With the battle for tour places next season raging on, last month I posted an in-depth, player-by-player assessment of how those in the bottom half of the rankings were placed.
Since then however, we have seen two European Tour events completed, as well as the UK Championship and qualifiers for the German Masters and Haikou World Open tournaments. Most notably, the bar has risen significantly in terms of the European Order of Merit since my last update, the results of which are evident below.
Click below then for an updated look at how the battle currently stands…
- Click here to view the latest provisional money list
- Click here to view the latest European Tour Order of Merit (after seven events)
- Click here to view the latest Asian Tour Order of Merit (after three events)
- Click here to view my previous article on the early running
- Click here to view my look at my previous post on the tour survival race (November 2013)
- Click here to view the prize money schedule for 2013/14
- Click here to view the draw for ET8
Who Stays on Tour?
This is explained in some detail on my previous article here, but in summary, the following players will retain their professional places for 2013/14 as follows:
- All players ranked inside the top 64 on the two-year prize money list following the 2014 World Championship
- All players ranked outside of the top 64 on the two-year prize money list, who have joined the tour for 2013/14 on the first year of a two-year tour card.
- The top eight players ranked on the European Order of Merit, not already qualified as above.
- The top four players ranked on the Asian Order of Merit, not already qualified as above.
So the important point to note is that it will be the top 64 on the money list, NOT the current points list, who will automatically earn a tour card for 2014/15 as of right.
In some cases, this is a crucial difference, for example for James Wattana currently 68th in the latest projected seedings, but 75th on the provisional money list.
Who will finish in the top 64?
With so many events still to run, it is impossible to say with certainty as to what the final amount of money required to stay inside the top 64 will be, but as a conservative estimate I would be surprised to see anybody inside of the current top 50 on the latest provisional money list fall out of the top bracket.
At the time of writing, if we exclude the suspended Stephen Lee, the cut currently stands at £35,850 for 64th placed Luca Brecel, while for example 51st placed Matt Selt sits on £48,043. I would expect only a dramatic loss of form, combined with strong performances from those below, to threaten those around Selt’s position.
For the avoidance of doubt, the ‘safe’ players are:
- Ding Junhui, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby, Barry Hawkins, Judd Trump, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Marco Fu, John Higgins, Ricky Walden, Mark Allen, Stuart Bingham, Shaun Murphy, Stephen Maguire, Ali Carter, Mark Davis, Matthew Stevens, Robert Milkins, Joe Perry, Graeme Dott, Mark Williams, Peter Ebdon, Xiao Guodong, Martin Gould, Ryan Day, Michael Holt, Liang Wenbo, Tom Ford, Michael White, Dominic Dale, Marcus Campbell, Mark King, Ken Doherty, Fergal O’Brien, Andrew Higginson, Jack Lisowski, Ben Woollaston, David Gilbert, Mark Joyce, Kurt Maflin, Alan McManus, Rod Lawler, Cao Yupeng, Jamie Cope, Jamie Burnett, Aditya Mehta, Anthony McGill, Rory McLeod, Alfie Burden, Dechawat Poomjaeng, Anthony Hamilton
Importantly, these players will all earn a one-year tour card for the following season, but will retain their prize money earned, rather than start again from zero, as those qualifying on a two-year card by any other means will have to.
Who is on the first year of a two-year card?
Simply put, those players who are safe due to being on the first year of a two-year tour card, are those highlighted in green on the latest provisional money list page.
For the avoidance of doubt, those players are:
- Kyren Wilson, Gary Wilson, David Morris, Lyu Haotian, Stuart Carrington, Alex Davies, Joe Swail, Li Hang, Noppon Saengkham, John Astley, Hammad Miah, Andrew Pagett, Vinnie Calabrese, Elliot Slessor, Andrew Norman, Robin Hull, Ratchayothin Yotharuk, Ross Muir, Chris Norbury, Chris Wakelin, Jin Long, Cao Xinlong, Patrick Einsle, James Cahill, Lee Page, Fraser Patrick, Alex Borg, Shi Hanqing, Allan Taylor, Ryan Clark, Alexander Ursenbacher, Ahmed Saif, Lee Spick, Jak Jones, Igor Figueiredo
What about the rest?
