2016–17 snooker season
The 2016–17 snooker season was a series of professional snooker tournaments played between 5 May 2016 and 1 May 2017.
The number of ranking events was increased in 2016/17, with a target of 20 ranking events for 2017/18. According to the World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn, total prize money for the World Snooker Tour in 2016/17 hit £10 million for the first time ever. The trophy for the Masters was renamed the Paul Hunter trophy in perpetuity, in memory of the three-time Masters champion who died in 2006.
The Snooker Shoot Out became a ranking event for the first time. The Australian Goldfields Open has been cancelled.
The Players Championship featured the top-16 players on the one year ranking list, as the Players Tour Championship has been cancelled and no order of merit was issued.
The new Home Nations Series was introduced in this season with the English Open, Northern Ireland Open, Scottish Open and Welsh Open tournaments. The winner of all four tournaments could earn a massive £1 million bonus prize.
Players
The top 64 players from the prize money rankings after the 2016 World Championship, and the 30 players earning a two-year card the previous year automatically qualified for the season. The top eight players from the European Tour Order of Merit and top two players from the Asian Tour Order of Merit, who have not already qualified for the Main Tour, also qualify. Another two players come from the EBSA Qualifying Tour Play-Offs, and a further twelve places were available through the Q School. The rest of the places on to the tour come from the amateur events and national governing body nominations. Yan Bingtao's two-year tour card will commence this season. Also, since Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry have both retired from professional play, only James Wattana was offered an Invitational Tour Card. The list of all professional players in the 2016/2017 season includes 129 players.New professional players
All players listed below received a tour card for two seasons.- EBSA European Championship winner: Jak Jones
- EBSA European Under-21 Championship winner: Josh Boileau
- ACBS Asian Championship winner: Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn
- ACBS Asian Under-21 Championship winner: Wang Yuchen
- Oceania Championship winner: Kurt Dunham
;Asian Tour Order of Merit
;EBSA Qualifying Tour Play-Offs'''
;Q School
;Event 1
;Event 2
;Order of Merit
;CBSA China Tour
;Invitational Tour Card
;Deferred Tour Card
Calendar
The following tables outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.Official rankings
- "Seeding revision 0" are the rankings at the start of the season.
- "Seeding revision 1" are the rankings after the 2016 World Open
- "Seeding revision 2" are the rankings after the 2016 Paul Hunter Classic
- "Seeding revision 3" are the rankings after the 2016 Shanghai Masters
- "Seeding revision 4" are the rankings after the 2016 International Championship
- "Seeding revision 5" are the rankings after the 2016 UK Championship
- "Seeding revision 6" are the rankings after the 2016 Scottish Open
- "Seeding revision 7" are the rankings after the 2017 German Masters
- "Seeding revision 8" are the rankings after the 2017 Gibraltar Open
- "Seeding revision 9" are the rankings after the 2017 China Open
- "Seeding revision 10" are the final season rankings after the 2017 World Snooker Championship
Seeding revision 0
Seeding revision 1
Seeding revision 2
Seeding revision 3
Seeding revision 4
Seeding revision 5
Seeding revision 6
Seeding revision 7
Seeding revision 8
Seeding revision 9
Seeding revision 10
Points distribution
2016/2017 points distribution for world ranking events:
| Tournament/Round→ | R144 | R128 | R96 | R80 | R64 | R48 | R32 | R16 | QF | SF | F | W |
| Riga Masters | – | 0 | – | – | 525 | – | 1,050 | 2,250 | 4,500 | 11,250 | 18,750 | 37,500 |
| Indian Open | – | 0 | – | – | 2,000 | – | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 13,500 | 25,000 | 50,000 |
| World Open | – | 0 | – | – | 4,000 | – | 6,500 | 8,000 | 12,500 | 21,000 | 40,000 | 90,000 |
| Paul Hunter Classic | – | 0 | – | – | 525 | – | 900 | 1,725 | 3,000 | 4,500 | 9,000 | 18,750 |
| Shanghai Masters | – | 0 | 500 | – | 2,000 | 3,000 | 6,000 | 8,000 | 12,000 | 19,500 | 35,000 | 85,000 |
| European Masters | – | 0 | – | – | 1,312 | – | 2,625 | 4,500 | 8,250 | 13,125 | 26,250 | 56,250 |
| English Open | – | 0 | – | – | 2,500 | – | 3,500 | 6,000 | 10,000 | 20,000 | 30,000 | 70,000 |
| – | 0 | – | – | 4,000 | – | 7,000 | 12,000 | 17,500 | 30,000 | 65,000 | 125,000 | |
| Northern Ireland Open | – | 0 | – | – | 2,500 | – | 3,500 | 6,000 | 10,000 | 20,000 | 30,000 | 70,000 |
| UK Championship | – | 0 | – | – | 5,000 | – | 10,000 | 15,000 | 22,500 | 35,000 | 75,000 | 170,000 |
| Scottish Open | – | 0 | – | – | 2,500 | – | 3,500 | 6,000 | 10,000 | 20,000 | 30,000 | 70,000 |
| German Masters | – | 0 | – | – | 1,500 | – | 3,000 | 3,750 | 7,500 | 15,000 | 26,250 | 60,000 |
| World Grand Prix | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5,000 | 7,500 | 12,500 | 20,000 | 40,000 | 100,000 |
| Welsh Open | – | 0 | – | – | 2,500 | – | 3,500 | 6,000 | 10,000 | 20,000 | 30,000 | 70,000 |
| Shoot Out | – | 0 | – | – | 500 | – | 1,000 | 2,000 | 4,000 | 8,000 | 16,000 | 32,000 |
| Gibraltar Open | – | 0 | – | – | 525 | – | 900 | 1,725 | 3,000 | 4,500 | 9,000 | 18,750 |
| Players Championship | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10,000 | 15,000 | 30,000 | 50,000 | 125,000 |
| China Open | – | 0 | – | – | 4,000 | – | 6,500 | 8,000 | 12,500 | 21,000 | 35,000 | 85,000 |
| World Championship | 0 | – | – | 8,000 | – | 12,000 | 16,000 | 25,000 | 37,500 | 75,000 | 160,000 | 375,000 |