Andrew Higginson is again on the World Snooker Tour after rising as one of many 4 Q College graduates, with Occasion 2 concluding in Leicester on Sunday.
Higginson first turned skilled all the best way again in 1996 and reached the ultimate of the Welsh Open 11 years later.
Through the 2011/12 season when he reached the final 16 of the World Championship, the Widnes Warrior was ranked as excessive as quantity 18 on the planet rankings.
That very same marketing campaign additionally noticed him win a minor rating occasion on the now defunct PTC sequence, beating John Higgins within the closing in Sheffield.
Good outcomes proved tougher to return by lately, and this marks the second time since 2023 that Higginson has needed to come by the powerful Q College take a look at.
Now 48, Higginson beat fellow veterans Mark Davis and Mark Joyce within the final two rounds on the Mattioli Enviornment to seal his return to the professional circuit.
The opposite three Q College graduates from Occasion 2 all have confirmed most important tour pedigree as nicely, in the meantime.
Gong Chenzhi, who ended the hopes of two-time rating occasion winner Robert Milkins in a dramatic penultimate-round affair that ended 4-3, bounced again after being relegated on the finish of the just lately completed season.
Within the final spherical, China’s Gong overcame Brian Ochoiski with a 4-2 scoreline, ending the latter’s aspirations of changing into the primary ever skilled participant from France.
Elsewhere, Mitchell Mann beat Allan Taylor 4-2 whereas Stuart Carrington secured his return with a 4-1 defeat of Israeli Yaron Bodor.
There have been 12 professional tour tickets in complete accessible by Q College this yr, with eight hailing from the tournaments in Leicester and 4 from two separate competitions held in Bangkok.
Liam Davies, Cheung Ka Wai, Sean O’Sullivan, and Phil O’Kane graduated from Q College Occasion 1 on the Mattioli Enviornment per week in the past.
In Thailand, the principle tour spots had been awarded to Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon, Deng Haohui, Huang Jiahao, and Liu Yang.
All 12 gamers can have the chance to compete for profitable sums of cash throughout the upcoming 2026/27 and 2027/28 snooker seasons.
Qualifying for the China Open and the Wuhan Open happen in mid-June earlier than Championship League Snooker – the brand new marketing campaign’s first rating occasion – commences on June 22.
Featured picture credit score: WST