For everybody else, I will consider their prospects individually below, highlighting where they currently stand on the three respective lists and trying to summarise how they stand overall.
When giving the totals below, I have also put in brackets the gaps between them and the person in the last qualifying position from the respective lists at the time of writing.
Matt Selt
Money list: 51st – £48,043 (+12,193)
European Tour OOM: 67th – £2,932 (-1,751)
Asian Tour OOM: 34th – £1,200 (-1,900)
Summary: More than £12,000 clear of Luca Brecel, who currently holds onto the final top 64 spot (ignoring Stephen Lee), it would surely take a winless run to the end of the World Championship, combined with strong results for a number of players behind, for Selt to drop out of the top 64 at the end of the season.
Pankaj Advani
Money list: 52nd – £48,012 (+12,162)
European Tour OOM: 41st – £5,966 (+1,283)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: Pankaj Advani’s strong results since turning professional in the summer of 2012 look to have almost assured him of a place inside the top 64 when the ranking list changes to a prize money based system next summer. As an added comfort, Advani is also currently well inside the qualifying places on the European Order of Merit with one event to be played, should he drop out.
Jimmy Robertson
Money list: 53rd – £47,639 (+11,789)
European Tour OOM: 19th – £9,933 (+5,250)
Asian Tour OOM: 83rd – £200 (-2,900)
Summary: Like Advani above, Jimmy Robertson looks well placed to remain on the tour via the main money list and thanks to his strong performances in European Tour events this season, has already done more than enough to ensure that he will retain his tour card for next year via that list if he were to drop out of the top 64.
Nigel Bond
Money list: 54th – £46,428 (+10,578)
European Tour OOM: 55th – £4,266 (-417)
Asian Tour OOM: 54th – £600 (-2,500)
Summary: With opening round victories at the UK Championship and Haikou World Open tournaments recently, Nigel has extended his cushion to 65th place on the provisional money list and remains well placed to extend his professional career by at least another campaign.
Yu Delu
Money list: 55th – £44,188 (+8,338)
European Tour OOM: 87th – £1,600 (-3,083)
Asian Tour OOM: 20th – £1,900 (-1,200)
Summary: Much like Nigel Bond, recent results have seen Yu Delu extend his lead over 65th place on the latest provisional money list. With a number of events still to be played and seemingly no fall back options via the European or Asian Tour lists however, he will need a couple more wins to make sure of his tour card between now and the end of the season.
Jamie Jones
Money list: 56th – £43,949 (+8,099)
European Tour OOM: 16th – £11,183 (+6,500)
Asian Tour OOM: 83rd – £200 (-2,900)
Summary: Despite his early exit at the recent UK Championship, since my previous look at the tour survival battle, Jamie Jones has extended his cushion to 65th place by some £3,000 on the latest provisional money list.
Perhaps even more significantly than that however, his semi-final run at the ET6 event in Gloucester, means that he now stands as high as 16th on the European Order of Merit, easily high enough to assure him of a tour place come next season.
Dave Harold
Money list: 57th – £42,647 (+6,790)
European Tour OOM: 81st – £2,100 (-2,583)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: Dave’s position remains almost unchanged from my previous look at the tour survival race, as his best shot at retaining a place on the main tour for next season looking to be via the main money list. At present he looks well-placed and with his upcoming draws set to be against players currently seeded outside of the top 64 thanks to his current ranking position, I would expect Dave to be able to get the results that he needs in order to survive.
