, instead of scrambling out of the arena, both Jack and Hossein stuck around for the fans and signed autographs and took selfies with them. I like that!
In golf an amateur can NOT accept prize $$. The rules are pretty strict and clear. https://www.usga.org/rules/rules-of-amateur-status.html#!rule-03 Also, i'm pretty sure to play in a Monday qualif. you have to declare yourself to be a pro. You also have to pre-qualify(up to 150 players) just to play a Monday qualif(usually 25-50 players). Ways an am CAN play:https://www.amateurgolf.com/golf-to...ay-a-PGA-Tour-event-as-an-amateur--Here-s-how
Last edited:
Murphy isn’t a sore loser. He’s always been a gentleman in defeat and victory. His comment was very poorly timed, and he knows that. His statement about Si not facing the same pressure as professionals was purely about that first round match, not about the pressures of life as an amateur in a foreign land, etc. Si is doing his thing and suddenly gets a call up to play in the UK Open. His spot on the tour isn’t at risk, he’s not playing for ranking points, success in the event won’t change his amateur status, even if he wins the event. He quite literally has absolutely nothing to lose. A number of other pros/former pros agree with him primarily because there is a very well established and grueling process for gaining the right to play in professional events, and topping up events sidesteps that process.
Sean also wasn’t targeting Si. He congratulated him after the match, he apologized to him for his comments detracting from his win. He was being critical of the process.
Sean also wasn’t targeting Si. He congratulated him after the match, he apologized to him for his comments detracting from his win. He was being critical of the process.
I don’t think that Si or any amateur there isn’t facing pressure. He may not be playing to keep his tour card, but he is hoping to do well enough to gain his card. I think he’d rather avoid going to qschool again. He’s also probably not making much money while off the tour, so the win probably meant way more to Si than it did to Shaun who likely drove back to the hotel in his Bentley.
If we translate this to pool, it’s not like 750 players trying to make a living at pool are under no pressure at all even though results don’t influence their playing chances much. Instead they scrape for every win. And that’s what these amateur snooker players are doing. These guys probably translate to an equivalent of 750-770 in Fargoratings. So it’s not like a 650 player with a full time career knocking out a top pro.
I couldn't get over how fast Jack shot. Wow! I've never seen a snooker player play at that pace, not even Ronnie. That last frame, though! What a nail-biter!
There was a time in MLB when the veterans would shun younger players who were called up from the minor leagues. That was the era of one year contracts and the veterans were worried the youngsters would take their job.I know there was a thread that already discussed this topic, but I found this interesting....
‘It is not fair’: Murphy rails at amateurs in pro snooker … after defeat by amateur
Shaun Murphy crashed out in the first round of the UK Championship and said his 6-5 defeat by Si Jiahui was ‘not fair’ because amateurs should not be allowed in professional tournamentswww.theguardian.com
As it should be. They SHOULD be worried about their paychecks. Keeps them on their toes. You step up to the plate (pun intended) and improve and earn that big paycheck, or move aside and let someone else do it.
I couldn't get over how fast Jack shot. Wow! I've never seen a snooker player play at that pace, not even Ronnie. That last frame, though! What a nail-biter!
faster players would be tony drago in his prime, ronnie on a good day and thepchaya uh-nooh. the latter is currently the fastest player on the pro tour. lisowski can be deliberate but when the machine is working he is fast. kind of like dennis orcullo in that regard.
Hed
I’m not saying they should or shouldn’t top up with amateurs. Just saying that I think a lot of people misunderstood Murphy due to the unfortunate timing of his comments.
He’d be going back to qschool even if he won this tournament. This invitation was quite literally a free-roll.
I’m not saying they should or shouldn’t top up with amateurs. Just saying that I think a lot of people misunderstood Murphy due to the unfortunate timing of his comments.
O'Sullivan stunned by youngster: 'I've never seen a more talented player'
'I think he's amazing'
metro.co.uk
I believe he can earn his card by finishing among the top 8 players without a card on the one-year list. So in that sense, he is playing for a 2-year card every time he goes out.
Here is how different players qualified this year for reference,
2021–22 snooker season - Wikipedia
seen this for a while now, him playing really well until the quarters or the semis. the guy needs a mental coach or something because it isn't his game that's failing him, it's his head.
zhao well deserving winner though. i hope he snaps it off, but kyren is favorite from here on
I'm not convinced anyone misunderstood what he said.
What he meant may well be a different thing of course.
In snooker (and in any sport, in my view...albeit that is of course subjective), you should play the ball not the man, if he (or she) is better, you lose, if you are better, you win. Pretty simple.
Everyone has their own pressures and even if Murphy was the one under more pressure (in his eyes)... he is a pro and has a tour card, he should (and 99/100 does) be able to deal with pressure situations, it is ridiculous to suggest an amateur has any sort of advantage.
If the pro players object to amateurs getting a share of prize money without paying their dues (be it fees, appearances, media commitments or whatever) that is a separate point, but Murphy was 100% incorrect in what he said (again to re-iterate, that is perhaps different from what he meant).