Is snooker's new £100,000 century bonus a realistic target?

A £100,000 bonus will be handed over to any player who makes a century of centuries this season, but there is also a strong chance the cash won’t be paid out.

Only two players have managed to compile 100 centuries a season in the professional era of the sport with Neil Robertson reaching 103 in 2013/14 and fellow world champion Judd Trump hitting 102 in 2019/20.

Both men achieved the feat at the World Championship in Sheffield, the traditional final event of the snooker season, with Robertson reaching the landmark in the 22nd frame of his 13-11 win over Trump in the quarter-finals a decade ago.

“I would rather make the century of centuries here than a 147,” said Robertson, who also produced a 147 at the Crucible in 2022. “I’ve made a couple of 147s and it’s nowhere near the same achievement.

“Nobody will ever achieve 200 centuries – that would be impossible. For me to be the first player to achieve 100 centuries in a single season is a great honour.

“It may raise the bar for break-building – the players might try a bit harder when they’re on 70 or 80.

“Stephen Hendry was the one who always tried to clear up no matter what, and that was the approach that I’ve taken all season.”

Trump topped last season’s list on 79 and was also 10 short in finishing on 90 in 2020/21.

Meanwhile, Ronnie O’Sullivan’s best haul for a campaign was 74 in 2017/18, while Robertson also weighed in with 84 in 2018/19.

• All events on the 2024/25 WST calendar count towards a player’s tally
• The first to reach 100 centuries will earn the bonus
• If two or more players reach the 100 milestone having played the same number of frames in the same round of the same tournament, the bonus will be shared

“We are delighted to introduce this new bonus as it creates an extra storyline which will run throughout the season,” said WST Chairman Steve Dawson. “If a player is on target for the ‘century of centuries’ going into the last few events then the drama will build with every match!”

Trump made a strong start to his century chase by producing 10 in winning the Shanghai Masters last week.

He also moved onto 990 career tons, eight behind John Higgins in the chase to become the second man in history to reach 1,000 centuries after O’Sullivan.