Park Drive 2000

The Park Drive 2000 was a series of invitational snooker tournaments staged between 1971 and 1972. All four editions were sponsored by Park Drive cigarettes.[1] The four invited players played each other in a round-robin, with the top two then contesting a final. The winner of the final received prize money of £750 and the runner up received £550.[2][3]

Park Drive 2000
Tournament information
LocationVarious
CountryEngland
Established1971
Organisation(s)WPBSA
FormatInvitational event
Final year1972
Final champion(s) John Spencer

John Spencer won three of the tournaments, with Ray Reardon winning the other. Each final was recorded and shown on BBC Grandstand.[4] The highest break in any of the matches was a 146 compiled by Reardon in the Spring 1972 event.[3]

Winners

[1]

Year Winner Runner-up Final score Season
1971 (January) John Spencer Rex Williams 4–1 1970/71
1971 (October) Ray Reardon John Spencer 4–3 1971/72
1972 (Spring) John Spencer Alex Higgins 4–3 1971/72
1972 (Autumn) John Spencer Alex Higgins 5–3 1972/73

1971 (January)

The event was played between four invited professionals, as a triple round-robin. Matches were played across 18 club venues, with the final placing below. As the top two players in the round-robin, Spencer and Williams played each other in the final, which was televised by the BBC. Spencer won the final 4–1.[3]

PlayedWonLostPrize Money
John Spencer981£750
Rex Williams954£550
Gary Owen954£400
John Pulman909£300

1971 (October)

The event was played between four invited professionals, as a triple round-robin. Ray Reardon, who had not been able to participate in the January event as he had been on a tour of South Africa, was included. As the top two players in the round-robin, Spencer and Reardon played each other in the final, with Reardon winning 4–3. Reardon had needed Spencer to concede points from a foul shot when only the pink and black were left in the deciding frame, to obtain enough points to win.[3]

PlayedWonLostPrize Money
John Spencer972£550
Ray Reardon945£750
John Pulman945£400
Rex Williams936£300

1972 (Spring)

The event was played between four invited professionals, as a triple round-robin. Reardon made a break of 146 in the round-robin stage, which was the highest-ever break in competitive play until overtaken by Spencer's maximum break at the 1979 Holsten Lager International. Alex Higgins, playing in his first major professional tournament, came second in the round robin rankings and lost 3–4 to Spencer. The following day, the same two players played the start of the week-long final of the 1972 World Snooker Championship.[3]

PlayedWonLostPrize Money
John Spencer963£750
Alex Higgins954£550
John Pulman945£400
Ray Reardon936£300

1972 (Autumn)

The event was played between four invited professionals, as a triple round-robin. Spencer finished behind Higgins in the round-robin standings, but beat him 5–3 in the final. The final was held at Belle Vue, Manchester, in front of 2,000 spectators.[3]

PlayedWonLostPrize Money
Alex Higgins972£550
John Spencer963£750
Ray Reardon936£400
John Pulman927£300

References
  1. "Other Non-Ranking and Invitation Events". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  2. Morrison, Ian (1989). Snooker: records, facts and champions. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 90. ISBN 0851123643.
  3. Everton, Clive (1981). The Guinness Book of Snooker. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 90. ISBN 0851122302.
  4. "The day the Masters was born". BBC. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
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