 Doherty at the2012 Paul Hunter Classic | |
| Born | (1969-09-17)17 September 1969 (age 56) Ranelagh,County Dublin, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Sport country |  Ireland |
| Nickname | |
| Professional | 1990– |
| Highestranking | 2 (2006/07) |
| Current ranking | 100 (as of 9 November 2025) |
| Maximum breaks | 1 |
| Century breaks | 358 (as of 23 November 2025) |
| Tournament wins | |
| Ranking | 6 |
| World Champion | 1997 |
Kenneth Joseph Doherty[3] (born 17 September 1969) is an Irish professionalsnooker player who also works as a commentator and pundit on televised snooker broadcasts. FromRanelagh inDublin, he is the sport's onlyworld champion from theRepublic of Ireland, having won the title in 1997, and one of only five players from outside the United Kingdom to have won the title in the modern era. He was the first player to have won the world amateur and world professional title; Doherty was previously world U-21 champion.
After moving from Dublin to London to pursue his snooker career, Doherty won theWorld Under-21 Amateur Championship and theWorld Amateur Championship in 1989. He turned professional the following year and reached the first of his 17ranking finals at the1992 Grand Prix, losing 9–10 toJimmy White. He won the first of his six ranking titles several months later at the1993 Welsh Open, beatingAlan McManus 9–7 in the final, which helped him enter the top 16 for the first time in the1993–94 world rankings. At the1997 World Snooker Championship, he endedStephen Hendry's record 29-match winning streak at the Crucible with an 18–12 victory in the final.
Doherty has been runner-up at two other World Championships. As defending champion at the1998 event, he had an opportunity to break theCrucible curse but lost the final 12–18 toJohn Higgins. FacingMark Williams in the2003 final, Doherty recovered from 2–10 behind to tie the scores at 11–11 but lost 16–18. In otherTriple Crown events, he has beenUK Championship runner-up three times (losing 5–10 to Hendry in1994, 1–10 toRonnie O'Sullivan in2001 and 9–10 to Williams in2002), andMasters runner-up twice (losing 8–10 to Higgins in1999 and by the same score toMatthew Stevens in2000).
Doherty won his most recent ranking title at the2006 Malta Cup, where he defeated Higgins 9–8 in the final. He achieved his career highest ranking of second in the2006/2007 rankings. After 15 consecutive seasons within the top 16, he fell to 18th place in the2008/2009 rankings and 44th place in the2009/2010 rankings, after which he has never regained his top-16 standing. Since the end of the2016–17 season, he has finished outside the top 64 in the world rankings multiple times; he has remained on the professional tour though invitational tour cards, the most recent of which was issued in June 2024 for the2024–25 and2025–26 seasons.[4] Doherty also competes on theWorld Seniors Tour, where he won the2018 UK Seniors Championship and has twice been runner-up at theWorld Seniors Championship, in2020 and2024. Since 2012, he has been a director of theWorld Professional Billiards and Snooker Association; he also served from 2021 to 2024 as inaugural chair of the WPBSA Players organisation.[5]
Born on 17 September 1969, Doherty grew up in a working-class Catholic family inRanelagh, Dublin, with his three siblings, two older brothers and a younger sister. He first became interested in snooker when he started to watch the BBC programmePot Black with his father at eight years old. At the time, Doherty particularly admiredAlex Higgins. He received a miniature snooker table as a Christmas present, and soon afterwards began playing on full-sized tables at Jason's Snooker Hall in Ranelagh.[6] When he was 13 years old, his father died from a heart attack. Shortly afterwards, he won the Irish Under-16 Championship. After leaving school, he moved to London to pursue his snooker career, receiving free accommodation and practice time at Ilford Snooker Centre courtesy of Irish professionalEugene Hughes. He won theWorld Under-21 Amateur Championship and theWorld Amateur Championship in 1989, and turned professional the following year.[7]
Doherty appeared in two quarter-finals in his first season as a professional, at the1991 Classic and the1991 Irish Masters, being beaten 5–3 byJimmy White on both occasions. In the following snooker year, he won thequalifying event for the1992 Masters, though there he lost 1–5 toJohn Parrott in the first round. He also made it to the semi-finals of the 1992British andStrachan Open, and reached the final of the1992 Irish Masters. He was a finalist at the1992 Grand Prix as well, narrowly losing 10–9 to Jimmy White. In thesame event a year later, Doherty lost in the final again, this time 6–9 toPeter Ebdon.[8]
