British Open Snooker 2026 Thursday Order of Play : Prize money, today's third round schedule, format, how to watch for free, when is John Higgins playing?
By the end of today we’ll know our quarter-final lineup.
It’s third round day at the British Open snooker - the fourth tournament of the 2026/27 season.
First held as a ranking tournament in 1985, it disappeared from the professional snooker schedule in 2005, before returning in the 2021/2022 season.
Shaun Murphy was triumphant last year, beating Scotland’s Anthony McGill 10-7 in the final, and returned to defend his title, only to lose to David Gilbert in the second round yesterday.
But Scotland’s John Higgins is still in the hunt for another win to tie Steve Davis’ record of five titles, and will be playing for a fourth round spot today.
Here’s everything you need to know about what’s happening today.
When is the British Open?
The British Open is held from August 31-September 6 at the Centaur Arena, Cheltenham.
What is the format of the British Open?
The competition is open to all tour card holders, with 128 players entering the first round.
The draw is completely random, meaning there are no seeds and high-ranked players can meet each other at any stage.
Many of the first round qualifying matches took place at the Leicester Arena between July 23-24, but those involving the best known players (including the world top 16) are played in the first couple of days of the competition itself before the second round matches.
The first four rounds are the best of seven frames (first to four), with the quarter-finals the best of nine frames (first to five), the semi-finals the best of 11 frames (first to six) and the final the best of 19 frames (first to 10).
Who is playing today at the British Open snooker?
Here’s who is playing today, Thursday, September 3, with Scottish players in bold.
1pm session (third round)
- Stan Moody vs Zhang Anda
- Aaron Hill vs Xinbo Wang
- Elliot Slessor vs Judd Trump
- John Higgins vs Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon
3pm (estimated) session (third round)
- Zhao Xintong vs Michael Holt
- David Grace vs Long Zehuang
- Liam Davies vs David Gilbert
- Ross Muir vs Fan Zhengyi
7pm (fourth round)
- Lyu Haotian v Jack Lisowski
- Iulian Boiko v Mark Selby
- Stan Moody v John Higgins
- Jak Jones v Artemijs Zizins
9pm (estimated) (fourth round)
- Judd Trump v Davies / Gilbert
- Muir / Fan v Hill / Wang
- Zhao / Holt v Mark Joyce
- Liam Highfield v Grace / Long
What is the prize money at the British Open snooker?
- Winner: £100,000
- Runner-up: £45,000
- Semi-final: £20,000
- Quarter-final: £12,000
- Last 16: £9,000
- Last 32: £6,000
- Last 64: £3,000
- Highest break: £5,000
What is the schedule for the British Open snooker?
Here’s how the competition will play out:
- Monday, August 31 - Tuesday, September 1: Qualifying round
- Wednesday, Setember 2: 2nd round
- Thursday, September 3: Third round/Fourth round
- Friday, September 4: Quarter-finals
- Saturday, September 5: Semi-finals
- Sunday, September 6: Final
Is Ronnie O’Sullivan playing in the British Open 2026?
Ronnie O’Sullivan withdrew from the tournament for medical reasons and was replaced in the draw by Mark Joyce.
When is John Higgins playing his fourth round match?
What trophy is awarded at the British Open Snooker?
In 2022 the tournament trophy was renamed the Clive Everton Trophy in tribute to the popular commentator and longtime editor of Snooker Scene magazine.
How can I watch the British Open Snooker?
Live coverage of the tournament will be broadcast on Channel 5.
Who is favourite to win the British Open Snooker?
Zhao Xintong is the 9/4 favourite, followed by Judd Trump (3/1), Mark Selby (7/2), John Higgins (7/1) and Jack Lisowski (10/1).
Make sure you don't miss a moment of breaking news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.