Darren Morgan
Encyclopedia
Darren Morgan is a Welsh
snooker
player, who won the World Amateur Championship
in 1987, and played on the main World Snooker tour from 1988 through 2007. He earned just under £
1 million in prize money, reached a high ranking of 8, and was ranked within the top 16 for many years despite never winning a ranking event. He compiled 111 in his career, one of only 42 players to have completed a century of centuries in professional play.
9–8 in the final, and he captained Wales to victory in the 1999 Nations Cup
. He was also a semi-finalist in the 1994 World Championship, beating Mark King
10–5, Willie Thorne
13–12 and John Parrott
13–11 before losing to Jimmy White
9–16. He was also a quarter-finalist on three occasions, beating Ken Doherty
and Ronnie O'Sullivan
in the 1996 and 1997 respectively at the Crucible.
Morgan still plays in amateur and pro-am events, and won the European Masters and World Masters Championship titles in 2007.
On 22 October 2009 he won the TCC Pro-Am by beating fellow Welshman Mark Williams
7–4 in the final.
On 23 November 2009 Morgan won his second IBSF World Snooker Championship in the Masters section, defeating three-time defending champion Dene O'Kane
of New Zealand 6–0 in the final.
Morgan entered the World Open 2010 as an amateur along with fellow senior Tony Knowles
and caused an upset by reaching the last 64 of the competition, before narrowly losing to former world number 4 Matthew Stevens
3-2 in Round 3.
, named The Red Triangle , where he coaches young players.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player, who won the World Amateur Championship
IBSF World Snooker Championship
The IBSF World Snooker Championship is the premier non-professional snooker tournament in the world. The event series is sanctioned by the International Billiards and Snooker Federation...
in 1987, and played on the main World Snooker tour from 1988 through 2007. He earned just under £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1 million in prize money, reached a high ranking of 8, and was ranked within the top 16 for many years despite never winning a ranking event. He compiled 111 in his career, one of only 42 players to have completed a century of centuries in professional play.
Career
His best achievements as a professional were to win the Irish Masters in 1996, beating Steve DavisSteve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
9–8 in the final, and he captained Wales to victory in the 1999 Nations Cup
Nations Cup (snooker)
The Nations Cup was an invitational snooker tournament created in 1999, and the second team tournament after the World Cup. The annual contests featured team of four players representing their country against other such teams.-History:...
. He was also a semi-finalist in the 1994 World Championship, beating Mark King
Mark King (snooker player)
Mark King is an English professional snooker player. He has not yet won a ranking tournament, but came close when he was a beaten finalist in the 1997 Regal Welsh Open and the 2004 Irish Masters.- Career :...
10–5, Willie Thorne
Willie Thorne
William Joseph "Willie" Thorne , is a former English professional snooker player and now a sports commentator.Thorne became national under-16 champion at both snooker and English billiards in 1970...
13–12 and John Parrott
John Parrott
John Parrott MBE is an English professional snooker player and TV personality.He won the World Snooker Championship in 1991, defeating Jimmy White in the final. Two years earlier he had lost 3–18 to Steve Davis, the heaviest final defeat in modern times...
13–11 before losing to Jimmy White
Jimmy White
James Warren "Jimmy" White MBE is an English professional snooker player. Nicknamed the "Whirlwind" and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a multiple World Championship finalist renowned for losing each of the six finals he contested.White's extensive list of achievements,...
9–16. He was also a quarter-finalist on three occasions, beating Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player. He is the only player ever to have been world amateur and world professional champion...
and Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...
in the 1996 and 1997 respectively at the Crucible.
Morgan still plays in amateur and pro-am events, and won the European Masters and World Masters Championship titles in 2007.
On 22 October 2009 he won the TCC Pro-Am by beating fellow Welshman Mark Williams
Mark Williams (snooker player)
Mark James Williams, MBE is a Welsh professional snooker player who has been World Champion twice, in 2000 and 2003. Often noted for his single-ball potting, he has earned the nickname, The Welsh Potting Machine...
7–4 in the final.
On 23 November 2009 Morgan won his second IBSF World Snooker Championship in the Masters section, defeating three-time defending champion Dene O'Kane
Dene O'Kane
Dene O'Kane is a professional snooker player from New Zealand. He reached the quarter-finals of the World Championships in 1987 and 1992. He made his World Championship debut in 1985, losing to David Taylor in the first round. He appeared in the world championships six times, but never in...
of New Zealand 6–0 in the final.
Morgan entered the World Open 2010 as an amateur along with fellow senior Tony Knowles
Tony Knowles (snooker player)
Anthony Knowles is an English professional snooker player. He was a three times semi-finalist in the World Professional Snooker Championship in the 1980s.-Career:...
and caused an upset by reaching the last 64 of the competition, before narrowly losing to former world number 4 Matthew Stevens
Matthew Stevens
Matthew Stevens is a Welsh professional snooker player. Stevens has won two of the game's most prestigious events, the Benson and Hedges Masters in 2000 and the UK Championship in 2003. He has also been the runner-up in the World Snooker Championship on two occasions, in 2000 and 2005...
3-2 in Round 3.
Personal life
He lives with his wife, Tracey, and their three daughters in Fleur-de-Lys, near Blackwood, and owns a nearby snooker club in Crosskeys, NewportNewport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, named The Red Triangle , where he coaches young players.
Non ranking
- Pontins Professional – 1989, 2000
- Shoot-Out – 1990
- Welsh Professional ChampionshipWelsh Professional ChampionshipThe Welsh Professional Championship was a professional snooker tournament which was open only for Welsh players. It was the first of the four home countries to revive its national professional championship on a regular basis.- History :...
– 1990, 1991 - Irish Masters – 1996
Amateur
- IBSF World Amateur Championship – 1987
- European Masters Championship – 2007, 2009
- IBSF World Masters Championship – 2007, 2009
- Bargoed Labour Club Invitational; 2009