Doherty's first ranking title was the1993 Welsh Open,[9][10] enough to take him into the top 16 in the world, where he remained until the2007–08 season. He also won the1993 Irish Professional Championship,[11][12] was a semi-finalist at the1993 International Open, and a quarter-finalist again at the1993 Irish Masters. More quarter-final appearances followed at the1994 Masters and the1994 World Championship, his only run past the second round in the latter before 1997,[13] and later on in the1994 Dubai Classic,[14] repeating his result from theprevious edition of the event, down to the scoreline as he was beaten 5–4 both times. These weren't his only replicated outcomes, he also won the1994 Pontins Professional just like he didlast year, as well as the1994 Scottish Masters[14] after winning it in1993[10] too.[15][16] In November he made it to the final of the1994 UK Championship, which he lost 5–10 toStephen Hendry,[17][18] then in December he reached the quarter-final stage of the1994 European Open, where he was defeated 5–3 byNigel Bond. In the second half of the season, he was in yet another quarter-final at the1995 Irish Masters, and in two finals, at the1995 Pontins Professional and the1995 European League.
Doherty became only the third player from outside the United Kingdom (after AustralianHorace Lindrum in 1952 and CanadianCliff Thorburn in 1980) to win the World Championship when he beat Stephen Hendry 18–12 in the 1997 final, at the age of 27. He also reached the World Championship final in 1998, losing toJohn Higgins,[10] and in 2003, losing narrowly toMark Williams. The latter run was noted for some outstanding comebacks, including final-frame wins overGraeme Dott andShaun Murphy, a 13–8 win over Higgins in a match where Doherty raced ahead 10–0 but Higgins fought back to 10–7, and a semi-final fightback from 9–15 to beatPaul Hunter 17–16. In that championship, Doherty played more frames than anyone before or since. In the final, Williams led 11–4, but Doherty fought back to 12–12 and 16–16. In frame 33, Doherty missed the penultimate red with a clearance easily available. Williams won that crucial frame and the next to prevail 18–16.[19][20]
Doherty narrowly failed to achieve amaximum break when he missed a routine final black off its spot in the 15th frame of the2000 Benson & Hedges Masters final againstMatthew Stevens, a match Doherty eventually lost 10–8. This one pot would have seen him win an £80,000 sports car. However, his 140 break at least brought him the consolation of the £19,000 highest break prize.[19][21] He did make a 147 break two years later though, when he won the Cue Club Pro-Am tournament in Killarney in 2002.[22] He made light of his prize on television shortly afterwards, which was allegedly €300, a BMX bicycle and a toyFerrari car.[23] His first official maximum was compiled in 2012, during a first round win against Julian Treiber at thePaul Hunter Classic.[24][25]
In 2001 Doherty became one of the few players who have won back-to-back ranking events, as he won theWelsh Open[9] and theThailand Masters,[26] while also reaching the final of the next tournament, theRegal Scottish Open.[27][8][10]
In the 2005 World Championship, Doherty beatBarry Pinches in the first round 10–5, winning the last 8 frames,[28] but was knocked out in the second round byAlan McManus 13–11.[29]
Following an average start to the2005–06 season, Doherty won theMalta Cup in February 2006, beatingJohn Higgins in the final. Doherty had trailed 8–5 at one stage but managed a stirring comeback, winning four frames in a row. He called the victory, which bridged a five-year gap, his "most important tournament win since the World Championship".[30][31]
Doherty started brightly in the2006 World Championship, winning his first match by defeatingBarry Hawkins 10–1, then he beatMatthew Stevens 13–8, playing superbly to win the last five frames. He was the favourite in his quarter-final match againstMarco Fu but lost 13–10. It was 8–8 as the final session started, but Doherty struggled despite winning a frame in which he required three snookers. Although he led 7–6, 8–7, 9–8 and 10–9, he could never quite take decisive advantage to win the match. Doherty admitted afterwards that he "blew it" but that he still had "a couple more years" to come back and win the title.[32] He ended the 2005–06 season as the world number 2, his highest ranking ever.