Dave Harold – Currently safe, but needs more wins
Steve Davis
Money list: 58th – £40,976 (+5,126)
European Tour OOM: 61st – £3,866 (-817)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: Despite his recent victories since his return from the jungle recently, due to the tournaments that he has missed of late, Steve’s position now looks considerably more perilous than it previously had. Specifically, his cushion on the money list has now been cut by approximately £1,200, while he now stands some £817 outside the cut on the European Tour Order of Merit, compared to previously being £1,283 inside it.
This means that Steve must continue to win matches in the remaining full ranking events this season, or enjoy a strong run at the final European Tour event of the season in Poland. Definitely something to keep an eye on…
Jimmy White
Money list: 59th – £39,409 (+3,559)
European Tour OOM: 106th – £600 (-4,083)
Asian Tour OOM: 83rd – £200 (-2,900)
Summary: Like his fellow legend Steve Davis, Jimmy White is far from assured of a place on the main tour for next season and having struggled to win matches on either the European or Asian Tours, must do enough on the provisional money list if he is to retain his place.
More positively however, his opening round win at the UK Championship, together with successful qualifying matches at the German Masters and Haikou World Open tournaments in December, have added £7,250 to his tally recently, crucially keeping his fate in his own hands at the turn of the year.
Peter Lines
Money list: 60th – £38,887 (+3,037)
European Tour OOM: 63rd – £3,466 (-1,217)
Asian Tour OOM: 70th – £400 (-2,700)
Summary: On the comeback trail this season following a difficult 2012/13 season, Peter Lines is another player who like Jimmy above, will need to continue winning matches in 2014 if he is to maintain his place on the circuit. Unlike Jimmy, he is within range of the qualifying places on the European Tour Order of Merit, but would surely need a run to at least the quarter-finals in order to do so.
Gerard Greene
Money list: 63rd – £37,704 (+1,854)
European Tour OOM: 11th – £12,783 (+8,100)
Asian Tour OOM: 54th – £600 (-2,500)
Summary: While it is touch and go as to whether Gerard Greene will remain inside the world’s top 64 at the end of the season, thanks to his run to the final of the Paul Hunter Classic earlier this season in Germany, Greene is certain of remaining on the tour for next season.
Also certain to qualify for the PTC Finals in Thailand next year, Gerard is also guaranteed a further £2,500 on his tally from that event, which will boost his top 64 hopes come the end of the season.
Robbie Williams
Money list: 64th – £36,729 (+942)
European Tour OOM: 25th – £8,532 (+3,849)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: Like Gerard, Robbie will need to continue his strong form of late if he is to finish inside the world’s top 64 at the end of the season for the first time, but either way looks certain to remain on tour via the European Tour Order of Merit.
Again, if he is able to qualify for the PTC Finals next spring, he will also earn a minimum of £2,500 towards his money list total.
Luca Brecel
Money list: 65th – £35,850 (+0)
European Tour OOM: 34th – £6,599 (+1,916)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: Currently occupying the final top 64 place (allowing for the removal of Stephen Lee currently above him), Luca Brecel will be hoping to continue his progress up the ranking list in 2014. He will need further wins to do so, but should find the pressure at least somewhat eased by the fact that he currently looks to be safe via the European Tour Order of Merit, with just one event to go.
Scott Donaldson
Money list: 66th – £35,530 (-320)
European Tour OOM: 38th – £6,116 (+1,433)
Asian Tour OOM: 7th – £4,100 (+1,000)
Summary: Like Luca above, the impressive Scott Donaldson has every chance of remaining on tour for next season via the prize money list, but is also currently placed to survive via the European Tour Order of Merit should he not do so. Furthermore, Scott is also in contention to retain his place via the Asian Tour list, leaving him as the only player with chances in all three competitions.
As an aside, I hope that whatever happens, Scott does not narrowly miss out on a place on the circuit for next season, as you may recall that due to the scheduling of events in 2012, he actually earned his tour card following the first couple of tournaments last season, giving him an immediate deficit through no fault of his own.
