1972 World Snooker Championship

The 1972 World Snooker Championship (also known as 1972 Park Drive World Snooker Championship for sponsorship reasons) was a professional snooker tournament that took place between March 1971 and 26 February 1972. In a preliminary competition the eight qualifiers were reduced to two, and they joined the eight other entrants in the competition proper. Those in the qualifying section included Alex Higgins, who became the first champion who played qualifying matches, and four former amateur champions, Ron Gross, Maurice Parkin, Pat Houlihan and Geoff Thompson. This was the first time the event was sponsored by Park Drive.

Contents

• Main draw
• Qualifying
• References

Higgins was not extended until the semi-final when Rex Williams led by six frames before the Irishman won by the odd frame with a 61 break. Williams had beaten Ray Reardon 25–23, in a match contested in five different club venues in Scotland. John Spencer beat Eddie Charlton in the second semi-final played in Bolton from 10 to 15 January.

The final, played at Birmingham's Selly Park British Legion from 21 to 26 February, was evenly matched until Higgins struck the front with a 6–0 victory in the Thursday evening session, a gap which Spencer was never able to close. Higgins' win made him the youngest champion at the age of 7008724075200000000♠22 years, 345 days until Stephen Hendry won the title in 1990. Higgins also made the highest break of the tournament with 133. The prize money was by arrangement with individual promoters; the winner Alex Higgins won £400.