Confidence boost for Q School-bound Benzey
CONNOR Benzey headed straight off to Q School in Sheffield with the confidence boost of another snooker title under his belt.
The 20-year-old from Eastleigh finished the season top of the Cuestars Under-21 Gold Tour rankings after winning the eighth and final leg at Waterlooville Sports Bar.
Benzey pocketed £100 in prize money following a 3-2 victory over Mickey Joyce (Basingstoke) in the final.
Earlier, in the round-robin group stages, he made his highest Cuestars break of 124 against Riley Ellis (north Wilts) on one of the club’s two professional standard Star tables.
Minutes before driving to Yorkshire, Benzey said: “It’s nice to tick that one off, hopefully get the Championship Tour (title) as well.
“I didn’t play so well yesterday (in practice) so it’s good to know my game is there.”
And looking forward to Q School and the chance of turning professional, he added: “I know that if I start the first tournament well, I can go far.”
Last season’s rankings champion Jamie Wilson (Havant) finished runner-up and 13-year-old English Under-14 Championship finalist O’Shay Scott (Eastleigh) was third.
Benzey – who is sponsored by Devlin Cues, Mike Scott Testing Associates, Hillcrest Structural and GH Property Management – also won the Silver rankings title in 2015/16 and the Bronze Championship the previous season.
The event was sponsored by Waterlooville-based snooker accessory supplier snookercrazy.com.
Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, hosts the Cuestars Under-21 Gold, Silver and Bronze Championships, with special guest Joe Perry, on Sunday, June 12.
BREAKS
Connor Benzey: 124, 98, 83, 66, 66, 61, 55, 50.
Jamie Wilson: 74, 68, 68, 50.
Mickey Joyce: 47.
Simon Bubb: 46.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Connor Benzey (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Mickey Joyce (Academy, Basingstoke); 3rd, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Riley Ellis (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Jamie Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Simon Bubb (Cousins, London); 4th, Owen Jenkins (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Benzey 3-0 Hughes, Joyce 3-2 Wilson.
FINAL (£100/£25, 25/18 points): Benzey 3-2 Joyce.
Picture, from left: Connor Benzey, Marc Lockley from event sponsor snookercrazy.com, Mickey Joyce.