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Money list: 67th – £35,160 (-690)
European Tour OOM: 79th – £2,166 (-2,517)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: Barring a deep run at the final European Tour event in Poland, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh looks to have the latest provisional money list as his sole means of staying on tour for next season, but just £690 behind Brecel, has his fate still very much within his own hands.
Mike Dunn
Money list: 69th – £33,704 (-2,146)
European Tour OOM: 60th – £3,866 (-817)
Asian Tour OOM: 70th – £400 (-2,700)
Summary: Following a narrow defeat to Luca Brecel at the UK Championship recently, Mike has slightly lost ground to those above him on the latest provisional money list, while he has also dropped back on the European Tour Order of Merit compared to his position prior to ET6.
As he will be well aware, ET8 in Poland could prove crucial for him, with him poised to meet close rival on the European Order of Merit Steve Davis in the second round. It will also be important for Dunn to remain inside the top 64 on the current points based seedings between now and the end of the season, if he is to avoid drawing the top ranked players early on in the year’s remaining events.
Ian Burns
Money list: 70th – £32,037 (-3,813)
European Tour OOM: 44th – £5,266 (+583)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: Nearly £4,000 from retaining his place on the tour through the provisional money list, Ian Burns has lost ground following recent tournaments, taking just five frames during his UK Championship, Haikou World Open and German Masters defeats.
Following his quarter-final run at ET6 however, he has boosted his position on the European Tour Order of Merit and with one event to go, is in position to earn a fresh two-year tour card via that route. If he can win a few matches in Poland, he should be able to do enough, regardless of the main money list.
Sam Baird
Money list: 71st – £30,933 (-4,857)
European Tour OOM: 15th – £11,351 (+6,668)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: Though he has lost ground since my last update on the latest provisional money list, his continued strong results in the European Tour events mean that he is certain of retaining his professional place for at least another season, regardless of what happens in Poland. Like Gerard Greene, he will also gain at least a further £2,500 should he be able to qualify for the PTC Finals in Thailand.
Tian Pengfei
Money list: 72nd – £30,885 (-4,965)
European Tour OOM: 91st – £1,183 (-3,500)
Asian Tour OOM: 16th – £2,300 (-800)
Summary: Following a run of consistent results recently, Tian Pengfei has reduced the gap on the money list by around £2,500 since my previous update and having qualified for both Germany and Haikou, could close in further in the coming months.
Tian has not fared so well on the European Order of Merit, but just £800 behind on the Asian list, he could also secure a tour card with a strong run at the Asian Tour 4 event next year.
Zhang Anda
Money list: 73rd – £29,445 (-6,405)
European Tour OOM: 106th – £600 (-4,083)
Asian Tour OOM: 54th – £600 (-2,500)
Summary: Some distance behind on the PTC Orders of Merit, Zhang Anda will in all likelihood need to bridge the gap of some six and a half thousand pounds on the latest provisional money list, if he is to avoid a trip to Q School to retain his tour place at the end of the season.
Liu Chuang
Money list: 74th – £29,083 (-6,767)
European Tour OOM: 104th – £1,000 (-3,683)
Asian Tour OOM: 9th – £3,600 (+500)
Summary: Like countryman Tian Pengfei, Liu Chaung’s best hope of staying on tour for another season looks to be via the Asian Tour Order of Merit, on which he currently stands £500 inside the qualification mark.
Should he not be able to convert that position into a tour place, he will need to win enough money on the main provisional money list to climb 10 places into the top 64 by the season’s end.
James Wattana
Money list: 75th – £27,964 (-7,886)
European Tour OOM: 86th – £1,683 (-3,000)
Asian Tour OOM: 54th – £600 (-2,500)
Summary: Thai veteran James Wattana remains in the fight to retain his tour place for next season, but following defeats at the recent qualifiers following the UK Championship, has lost ground on the all-important top 64 mark that he needs in order to do so. Some distance down on both PTC Orders of Merit, perhaps he will need to run deep at the World Championship qualifiers, if he is able to survive.
Barry Pinches
Money list: 76th – £27,667 (-8,183)
European Tour OOM: 59th – £4,032 (-651)
Asian Tour OOM: 83rd – £200 (-2,900)
Summary: While on the face of it, Barry remains in very much the same position as he was at my last update, given the sharp rise of the qualification mark in the European Tour events, it has been a relatively strong run of results of late which has kept him in contention to retain his place for next season.
While it is not impossible that he might close the gap on the main provisional money list, he will no doubt be eyeing a good run in Poland, where I suspect that he will need to win at least three matches if he is to do enough.
Liam Highfield
Money list: 78th – £25,462 (-10,388)
European Tour OOM: 71st – £2,766 (-1,917)
Asian Tour OOM: 54th – £600 (-2,500)
Summary: For Liam it has been a difficult few months of late, which have seen him win just two matches since August and inevitably lose significant ground on both the latest provisional money list and European Tour Order of Merit.
Barring a deep run in Poland, Liam will need to rediscover his form quickly this season, if he is to avoid the Q School next May.
Paul Davison
Money list: 79th – £25,151 (-10,699)
European Tour OOM: 95th – £1,166 (-3,517)
Asian Tour OOM: 70th – £400 (-2,700)
Summary: Though Paul has recorded a few good wins of late, his position is very much the same as Liam Highfield’s above, with a gap of around £10,000 to make up if he is to claim a top 64 place at the end of the season.
Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon
Money list: 80th – £22,569 (-13,281)
European Tour OOM: 69th – £2,917 (-1,766)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: As above for Liam and Paul, although a further £2,500 further back, Thanawat’s task is harder still if he is to climb into the top 64 on the latest provisional money list.
Michael Wasley
Money list: 81st – £20,782 (-15,068)
European Tour OOM: 47th – £5,049 (+366)
Asian Tour OOM: 83rd – £200 (-2,900)
Summary: For Michael, his main chance of retaining a main tour place is undoubtedly via the European Order of Merit, from which he is currently set to qualify, with one event to run. In Poland he has been drawn to face an amateur first up, but could face a tie against the in-form Gary Wilson in the second round, in what would be a must-win match for the On Q player.
Chen Zhe
Money list: 84th – £19,923 (-15,927)
European Tour OOM: 106th – £600 (-4,083)
Asian Tour OOM: 47th – £800 (-2,300)
Summary: For Chen Zhe, his hopes of retaining a place on the main tour for next season look to be slim, unless he can run deep in either of the final events on the European or Asian Tours early in 2014.
Adam Duffy
Money list: 85th – £19,330 (-16,520)
European Tour OOM: 95th – £1,166 (-3,517)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: As above, Adam Duffy’s hopes of retaining a place on the main tour via the provisional money list would appear slim, while he would need to reach at least the semi-finals in Poland if he is to survive via the European Tour list.
Joel Walker
Money list: 86th – £19,262 (-16,588)
European Tour OOM: 29th – £7,199 (+2,516)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: £417 short of qualifying via the European Tour Order of Merit at my last update, Joel’s excellent performances at both the ET6 and ET7 events seen him soar up the list to all but secure his main tour status for another two seasons.
Tony Drago
Money list: 88th – £18,306 (-17,544)
European Tour OOM: 49th – £4,683 (+0)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: While Tony might have lost further ground on the latest provisional money list, thanks to his last 16 run at the ET7 event in Antwerp, Tony currently holds on to the final qualifying spot from the European Order of Merit, with Poland still to come. There he has drawn Liam Highfield first up, while either Fergal O’Brien or Alex Davies would await in the second round if he were to win that one. His tour card hangs in the balance, but his fate does at least remain in his own hands…
Craig Steadman
Money list: 89th – £18,284 (-17,566)
European Tour OOM: 87th – £1,600 (-3,083)
Asian Tour OOM: 105th – £0 (-3,100)
Summary: Craig is another who looks set to be heading to the Q School if he is to retain his professional status beyond the end of this season, unless he can reach the latter stages in Poland next year.
