Teenager Judd Trump will be the new name in Premier League snooker as it returns on Sky Sports in September.
Premier League returns to Sky Sports with teenager making debut
Teenager Judd Trump is the new name in the Premier League snooker tournament, as the teenager joins six other top stars in this year's event, which will again be live on
Sky Sports.
Bristol sensation Trump, the world number 30, will make his debut in the Premier League after battling his way through Championship League Snooker, and will be hoping to show even more of his immense promise against the world's best.
Trump will tackle five of the biggest names around, headlined by world number one and eight-time Premier League champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and also including world champion John Higgins, legend Stephen Hendry, Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson and Marco Fu.
'The Rocket' O'Sullivan has won the last five Premier League titles, having beaten Jimmy White, Higgins and Mark Selby in the last three editions of the tournament.
Newly-crowned world champion Higgins will hope to replicate his Crucible form when he attempts to dethrone O'Sullivan in the tournament - which starts on Thursday September 3 in Penrith.
Murphy returns
Former world champion Murphy will also be a dangerous competitor as he returns to the tournament, after he enjoyed a sparkling season that saw him win the UK Championship and make the final at the Crucible.
World number eight Fu won the Premier League back in 2003 after beating O'Sullivan in the semis and then-world champion Mark Williams in the final.
Australian left-hander Robertson won in Bahrain last season to clinch his third ranking event title, and he is capable of beating anyone on any given day.
Completing the line-up is seven-time world champion and snooker legend Hendry who, although he is now 40, can still mix it with the young guns on the circuit.
Matchroom Sport chairman Barry Hearn said: "I think this is very exciting line-up with a diverse selection of top players competing.
"Of course, Ronnie will always be the man to beat in this event, but I feel anyone of the others has a chance of winning this title come the end of November.
Shot clock
"Some of the players have struggled with the 25 second shot clock but coping with that has always been one of O'Sullivan's many strengths.
"The standard is high and I am looking forward to 12 nights of top class snooker in September, October and November this year."
Now entering its 24th season, the Premier League Snooker is the world's only major snooker tournament played to a league format. The field consists of seven of the very best players in the world and each player plays the others once over the best of six frames, making a total of 21 matches.
There are two points available for a win and a point for a 3 - 3 draw and following the round robin section of play, the top four players moved forward to the big money play-offs in December.
The total prize fund is in excess of £200,000, and the money for the round-robin section will be dished out on a 'frames won' basis with £1,000 awarded for each frame. In addition, there is a 'Double Your Money' bonus for a break of 100 or over of another £1,000.
Successful players carry forward their bonuses to the play-offs where the serious money is up for grabs. The £1,000 for a century bonus stays and the champion receives £30,000, the runner-up takes home an additional £15,000 and the beaten semi-finalists make an extra £5,000 each.
The semi-finals are the best of 11 frames and the final is over 13 frames, and again it will be screened live on
Sky Sports.
