The 2021 Q School was a series of three snooker tournaments held at the start of the 2021–22 snooker season. An event for amateur players, it served as a qualification event for a place on the professional World Snooker Tour for the following two seasons. The events took place in May and June 2021 at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield, England with a total 14 players qualifying via the three tournaments and the Order of Merit.[1]
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 27 May – 13 June 2021 |
| Venue | Ponds Forge International Sports Centre |
| City | Sheffield |
| Country | England |
| Format | Qualifying School |
| Qualifiers | 14 via the 3 events and Order of Merit |
← 2020 2022 → | |
Format
editThe 2021 Q School consisted of three events. The three events had 196 entries competing for 14 places on the main tour. Four players qualified from each of the three events, with a further two places available from the Q Tour Order of Merit. All matches were the best of seven frames.[2]
Event 1
editThe first 2021 Q School event was held from 27 May to 1 June 2021 at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield, England. Peter Lines, Fraser Patrick, Jackson Page and Yuan Sijun qualified.[3] The results of the four final matches are given below.[4]
Peter Lines (ENG) 4–2 Ian Burns (ENG)
Fraser Patrick (SCO) 4–1 
Bai Langning (CHN)
Jackson Page (WAL) 4–1 
Michael Georgiou (CYP)- Yuan Sijun (CHN) 4–2 Mitchell Mann (ENG)
Event 2
editThe second 2021 Q School event was held from 2 to 7 June 2021 at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield, England. Barry Pinches, Craig Steadman, Michael Judge and Alfie Burden qualified.[5] The results of the four final matches are given below.[6]
- Barry Pinches (ENG) 4–3 Sanderson Lam (ENG)
- Craig Steadman (ENG) 4–3 Hammad Miah (ENG)
Michael Judge (IRL) 4–0 Kuldesh Johal (ENG)- Alfie Burden (ENG) 4–1 Michael Collumb (SCO)
Event 3
editThe third 2021 Q School event was held from 8 to 13 June 2021 at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield, England. Ian Burns, Lei Peifan, Dean Young and Duane Jones qualified.[7] The results of the four final matches are given below.[8]
- Ian Burns (ENG) 4–1 Mark Lloyd (ENG)
- Lei Peifan (CHN) 4–2 Billy Castle (ENG)
- Dean Young (SCO) 4–1 Haydon Pinhey (ENG)
- Duane Jones (WAL) 4–3 Si Jiahui (CHN)
Q School Order of Merit
editA Q School Order of Merit was produced for players who failed to gain a place on the main tour directly through the three events. Two places on the main tour were given to the leading two players in the Order of Merit, Hammad Miah and Mitchell Mann.[7] The Order of Merit was used to top up fields for the 2021–22 snooker season where an event failed to attract the required number of entries.[2] The rankings in the Order of Merit were based on the number of frames won in the three Q School events. Players who received a bye into the second round were awarded four points for round one. Where players were equal, those who won the most frames in the first event were ranked higher and, if still equal, the player with most frames in event two.[9]
In addition 48 players were seeded in the 2021–22 Q Tour events based on their position in the 2021 Q School Order of Merit. These were the top 40 ranked players not currently on the main tour and a further eight under-21 players outside this top 40.[10]
The leading players in the Q School Order of Merit are given below, those with Q in brackets being awarded places on the main tour.[11]
| Rank | Player | Event 1 | Event 2 | Event 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Hammad Miah (Q)
|
15 | 23 | 15 | 53 |
| 2 | Mitchell Mann (Q)
|
22 | 11 | 17 | 50 |
| 3 | Sanderson Lam
|
9 | 23 | 17 | 49 |
| 4 |  Michael Georgiou
|
21 | 13 | 13 | 47 |
| 5 |  Si Jiahui
|
15 | 7 | 23 | 45 |
| 6 |  Soheil Vahedi
|
14 | 15 | 15 | 44 |
| 7 |  Michael White
|
12 | 13 | 18 | 43 |
| 8 | David Lilley
|
19 | 9 | 14 | 42 |
| 9 |  Ross Muir
|
15 | 17 | 10 | 42 |
| 10 | John Astley
|
10 | 18 | 14 | 42 |
Two-season performance of qualifiers
editThe following table shows the rankings of the 14 qualifiers from the 2021 Q School, at the end of the 2022–23 snooker season, the end of their two guaranteed seasons on the tour, together with their tour status for the 2023–24 snooker season. Players in the top-64 of the rankings retained their place on the tour while those outside the top-64 lost their place unless they qualified under a different category.[12][13] Because a number of players in the top-64 were suspended the cut-off to retain a place was extended to the top-68.[14]
| Player | End of 2022–23 season | Status for 2023–24 season | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money | Ranking | ||
| Peter Lines (ENG) |
45,500 | 73 | Amateur |
| Fraser Patrick (SCO) |
28,500 | 89 | Amateur |
| Jackson Page (WAL) |
92,000 | 48 | Retained place on tour |
| Yuan Sijun (CHN) |
88,500 | 52 | Retained place on tour |
| Barry Pinches (ENG) |
31,000 | 84 | Amateur |
| Craig Steadman (ENG) |
27,500 | 90 | Amateur |
 Michael Judge (IRL) |
17,500 | 102 | Amateur |
| Alfie Burden (ENG) |
23,500 | 99 | Qualified through the 2023 Q School |
| Ian Burns (ENG) |
42,000 | 74 | Qualified through the one-year list[15] |
| Lei Peifan (CHN) |
33,500 | 81 | Amateur |
| Dean Young (SCO) |
16,000 | 103 | Qualified through the 2023 Q School |
| Duane Jones (WAL) |
30,500 | 85 | Amateur |
| Hammad Miah (ENG) |
55,500 | 69 | Qualified through the one-year list[15] |
| Mitchell Mann (ENG) |
40,000 | 76 | Amateur |
References
edit- ^ "Q School draws". World Snooker. 18 May 2021. Archived from the original on 28 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Q School 2021 draws". World Snooker. 18 May 2021. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Action Jackson bounces back". World Snooker Tour. 1 June 2021. Archived from the original on 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Qualifying School - Event One (2021) - snooker.org". www.snooker.org.
- ^ "Judge/Burden/Steadman/Pin6ches regain tour cards". World Snooker Tour. 7 June 2021. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021.
- ^ "Qualifying School - Event Two (2021) - snooker.org". www.snooker.org.
- ^ a b "Jones ensures immediate return". World Snooker Tour. 13 June 2021.[dead link]
- ^ "Qualifying School - Event Three (2021) - snooker.org". www.snooker.org.
- ^ "2021 Q School Order of Merit". World Snooker Tour. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021.
- ^ "WPBSA Q Tour 2021/22 Dates and entry information". WPBSA. 30 September 2021.
- ^ "Q School Order of Merit (2020) - snooker.org". www.snooker.org.
- ^ "World Rankings: After the 2023 Cazoo World Snooker Championship" (PDF). World Snooker Tour. 1 May 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 May 2023.
- ^ "2023/24 Tour Players". World Snooker Tour. 21 June 2023. Archived from the original on 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Tour survivors extended to up to 68". World Snooker Tour. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023.
- ^ a b "1 Year List: After the 2023 Cazoo World Snooker Championship" (PDF). World Snooker Tour. 2 May 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 May 2023.