He made a solid start to the2006–07 season by reaching the quarter-final at what is the closest thing to a home tournament for him, theNorthern Ireland Trophy at Belfast's Waterfront Hall. He followed this up with a last-16 defeat at the Grand Prix in Aberdeen and the UK Championship in York. He reached the quarter-finals of the next two tournaments, the Masters and the Malta Cup. He lost in the first round of the World Championship and, although clearly disappointed, the Dubliner vowed to continue.[33] He was provisional world number 1 for most of 2006–07, but finished the season as 4th in the rankings.[34][35]
In October 2006, he won the invitationalIrish Professional Championship for a second time, having previously captured the title in1993. He beatMichael Judge 9–4 in the final. A year later he defended his title with a resounding 9–2 victory overFergal O'Brien. He followed this up a week later by becoming the first Irishman to win the Pot Black Invitational tournament, beatingShaun Murphy 76–31 in the one-frame final.[36][37]
Doherty did not start the2007–08 season well, winning only one match during the first four ranking tournaments. However, he did reach the semi-finals of the Masters with victories over Mark Williams and Shaun Murphy,[38] before losing to eventual championMark Selby. He then reached the final of theMalta Cup for a record fifth time, defeating John Higgins in the semi-finals, before losing to Murphy in the final. Unfortunately for Doherty, neither of these events are ranking events, meaning his performances did nothing to keep him in the top rankings for the 2008–09 season. Defeat toLiang Wenbo in the first round of the World Championship ensured that he dropped out of the top 16 after 15 years, and he started the new season 32nd on the provisional one-year list. A run of qualifying defeats saw him drop as low as 38th before the UK Championship.[citation needed]
Doherty's poor run of form continued during the2008–09 season during which he won only two matches. For the first time since 1993, he failed to qualify for the World Championship, having been beaten in the final qualifying round byGerard Greene.[39][40]
Doherty's form saw an upturn in the2009–10 season, with a rise back into the top 32 in the rankings, up from 44th to 30th; this was due to a quarter-final appearance in the2009 Shanghai Masters, and a last-16 appearance in the 2009 Grand Prix. Doherty defeated six-time World Championship finalist Jimmy White 10–3, and two-time Crucible semi-finalistJoe Swail 10–1 to mark his return to the World Championship for the first time since 2008. In an amusing moment, Doherty got down on his knees and kissed the carpet upon his return to the venue. However, he lost his first-round match 10–4 to reigning Masters champion Mark Selby.[41]
The2010–11 season proved to be a mixed campaign for Doherty, who made it to the last 32 of the2010 World Open, yet missed out on qualifying for the2011 German Masters, the2011 Welsh Open and crucially, blowing a 6–3 lead, losing 10–6 toJimmy Robertson in the final stage of qualifying for the2011 World Championship, meaning he had only reached the Crucible once out of his previous three attempts.[42]
Doherty had an excellent start to the2011–12 season as he qualified for theAustralian Goldfields Open, where he reached his first ranking event semi-final since 2006. He beat Mark Selby 5–3 in the quarter-finals, sealing the match with a clearance which he described as the best of his career. Doherty also stated that he almost quit the game in 2009, following his downturn in form which saw him drop to world number 55.[43] He failed to replicate his form in the semi-finals, however, as he was beaten 2–6 by Mark Williams.[44] In the remainder of the season Doherty qualified for theGerman Masters and theWelsh Open, but was defeated in the first round by Williams andMark Allen respectively, without picking up a frame.[45] He also reached the final of the non-rankingIrish Classic, losing 2–5 toFergal O'Brien.[46]
He was ranked 32nd in the world going into the2012 World Championship qualifiers, where he facedAnthony Hamilton. The match went into a deciding frame with Doherty 40 points behind, but he profited from a Hamilton error to produce a match-winning clearance to win 10–9, and earned a first-round match againstNeil Robertson.[47] He lost 4–10, and finished the season ranked world number 35.[48][49]
