2027 Welsh Open (snooker)
| Part of the Home Nations Series | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 8–14 February 2027 |
| Venue | Venue Cymru |
| City | Llandudno |
| Country | Wales |
| Organisation | World Snooker Tour |
| Format | Ranking event |
| Defending champion |  Barry Hawkins (ENG) |
← 2026 | |
The 2027 Welsh Open (officially the 2027 BetVictor Welsh Open) is an upcoming professional snooker tournament that will take place from 8 to 14 February 2026 at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Wales. Qualifying will take place on 2 and 3 February at the Leicester Arena in Leicester, England. The 36th consecutive edition of the Welsh Open since it was first staged in 1992, the tournament will be the 13th ranking event of the 2026–27 snooker season, following the 2026 German Masters and preceding the 2027 World Grand Prix. It will be the fourth and final tournament in the season's Home Nations Series, following the 2026 English Open, the 2026 Northern Ireland Open, and the 2026 Scottish Open.
Barry Hawkins is the defending champion, having defeated Jack Lisowski 9–5 in the 2026 final.
Overview
The Welsh Open replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, a non-ranking tournament open only to Welsh players that was held in 1922, in 1977, and annually from 1980 to 1991.[1][2] Open to players of any nationality, the Welsh Open began in 1992 and is now the third-longest-running ranking event, after the World Snooker Championship and the UK Championship.[3] The inaugural winner was Stephen Hendry, who defeated Darren Morgan 9–3 in the 1992 final.[4] During the 2016–17 snooker season, the Welsh Open became part of the newly created Home Nations Series, alongside the English Open, the Northern Ireland Open, and the Scottish Open.[5] At that time, the trophy was named the Ray Reardon Trophy to honour the six-time world champion from Tredegar.[6] Reardon died in 2024, aged 91.[7]
The 2027 edition of the tournament—its 36th consecutive staging since the inaugural edition in 1992—will take place from 8 to 14 February at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Wales, the fifth consecutive year the tournament will be staged at the venue.[3][8][9] Qualifying will take place on 2 and 3 February at the Leicester Arena in Leicester, England.[10] Sponsored by BetVictor,[11] it will be the thirteenth ranking event of the 2026–27 snooker season, following the 2026 German Masters and preceding the 2027 World Grand Prix.[8] It will also be the fourth and final tournament in the season's Home Nations Series, following the 2026 English Open, the 2026 Northern Ireland Open, and the 2026 Scottish Open.[12] Barry Hawkins is the defending champion, having defeated Jack Lisowski 9–5 in the 2026 final.[13]
References
- ↑ Snooker Scene, September 1977, p. 10
- ↑ Turner, Chris. "Welsh Professional Championship". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
- 1 2 "BetVictor Welsh Open". World Snooker Tour. Archived from the original on 9 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ↑ "Hall of Fame". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 25 October 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ↑ Hafez, Shamoon (26 May 2016). "World Snooker Tour sees increase in ranking events and prize money". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 18 April 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ↑ "Welsh Open Snooker trophy named after legend Ray Reardon". BBC Sport. 28 September 2016. Archived from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ↑ "Ray Reardon: Six-time world snooker champion dies aged 91". BBC Sport. 20 July 2024. Archived from the original on 20 July 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- 1 2 "Calendar 2026/2027". snooker.org. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
- ↑ Hunt, Ian (22 June 2022). "Welsh Open: Tournament moving to Llandudno in 2023". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ↑ "Welsh Open Qualifiers 2027". snooker.org. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ "BetVictor Northern Ireland Open 2026". World Snooker Tour. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
- ↑ Caulfield, David (19 May 2026). "2026/27 snooker season calendar released by WST". SnookerHQ. Archived from the original on 28 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Hawkins beats Lisowski to land fifth ranking title". World Snooker Tour. 1 March 2026. Archived from the original on 18 April 2026. Retrieved 1 March 2026.