1997–98 snooker season

The 1997–98 snooker season was a series of snooker tournaments played between August 1997 and May 1998. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events. This was the first season since 1987–88 that Stephen Hendry failed to win at least one Triple Crown title, although he did reach two of the three Triple Crown finals.

1997–98 snooker season

Details
Duration	14 August 1997 – 17 May 1998 (1997-08-14 – 1998-05-17)
Tournaments	18 (8 ranking events)
Triple Crown winners
UK Championship	Ronnie O'Sullivan
Masters	Mark Williams
World Championship	John Higgins
← 1996–97 1998–99 →

Calendar

Start	Finish	Country	Tournament name	Venue	City	Winner	Runner-up	Score	Ref.
14 Aug	16 Aug	CHN	Superstar International	Guangdong Hotel	Guangzhou	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Jimmy White	5–3	[1]
17 Sep	20 Sep	CHN	China International		Beijing	Steve Davis	Jimmy White	7–4	[2]
30 Sep	5 Oct	SCO	Scottish Masters	Civic Centre	Motherwell	Nigel Bond	Alan McManus	9–8	[3]
14 Oct	26 Oct	ENG	Grand Prix	Bournemouth International Centre	Bournemouth	Dominic Dale	John Higgins	9–6	[4]
27 Oct	8 Nov	ENG	Benson & Hedges Championship	Willie Thorne Snooker Centre	Malvern	Andy Hicks	Paul Davies	9–6	[5]
30 Oct	2 Nov	MLT	Malta Grand Prix	Jerma Palace Hotel	Marsaskala	Ken Doherty	John Higgins	7–5	[6][7]
12 Nov	30 Nov	ENG	UK Championship	Guild Hall	Preston	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Stephen Hendry	10–6	[8]
8 Dec	14 Dec	GER	German Open	Atlantis Rheinhotel	Bingen am Rhein	John Higgins	John Parrott	9–4	[9]
16 Jan	25 Jan	WAL	Welsh Open	Newport Leisure Centre	Newport	Paul Hunter	John Higgins	9–5	[10][11]
1 Feb	8 Feb	ENG	The Masters	Wembley Conference Centre	London	Mark Williams	Stephen Hendry	10–9	[12][13]
12 Feb	22 Feb	SCO	Scottish Open	A.E.C.C.	Aberdeen	Ronnie O'Sullivan	John Higgins	9–5	[14][15]
26 Feb	1 Mar	ENG	Charity Challenge	Assembly Rooms	Derby	John Higgins	Ronnie O'Sullivan	9–8	[16][17]
7 Mar	15 Mar	THA	Thailand Masters	Imperial Queens Park Hotel	Bangkok	Stephen Hendry	John Parrott	9–6	[18][19]
24 Mar	29 Mar	IRL	Irish Masters	Goff's	Kill	Ken Doherty	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Disqualified[n 1]	[20]
2 Apr	12 Apr	ENG	British Open	Plymouth Pavilions	Plymouth	John Higgins	Stephen Hendry	9–8	[21][22]
18 Apr	4 May	ENG	World Snooker Championship	Crucible Theatre	Sheffield	John Higgins	Ken Doherty	18–12	[23]
16 May	23 May	WAL	Pontins Professional	Pontins	Prestatyn	Mark Williams	Martin Clark	9–6	[24]
3 Jan	24 May	ENG	Premier League	Diamond Centre	Irthlingborough	Ken Doherty	Jimmy White	10–2	[25]

Ranking event

Non-ranking event

Official rankings

Main article: Snooker world rankings 1997/1998

The top 16 of the world rankings, these players automatically played in the final rounds of the world ranking events and were invited for the Masters.^[26][27][28]

No.	Ch.	Name	Points
1		Stephen Hendry	43127
2		John Higgins	30867
3		Ken Doherty	28601
4		Mark Williams	27485
5		Peter Ebdon	25282
6		John Parrott	25082
7		Ronnie O'Sullivan	24217
8		Nigel Bond	22182
9		Alain Robidoux	21994
10		Alan McManus	20995
11		Tony Drago	19959
12		James Wattana	18822
13		Steve Davis	18654
14		Anthony Hamilton	17004
15		Darren Morgan	16423
16		Stephen Lee	16079

Notes

1. Having won 9–3, Ronnie O'Sullivan was subsequently stripped of his title and disqualified from the tournament, after failing a drugs test. The title was subsequently awarded to the runner-up, Ken Doherty.