Doherty began the2012–13 season by losing 4–5 toStuart Bingham in the second round of theWuxi Classic, and 3–5 toMartin Gould in the first round of theAustralian Goldfields Open.[50] He went on to reach the quarter-finals of the event, losing 0–4 to Mark Selby.[50] Doherty was defeated in qualifying for theShanghai Masters and the2012 UK Championship, and failed to advance beyond the wildcard round of theInternational Championship.[50] At the fifth European Tour Event, theScottish Open, he saw off the likes ofLuca Brecel andRyan Day to reach the semi-finals where he lost 2–4 toDing Junhui.[51] Doherty was eliminated in the first round of theGerman Masters byPeter Lines, but then had his best run of the season at theWelsh Open.[50] He beat four-time world champion John Higgins 4–1 andTom Ford 4–3 to make it through to the quarter-finals.[52] He ledStuart Bingham 2–0, but a series of missed pots saw Doherty lose his confidence and he went on to lose 3–5.[53] His aforementioned run to the semi-finals of the Scottish Open helped him finish 16th on the PTC Order of Merit to qualify as one of the top 26 players for theFinals, but he lost 2–4 toKurt Maflin in the first round.[54] Doherty almost pulled off one of his trademark comebacks againstMatthew Selt in the final round of theWorld Championship qualifying, as from 4–9 down he levelled at 9–9, but he lost the deciding frame.[55] The result meant that this was the first season where Doherty had not featured in any of snooker'sTriple Crown events. Doherty increased his ranking by eight spots during the season to finish it ranked world number 27.[56]
Doherty qualified for all but two of the ranking events in the2013–14 season, but couldn't advance beyond the second round in any of them.[57] In April, he qualified for theWorld Championship after a 10–5 win againstDechawat Poomjaeng in the final qualifying round.[58][59] Doherty was the oldest player in the draw in his 19th Crucible appearance, and after trailingStuart Bingham 5–4 in the opening session of their first round match, Doherty produced his best snooker to take all six frames in the next session and win a match at theCrucible for the first time since 2006.[60] He then lost 13–8 toAlan McManus, the second oldest player in the event.[61]
Doherty won three qualifying matches and a wildcard round to be at the2014 Shanghai Masters, where he metMark Selby in the first round, losing 5–2.[62] The only other tournament Doherty could advance to the last 32 in thisseason was the2014 UK Championship by overcomingMitchell Mann andMichael White, but he was beaten 6–1 byRicky Walden. He was knocked out of the semi-finals of theWorld Seniors Championship byFergal O'Brien.[63] He reached the final round ofWorld Championship qualifying following wins overReanne Evans andLee Walker, but was thrashed 10–3 byMark Davis.[64] Doherty was placed 45th in the world rankings at the end of the season, the lowest he had been since 1991.[65]
A 6–0 thrashing at the hands ofPeter Ebdon ended Doherty'sInternational Championship run at the first round stage, and he lost 6–3 toMark Davis in the second round of the2015 UK Championship, having whitewashedTony Drago 6–0 in the opener. His best results in the season were a pair of last 32 exits at theGerman Masters andWelsh Open, losing 5–1 toStephen Maguire and 4–2 toJoe Perry respectively.[66] His end of season ranking of 57 was the lowest of his 26-year professional career.[67] He had two last 16 showings during2016–17, and would have dropped off the tour at the end of the season as he was outside of the top 64 in the world rankings.[68] However, the day before the2017 World Championship started, it was announced that Doherty would receive an invitational tour card for the next two years.[69]
Doherty played againstRonnie O'Sullivan, the defending champion, in the second round of the2018 UK Championship. Doherty was sharp throughout the first half of the first session, leading 3–1, then he extended his lead further to 4–1, but O'Sullivan fought back to win the next 4 frames. Doherty was able to force a decider, but ultimately just one error from him was enough for his opponent to finish the frame, to prevent Doherty from causing a considerable upset in the tournament where many seeds fell to lower-ranked players already,[70] and more would follow. Doherty would be the only player that came close to defeating the eventual champion, as the other matches, with the exception of the final, produced very one-sided results.[71]