David Grace
Money list: 90th – £16,391 (-19,459)
European Tour OOM: 48th – £4,700 (+17)
Asian Tour OOM: 39th – £1,000 (-2,100)
Summary: For David Grace, read Tony Drago, as he currently lies just £17 and one place above the Tornado on the European Order of Merit. He will play an amateur first up in Poland, with either David Gilbert or Cao Yupeng awaiting in the next round.
Li Yan
Money list: 91st – £15,422 (-20,158)
European Tour OOM: 126th – £0 (-4,683)
Asian Tour OOM: 70th – £400 (-2,700)
Summary: Like a few of the players above him, Li Yan would appear all but certain to be relegated from the tour at the end of the season, unless he can re-qualify through the Q School in May 2014.
Simon Bedford
Money list: 93rd – £14,078 (-21,502)
European Tour OOM: 113rd – £583 (-4,100)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: Again, Simon Bedford looks set to be relegated at the end of the season, unless he can survive through the Q School.
Michael Leslie
Money list: 95th – £11,443 (-24,137)
European Tour OOM: 76th – £2,349 (-2,334)
Asian Tour OOM: 105th – £0 (-3,100)
Summary: Despite an upturn in his results this season, following a difficult début campaign in 2012/13, Michael is another player who looks destined to lose his tour card at the end of the season.
Daniel Wells
Money list: 96th – £11,263 (-24,314)
European Tour OOM: 75th – £2,583 (-2,100)
Asian Tour OOM: 54th – £600 (-2,500)
Summary: At my previous look at the battle prior to ET6 and ET7, Daniel Wells looked well placed to retain his tour card via the European Order of Merit, but two opening round defeats, coupled with other results raising the qualification bar significantly, mean that he now faces a tall order if he is to do so.
Martin O’Donnell
Money list: 99th – £9,468 (-26,112)
European Tour OOM: 57th – £4,100 (-583)
Asian Tour OOM: N/A
Summary: Halfway through the ET6 event, Martin O’Donnell looked to be almost home and dry as far as the European Order of Merit was concerned, but since then an early exit at ET7, combined with the results of others, mean that he must win at least two, probably three or four, matches at ET8 if he is to retain his tour card via that route.
Sean O’Sullivan
Money list: 100th – £9,209 (-26,371)
European Tour OOM: 89th – £1,583 (-3,100)
Asian Tour OOM: 105th – £0 (-3,100)
Summary: Despite showing flashes of what he is capable of this season, it looks like Sean O’Sullivan may have to come through Q School for a second time, if he is to retain his place on the tour for a third season next year.
Jamie O’Neill
Money list: 112nd – £6,377 (-29,473)
European Tour OOM: 89th – £1,583 (-3,100)
Asian Tour OOM: 105th – £0 (-3,100)
Summary: As above, Jamie looks like he will have to come through the Q School if he is to continue on tour next season.
Passakorn Suwannawat
Money list: 110th – £3,883 (-31,967)
European Tour OOM: 113rd – £583 (-4,100)
Asian Tour OOM: 105th – £0 (-3,100)
Summary: Having now returned to Thailand, Suwannawat will be relegated from the tour at the end of the season.
Mohamed Khairy
Money list: 114th – £1,500 (-34,350)
European Tour OOM: 126th – £0 (-4,683)
Asian Tour OOM: 105th – £0 (-3,100)
Summary: All but relegated.
Hossein Vafaei Ayouri
Money list: 124th – £200 (-35,650)
European Tour OOM: 126th – £0 (-4,683)
Asian Tour OOM: 105th – £0 (-3,100)
Summary: All but relegated.