The 2024 Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship will get underneath approach on Monday with a dozen of this season’s finest gamers that includes in a high-profile draw.

It represents the second-last rating occasion on the 2023/24 calendar, with simply the World Snooker Championship to observe later in April.

Staged on the Manchester Central for the primary time, solely the highest 12 rivals from the one-year rankings checklist have certified.

Tour Championship prize cash

Champion: £150,000
Runner-up: £60,000
Semi-Finals: £40,000
Quarter-Finals: £30,000
Spherical of 12: £20,000
Highest break: £10,000

Who has received the Tour Championship?

Since 2019, the Tour Championship has been the culminating occasion in a sequence of three during which the lineups are decided by the one-year rankings.

Ronnie O’Sullivan prevailed in its inaugural staging earlier than Stephen Maguire emerged victoriously in a delayed behind-closed-doors version in 2020.

Neil Robertson subsequently received back-to-back Tour Championship titles, with Shaun Murphy most just lately profitable in Hull 12 months in the past.

Murphy, Robertson, and Maguire have all did not qualify this season – making O’Sullivan the one former champion within the 2024 Tour Championship draw.

Who’s within the 2024 Tour Championship draw?

For the primary time within the occasion’s historical past, the sector has been elevated from eight gamers to 12.

The rationale for that is probably what materialised in 2023, when a bunch of marquee names endured disappointing campaigns and did not qualify.

On account of the change, many really feel that pointless harm has been inflicted on the match’s identification and status.

However, the 2024 Tour Championship draw nonetheless boasts an extremely sturdy lineup comprising gamers ranked contained in the world’s high 16.

As this season’s highest earners from leads to rating tournaments, Judd Trump, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Zhang Anda, and Ding Junhui are the highest 4 seeds.

Their reward is an automated bye by means of to the quarter-finals of the competitors.

The remaining eight contenders will battle it out for the opposite 4 quarter-final spots.

One tie instantly stands out, with Mark Allen drawn to face John Higgins in a blockbuster first-round battle.

Elsewhere, there are all-English fixtures between Ali Carter and Barry Hawkins, and Mark Selby and Gary Wilson.

Mark Williams encounters Tom Ford, who like Zhang and Wilson will take part within the Tour Championship for the primary time.

2024 Tour Championship Draw

Spherical of 12 (bo19)

Matches to be performed on April 1st and 2nd. Instances in UTC.

Mark Williams (8) vs Tom Ford (9)
Mon, 7pm and Tues, 7pm

Mark Allen (5) vs John Higgins (12)
Mon, 1pm and 7pm

Gary Wilson (6) vs Mark Selby (11)
Mon, 1pm and Tues, 1pm

Barry Hawkins (7) vs Ali Carter (10)
Tues, 1pm and 7pm

Quarter-Finals (bo19)

Matches to be performed on April third and 4th. Instances in UTC.

Judd Trump (1) vs Williams/Ford
Thurs, 1pm and 7pm

Ding Junhui (4) vs Allen/Higgins
Wed, 7pm and Thurs, 7pm

Zhang Anda (3) vs Wilson/Selby
Wed, 1pm and Thurs, 1pm

Ronnie O’Sullivan (2) vs Hawkins/Carter
Wed, 1pm and 7pm

Semi-Finals (bo19)

Matches to be performed on April fifth and sixth. Instances in UTC.

TBC vs TBC
Sat, 1pm and 7pm

TBC vs TBC
Fri, 1pm and 7pm

Ultimate (bo19)

Match to be performed on April seventh. Instances in UTC.

TBC vs TBC
Solar, 1pm and 7pm

What are the rating subplots?

The race is effectively and really again on on the high of the official rolling two-year snooker rankings checklist.

Ronnie O’Sullivan has been the world primary since mid-2022, however that standing will likely be underneath severe menace within the subsequent few weeks.

Due to his victories in 5 rating occasions this season, Judd Trump has narrowed the hole significantly.

The truth is, Trump is so near O’Sullivan now that he’ll usurp his fellow Englishman if he wins the occasion, or if he reaches the ultimate and O’Sullivan doesn’t.

Mark Allen, in the meantime, stays in pole place to finish the 2023/24 time period because the world primary, with the Antrim potter on the high within the provisional end-of-season standings.

Outcomes on the Tour Championship will even assist decide the particular seeding positions for the highest 16 on the Crucible Theatre this 12 months.

Who’s the betting favorite?

With ten titles between them this season, sharing 5 items of silverware apiece, it’s hardly stunning that Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump are the 2 betting favourites.

O’Sullivan is nearly favoured with most on-line bookies at about 6/4, with Trump boasting odds of round 2/1.

The 2 rivals are on reverse sides of the draw, which may arrange a tantalising closing in what could be a repeat of the World Grand Prix title decider from January.

The one different a number of champions from the 2023/24 season are Mark Allen and Gary Wilson, who’ve outright odds of round 14/1 and 50/1 respectively.

Learn how to watch the 2024 Tour Championship?

There are a number of choices obtainable to look at the upcoming snooker reside, relying in your location.

Beneath is a full checklist, as beforehand revealed on the World Snooker Tour web site:

UK and Eire
ITV
China
Liaoning TV
Migu
Huya.com
USA, Brazil, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Spain
DAZN
Czech Republic and Slovakia
Nova
Poland, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway
Viaplay / Go3
Hong Kong China
Now TV
Malaysia and Brunei
Astro SuperSport
Thailand
True Imaginative and prescient
Taiwan
Sportcast
Philippines
Premier Sports activities Community
Pakistan
Fastsports
All different territories
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Featured picture credit score: WST