Doherty's loss in the2020 World Championship qualifying meant that he finished the season outside the top 64 and fell out of the tour. However, he was given an invitational tour card to continue playing professional snooker in the2020–21 and2021–22 seasons.[72] The same occurred at his loss in the2022 World Championship qualifying, for the2022–23 and2023–24 seasons,[73] and at the end of the 2023–24 season, when Doherty had dropped to 79 in the world rankings, but was able to remain on the World Snooker Tour after being given a further two-year invitational card by the governing body.[74]
Despite being most renowned as an intelligent tactician, he is a heavy scorer as well when amongst the balls at close quarters.[75] This relatively cautious approach has led to the nickname "Crafty Ken".[76][77]
For most of his career, Doherty played with a warped cue randomly selected from the cue rack in Jason's, a club where he practised. He humorously revealed that the club manager originally wanted £5 for it, but Doherty haggled him down to £2.[78] At the2025 World Snooker Championship qualifiers, Doherty switched to a different cue for the first time in his professional career, likening the change to a "new romance".[79]
Doherty works on TV coverage of snooker matches with theBBC snooker coverage team. He became a regular commentator for the BBC starting with the2009 Masters, following the side-lining of veteran expertClive Everton. During theCOVID-19 pandemic, he began working onITV's snooker coverage.
Doherty guested as a presenter on theMorning Show on East Coast FM. He presents a sports programme on Sunshine 106.8FM on Saturday mornings.[80]
Doherty married Sarah, who is originally from India, in December 2001.[81][82] The couple resided inRathgar, Dublin, and have a son, born in 2007.[83] In 2022, Doherty revealed that he and his wife had separated amicably.[84] He now lives in England.[85]
Doherty was nearly blinded in 2002 in a bathroom accident; after slipping, he struck an ornament, which narrowly missed his left eye. However, the distinctive scar on his right cheek dates back to his seventh birthday, when he fell off a shed roof onto a metal dustbin.[86]
Doherty and his family are ofRoman Catholic faith.[citation needed]
In May 2007, Doherty appeared on RTÉ's spoof showAnonymous, heavily disguised as a priest.[87] Ostensibly he was a beginner at snooker and received some tips fromAlex Higgins, who was initially fooled by the make-up and Doherty's hopeless play. However, as "Fr Donoghue" began to clear the table, Higgins' suspicions were aroused and Doherty was eventually rumbled. Doherty's disguise was enough to fool his mother and his wife.[88] In 2020, Doherty made a cameo appearance along withJack Lisowski andLiang Wenbo in the snooker movieBreak.[89]
Doherty has been a WPBSA player director since 2012.[90]
| Tournament | 1990/ 91 | 1991/ 92 | 1992/ 93 | 1993/ 94 | 1994/ 95 | 1995/ 96 | 1996/ 97 | 1997/ 98 | 1998/ 99 | 1999/ 00 | 2000/ 01 | 2001/ 02 | 2002/ 03 | 2003/ 04 | 2004/ 05 | 2005/ 06 | 2006/ 07 | 2007/ 08 | 2008/ 09 | 2009/ 10 | 2010/ 11 | 2011/ 12 | 2012/ 13 | 2013/ 14 | 2014/ 15 | 2015/ 16 | 2016/ 17 | 2017/ 18 | 2018/ 19 | 2019/ 20 | 2020/ 21 | 2021/ 22 | 2022/ 23 | 2023/ 24 | 2024/ 25 | 2025/ 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking[nb 1] | [nb 2] | 51 | 21 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 44 | 30 | 29 | 35 | 27 | 33 | 45 | 57 | [nb 3] | 65 | 56 | [nb 3] | 73 | [nb 3] | 76 | [nb 3] | 89 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship League | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | 3R | 2R | RR | RR | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saudi Arabia Masters | Tournament Not Held | 1R | 2R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wuhan Open | Tournament Not Held | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| English Open | Tournament Not Held | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | 1R | LQ | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Open | 1R | SF | QF | 3R | 2R | 3R | 1R | SF | 2R | 3R | 2R | 3R | 2R | 2R | 3R | Tournament Not Held | 2R | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Xi'an Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Open | Tournament Not Held | 2R | 3R | 1R | 4R | 2R | LQ | LQ | 1R | WD | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International Championship | Tournament Not Held | WR | LQ | LQ | 1R | 1R | A | 1R | 1R | Not Held | LQ | LQ | WD | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Championship | LQ | LQ | 2R | 3R | F | QF | SF | 2R | 3R | 3R | 2R | F | F | 2R | 2R | QF | 3R | 1R | 1R | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | 1R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoot Out | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | 4R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 3R | 2R | 1R | WD | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Open[nb 4] | Not Held | SF | 2R | 3R | 1R | 2R | QF | SF | 3R | F | 2R | SF | SF | Tournament Not Held | MR | Not Held | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | WD | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German Masters[nb 5] | Tournament Not Held | F | 2R | SF | NR | Tournament Not Held | LQ | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | 1R | 1R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | NR | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Players Championship[nb 6] | Tournament Not Held | DNQ | DNQ | 1R | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Welsh Open | NH | 2R | W | 3R | 1R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 1R | 3R | W | F | QF | 3R | QF | 3R | 3R | 3R | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | QF | 2R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Open[nb 7] | LQ | 2R | F | F | 3R | 3R | 3R | 1R | 2R | QF | QF | 2R | 2R | SF | 2R | 2R | 2R | RR | LQ | 2R | 1R | LQ | LQ | 2R | Not Held | LQ | 1R | LQ | 1R | Not Held | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tour Championship | Tournament Not Held | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship | 1R | LQ | LQ | QF | 1R | 2R | W | F | QF | 2R | QF | QF | F | 1R | 2R | QF | 1R | 1R | LQ | 1R | LQ | 1R | LQ | 2R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Masters | LQ | 1R | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | SF | SF | F | F | QF | 1R | SF | QF | 1R | 1R | QF | SF | LQ | LQ | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship League | Tournament Not Held | 2R | RR | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Seniors Championship | NH | A | Tournament Not Held | QF | A | A | A | SF | 1R | A | A | NH | A | F | QF | 1R | F | 1R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic | QF | 3R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strachan Open[nb 8] | NH | SF | MR | NR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Asian Classic[nb 9] | 1R | 2R | 2R | QF | QF | 1R | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malta Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | W | NR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand Masters[nb 10] | LQ | 2R | 2R | 2R | 2R | F | 2R | SF | QF | SF | W | QF | NR | Not Held | NR | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Masters | Non-Ranking Event | 1R | SF | 2R | NH | NR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Trophy | Tournament Not Held | NR | QF | 3R | 2R | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bahrain Championship | Tournament Not held | 1R | Tournament Not held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wuxi Classic[nb 11] | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | 2R | 1R | 1R | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Goldfields Open[nb 12] | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking | Tournament Not Held | SF | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shanghai Masters | Tournament Not Held | 1R | LQ | QF | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | A | Non-Ranking | Not Held | Non-Ranking | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paul Hunter Classic[nb 13] | Tournament Not Held | Pro-am Event | Minor-Ranking Event | A | 3R | A | NR | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indian Open | Tournament Not Held | 1R | 1R | NH | LQ | 3R | LQ | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China Open[nb 14] | Tournament Not Held | NR | QF | LQ | 2R | QF | Not Held | SF | SF | QF | 2R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | 2R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Riga Masters[nb 15] | Tournament Not Held | Minor-Rank | 3R | SF | A | A | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China Championship | Tournament Not Held | NR | 1R | 1R | WD | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WST Pro Series | Tournament Not Held | RR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turkish Masters | Tournament Not Held | LQ | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gibraltar Open | Tournament Not Held | MR | WD | 4R | 3R | 1R | 2R | 2R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WST Classic | Tournament Not Held | A | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Masters[nb 16] | 3R | LQ | 1R | 2R | QF | 2R | SF | NH | QF | Not Held | SF | 2R | 1R | 2R | W | QF | NR | Tournament Not Held | LQ | 2R | 1R | LQ | 2R | LQ | LQ | 1R | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Masters | 2R | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top Rank Classic | Tournament Not Held | RR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Red & White Challenge | Tournament Not Held | SF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Superstar International | Tournament Not Held | SF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German Masters[nb 5] | Tournament Not Held | Ranking Event | SF | Tournament Not Held | Ranking Event | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pontins Professional | A | A | W | W | F | W | SF | SF | QF | QF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malta Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | A | SF | QF | W | F | R | RR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Champions Cup[nb 17] | Tournament Not Held | 1R | SF | QF | SF | SF | RR | RR | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Masters | A | A | A | W | W | QF | QF | QF | 1R | QF | SF | QF | 1R | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Champions v Asia Stars | Tournament Not Held | RR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Trophy | Tournament Not Held | 1R | Ranking Event | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Masters | QF | F | QF | 1R | QF | SF | 1R | W | QF | 1R | 1R | SF | Ranking Event | NH | QF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Euro-Asia Masters Challenge | Tournament Not Held | F | W | Not Held | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Professional Championship | NH | 1R | W | Tournament Not Held | F | W | W | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pot Black | A | A | A | 1R | Tournament Not Held | A | SF | W | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malta Cup[nb 16] | Ranking Event | NH | R | Not Held | Ranking Event | F | Tournament Not Held | Ranking Event | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Series Jersey | Tournament Not Held | QF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Series Warsaw | Tournament Not Held | F | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Series Grand Final | Tournament Not Held | 2R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Series Killarney | Tournament Not Held | SF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Masters Qualifying Event[nb 18] | 3R | W | MR | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | NH | A | A | A | SF | 1R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Legends of Snooker | Tournament Not Held | F | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Classic | Tournament Not Held | A | W | RR | A | F | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Premier League[nb 19] | A | A | A | A | F | W | SF | W | RR | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | RR | A | A | A | A | A | A | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoot Out | 4R | Tournament Not Held | 3R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | Ranking Event | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paul Hunter Classic | Tournament Not Held | Pro-am Event | Minor-Ranking Event | Ranking Event | 1R | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Six-red World Championship[nb 20] | Tournament Not Held | 3R | 3R | RR | NH | 2R | 2R | 2R | 2R | A | A | A | RR | Not Held | RR | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Performance Table Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LQ | lost in the qualifying draw | #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) | QF | lost in the quarter-finals |
