Amateur Snooker - 2016/2017 EBSA Play-Offs

12th April 2017 / Ponds Forge, Sheffield, England

FAMILIAR FACES REGAIN PRO STATUS

The vastly experienced duo of Peter Lines and Gerard Greene will make their full time returns to the professional circuit next season after gaining guaranteed 2 year tour cards via the EBSA Play-Offs at Ponds Forge today.

The top 8 amateur players from the EBSA (European Billiards & Snooker Association) ranking list were invited to Sheffield for this one day knockout event. Points accumulated from the Paul Hunter Classic and Gibraltar Open earlier in the season were used to form an individual 'Order of Merit'.

​47 year old Lines from Leeds, who recently won the World Seniors Championship, beat Ben Jones 4-2 and then Zack Richardson (who joint topped the OOM) 4-0 to re-secure his top flight status. He is set for his 23rd and 24th seasons as a professional and will re-join his son Oliver on the tour.

​Northern Irishman Greene (who was also joint top of the OOM) has even more experience of the pro ranks. The 43 year old - a former Players Championship Finalist, beat fellow ex-main tour players Ian Glover 4-2 and then Steven Hallworth 4-1 for his return.

Both Lines and Greene featured during World Championship Qualifying here a few days earlier as invited wildcards. Both were also relegated from the tour at the end of the 2015/2016 campaign, but after spending a year in a lower tier, they have pretty much immediately shown their class by bouncing back.

Results

Quarter-Finals

​Peter Lines 4-2 Ben Jones

​Zack Richardson 4-3 Brandon Sargeant 

​Ian Glover 2-4 Gerard Greene

​George Pragnall 2-4 Steven Hallworth

Semi-Finals

Lines 4-0 Richardson

Greene 4-1 Hallworth

Written and published by Michael Day on the 12th April 2017

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