Ronnie O’Sullivan announces he’s ‘on STRIKE’ from going for snooker’s 147 maximum score breaks – because the £40,000 prize money isn’t worth it
Ronnie O’Sullivan has claimed that he’s going ‘on strike’ from 147 breaks until snooker chiefs increase the prize money.
Last week, O’Sullivan apologised to fans after confirming that he would not participate in the Welsh Open, which began in Llandudno on Monday.
Instead of competing in the competition, O’Sullivan opted to take on a punditry role for Eurosport, as Gary Wilson hit the 199th 147 break in the history of the sport.
After the incident, according to The Sun, O’Sullivan was asked about his record of smashing 147s in the sport, to which he said: ‘I reckon another five or six, but I went on strike a long time ago.’
The 48-year-old – who has hit 15 maximums during his sensational career – then suggested that snooker chiefs should ‘start bumping up the prize money’.
He then offered a typically blunt response when asked if he’d go for 147s again, if the reward was £147,000, as he said: ‘Yeah’.
During his impressive career, O’Sullivan has picked up a staggering £13.9million in prize winnings. In 2023-24 alone, he claimed £876,000 in tournament earnings.
Last year, at the World Snooker Championship the prize money for a maximum break was £40,000.
Back in 2016, O’Sullivan refused to complete a 147 at the Welsh Open after discovering his prize would have been ‘only’ £10,000.
O’Sullivan was leading Barry Pinches 3-1 and had scored just 40 in the fifth frame when he asked the referee what he would win were he to score 147.
Having been told, he continued the red-black sequence until he chose to pot the pink after the penultimate red.
O’Sullivan then cleared the rest of the table for a break of 146 as he closed out the match to reach the second round in Cardiff.
He said: ‘I could have got on the black and possibly made a 147.
‘I knew it was 10 grand and I just thought that’s a bit too cheap really. To make a maxi, it’s such a massive achievement and if they’re going to pay us 10 grand, I think it’s worth a bit more than that.
Meanwhile, in 2010, O’Sullivan refused to pot the final black in the final frame of his match at the World Open in Glasgow when he was told there was no bonus prize.
He had to be convinced to pot the final ball by referee Jan Verhaas to put himself in contention for the top break prize of £4,000.
O’Sullivan said: ‘I wasn’t going to pot the black because to make 147 and not really get a nice bonus was a bit disappointing because they are magical moments and they deserve magical bonuses.
‘But the ref played a guilt trip on me and said “Come on, do it for your fans”. And I thought, “OK, because I haven’t got long to play anyway, so I might as well go out on a high”.’