| SF | lost in the semi–finals | F | lost in the final | W | won the tournament |
| DNQ | did not qualify for the tournament | A | did not participate in the tournament | WD | withdrew from the tournament |
| DQ | disqualified from the tournament | ||||
| NH / Not Held | event was not held. | |||
| NR / Non-Ranking Event | event is/was no longer a ranking event. | |||
| R / Ranking Event | event is/was a ranking event. | |||
| MR / Minor-Ranking Event | means an event is/was a minor-ranking event. | |||
| PA / Pro-am Event | means an event is/was a pro-am event. | |||
| Legend |
|---|
| World Championship (1–2) |
| UK Championship (0–3) |
| Other (5–6) |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1992 | Grand Prix |  Jimmy White | 9–10 |
| Winner | 1. | 1993 | Welsh Open |  Alan McManus | 9–7 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1993 | Grand Prix(2) | Peter Ebdon | 6–9 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 1994 | UK Championship | Stephen Hendry | 5–10 |
| Runner-up | 4. | 1995 | German Open | John Higgins | 3–9 |
| Runner-up | 5. | 1996 | Thailand Open | Alan McManus | 8–9 |
| Winner | 2. | 1997 | World Snooker Championship | Stephen Hendry | 18–12 |
| Runner-up | 6. | 1998 | World Snooker Championship | John Higgins | 12–18 |
| Winner | 3. | 2000 | Malta Grand Prix |  Mark Williams | 9–3 |
| Winner | 4. | 2001 | Welsh Open(2) | Paul Hunter | 9–2 |
| Winner | 5. | 2001 | Thailand Masters | Stephen Hendry | 9–3 |
| Runner-up | 7. | 2001 | Scottish Open | Peter Ebdon | 7–9 |
| Runner-up | 8. | 2001 | UK Championship(2) | Ronnie O'Sullivan | 1–10 |
| Runner-up | 9. | 2002 | Welsh Open | Paul Hunter | 7–9 |
| Runner-up | 10. | 2002 | UK Championship(3) | Mark Williams | 9–10 |
| Runner-up | 11. | 2003 | World Snooker Championship(2) | Mark Williams | 16–18 |
| Winner | 6. | 2006 | Malta Cup | John Higgins | 9–8 |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1993 | Strachan Challenge – Event 3 |  Tony Drago | 7–9 |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Team | Opponent(s) in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1996 | World Cup | Ireland | Scotland | 7–10 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 2001 | Nations Cup | Ireland | Scotland | 2–6 |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 1988 | Pontins Spring Open | Colin Morton | 7–5 |
| Runner-up | 1. | 1989 | Pontins Spring Open | Peter Ebdon | 4–7 |
| Winner | 2. | 1996 | Pontins Spring Open(2) | Darren Morgan | 7–3 |
| Winner | 3. | 1997 | Pontins Spring Open(3) | Paul Bunyard | 7–6 |
| Winner | 4. | 2002 | Cue Club Pro-Am | Rodney Goggins | 5–2[91] |
| Winner | 5. | 2003 | Liam O'Connor Memorial | Ian McCulloch | 6–2[92] |
| Winner | 6. | 2003 | Barry McNamee Memorial Trophy |  Joe Swail | 6–5[93] |
| Runner-up | 2. | 2005 | Swiss Open | Ricky Walden | 3–5[94] |
| Runner-up | 3. | 2006 | Pontins Pro-Am - Event 1 | Jamie Cope | 2–4[95] |
| Winner | 7. | 2006 | Pontins World Series Grand Final | Ricky Walden | 4–2[96] |
| Runner-up | 4. | 2007 | Paul Hunter Classic | Barry Pinches | 0–4 |
| Runner-up | 5. | 2007 | Swiss Open | Dave Harold | 0–5[97] |
| Runner-up | 6. | 2009 | Pontins Pro-Am - Event 4 | Michael White | 4–5[98] |
| Runner-up | 7. | 2009 | Pontins World Series Grand Final | Stuart Bingham | 1–3[96] |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1985 | Irish Amateur Championship | Gay Burns | 6–11 |
| Winner | 1. | 1987 | Irish Amateur Championship | Richard Nolan | 8–7 |
| Winner | 2. | 1987 | All-Ireland Amateur Championship | Seamus McClarey | 5–3[99] |
| Winner | 3. | 1989 | Irish Amateur Championship(2) | Anthony O'Connor | 8–5 |
| Winner | 4. | 1989 | World Under-21 Amateur Championship | Jason Ferguson | 11–5 |
| Winner | 5. | 1989 | All-Ireland Amateur Championship(2) | Harry Morgan | 5–2[100] |
| Winner | 6. | 1989 | World Amateur Championship | Jonathan Birch | 11–2 |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
