Judd Trump has been warned that he could regret skipping snooker’s Welsh Open – and the decision could cost him £100,000.
‘The Ace in the Pack’ has been in sensational form this season and is so far clear at the top of the world rankings that he’s been able to pick and choose the events he competes in, which saw him skip the Scottish Open in December and this month’s Welsh showcase, to concentrate on a World Championship bid. However he’s also moving closer to scooping a huge £100,000 paycheque for becoming the first player to reach 100 century breaks this season.
Some ruthless showings in the Championship League have moved Trump to 74 for the season – just five shy of the total he achieved last season, a campaign in which he lifted five titles. But his decision not to compete in Llandudno will remove a chance to further boost his tally – especially in a competition where he’d be expected to breeze into the latter rounds.
Speaking on commentary during the Championship League, Dave Hendon said: “That’s 74 for the season, he made 79 last season the whole campaign. And he won five tournaments so he had a really good season. The thing with Trump is that there’s never really any drop off. He had that run of being in 16 quarter-finals last year, it’s been news if he goes out early. He’s got a lot of matches left to play this season. He’s playing brilliantly at the Championship League.”
Whilst co-commentator Phil Yates added: “One final Trump thought, does he regret not entering the Welsh? Maybe, for several reasons.” Hendon added: “Maybe. If he was in group one of the Championship League and he could’ve ended the tournament with 100 centuries.”
A dominant season has seen Trump make history already as the first snooker player to pocket more than £1m in prize money before Christmas, taking his career earnings to more than £9m – behind just Scottish hero John Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan in the all-time rankings. But he now has his sights set firmly on securing a second world championship crown in May.
Speaking after announcing he wouldn’t be competing in Scotland or Wales, Trump said: “I would rather be at the peak of my form towards the end of the season. Missing events like the Scottish and the Welsh is probably the best thing for me this season. I’ve potentially got to the World Championship burned out in some seasons.”