Early Bronze leader: “It’s a bit weird but I’ll take it.”

BOURNEMOUTH teenager David O’Callaghan says it feels “weird” to be leading the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Snooker Tour rankings.

The 15-year-old (pictured), who joined the junior circuit less than a year ago and had not been past the quarter-finals in his four previous outings, has now proved he is a winner.

A hard-fought 2-1 victory over Steven Hughes in the final of the first leg of the new season at Salisbury Snooker Club has put O’Callaghan in pole position for the rankings title.

“It’s great – but not so great because everyone’s chasing me,” he said. “It’s a bit weird but I’ll take it.

“And hopefully win the rankings and go up to Silver next year.”

O’Callaghan, whose top break is 38, made his Cuestars debut last January on home tables at Greenbaize Snooker Club, Bournemouth. He finished bottom of his group, repeated the feat at Chandler’s Ford the following month but rounded off the season with quarter-final exits at Fareham and Salisbury.

Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC) has also never been past the last-eight before.

Meanwhile, ten-year-old Bowen Zhu made a dream debut. The latest product of the junior section at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club won all three group games, compiled a personal best 30 break in the first frame of a 2-0 quarter-final victory over Ryan Compton (Copnor Snooker Club, Portsmouth) before losing 2-0 to the eventual champion in the last-four.

The second leg of eight is at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, November 2.

BREAKS

Bowen Zhu: 30.

BRONZE RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC); 4th, Harry Wilson (Copnor SC, Portsmouth).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Ryan Compton (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 3rd, Liam Ashman (Player’s, Westbury); 4th, Ozzy Rea (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Bowen Zhu (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Albert Warren (Salisbury SC); 4th, Dan Parks (Woking SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Aidan Murphy (Bristol); 2nd, Charlie Pringle (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Connor Shaw (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Hughes beat Pringle 2-0, Benzey beat Cowdroy 2-0, Zhu beat Compton 2-0, O’Callaghan beat Murphy 2-0.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Hughes beat Benzey 2-1, O’Callaghan beat Zhu 2-0.

FINAL (25/18 points): O’Callaghan beat Hughes 2-1.

Report and picture by Tim Dunkley.

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