Jimmy White
Encyclopedia
James Warren "Jimmy" White MBE
(born 2 May 1962) 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, however, also include victory in the World Amateur Championship, the UK Championship
and the Masters
. He is also a former World Doubles champion with Alex Higgins
, won the World Cup twice and Nations Cup
once with England and is the 2010 World Seniors Champion. In 1992, he became the first left-handed player, and second overall, to record a maximum break at the World Championship.
, London, England, and studied at Ernest Bevin College
. He never achieved academic success, as he was often truant
from school from the age of eight or nine, spending more and more time at Ted Zanicelli's snooker hall. It was around this time that he met Tony Meo with whom he would compete in money matches
in many venues. His natural aptitude for snooker led to a successful amateur career. After winning the English Amateur Championship
in 1979, a year later he became the youngest-ever winner of the World Amateur Snooker Championship, aged 18.
. White's continued slide down the rankings saw him drop to 65th but he recovered slightly to move up to no. 56 for the 2009/10 season
. White is one of only six players to have completed a maximum break at the Crucible Theatre
in 1992. He has also compiled over 250 competitive centuries during his career.
in the first-round of World Championship, White went on to win his first professional titles – the Scottish Masters (defeating Cliff Thorburn in the final) and the Northern Ireland Classic
(defeating Davis).
The World Championship has provided the theatre for White's greatest disappointments. In 1982, he led Alex Higgins
15–14 in their semi-final, was up 59–0 in the penultimate and was a and away from the final. After missing a red with the rest, however, he could only watch as Higgins compiled frame-winning 69 break. Higgins won the deciding frame that followed to reach the final.
In 1984 White won the Masters for the only time to date, beating Terry Griffiths
9–5 in the final. He followed this success by reaching his first World Championship final. Trailing Steve Davis 4–12 after the first two sessions, White responded by reducing the deficit to 15–16. He then made an aggressive clearance of 65 to take the score to 16–17, but was unable to build upon a 40-point lead in the following frame, and lost 16–18. White did, however, become a World Doubles Champion later that year when he and Alex Higgins defeated Willie Thorne
and Cliff Thorburn
10–2 in the final of the World Doubles Championship.
In 1986 White reached his second Masters final, but was defeated by Cliff Thorburn
. However he won the Classic
and also retained the Irish Masters title he won in 1985. White won the Classic when he beat Thorburn in the final frame after needing a snooker. Later in the year he overcame veteran Rex Williams
10–6 to win his first Grand Prix title.
White's third ranking win – the 1987 British Open
– helped him to end the 1986/1987 season
as World number 2, behind Steve Davis who defeated him 16–11 in the semi-finals of the 1987 World Championship. Later that year White and Davis contested a memorable UK Championship final which Davis won 16–14.
In 1988 he defeated John Campbell, Stephen Hendry
and Tony Knowles
to reach his fourth World Championship semi-final. He played Terry Griffiths and, trailing 11–13, lost a tied frame on a respotted black. Griffiths went on to reach the final courtesy of a 16–11 win. White did at least manage to consolidate his number-2 world ranking. However the 1988/1989 season
was less successful, and White's ranking slipped. He trailed John Virgo
11–12 in the second-round of the 1989 World Championship and looked beaten when his opponent was on a break of 26 in the following frame. Virgo, however, called a foul on himself and White was able to win 13–12. The reprieve was short-lived as White was soundly beaten 7–13 by eventual finalist John Parrott
in the quarter-finals. White avenged this defeat later in the year by beating Parrott 18–9 in the final of the invitational World Matchplay
.
In 1990 White recorded an 16–14 victory over Steve Davis in the semi-finals of the World Championship. It was Davis's first defeat in the event in 4 years. White subsequently lost his second World Championship final 12–18 to Stephen Hendry. However White beat Hendry 18–9 to retain his World Matchplay title later in the year and this win was followed by a 10–4 victory over Hendry (after leading 9–0) in the final of the 1991 Classic
. White continued his run of success with victory in the short-lived World Masters
, beating Tony Drago
10–6 in the final.
Steve James
ended Hendry's reign as World Champion in the 1991 World Championship and White in turn defeated James to reach the final. He played John Parrott and was whitewashed in the first session 0–7. Although White managed to close the gap to 7–11, Parrott was able to seal a convincing 18–11 victory. Parrott then overcame White 16–13 to win the UK Championship later in 1991.
in the final. He won another ranking title, the European Open
, shortly after.
White was drawn against Tony Drago in the first-round of the 1992 World Championship. After opening up an 8–4 lead, White made history in the 13th frame by becoming only the second player to make a maximum break in the World Championship. He won £100,000 in prize money for this achievement. Close wins over Alain Robidoux
and Jim Wych
followed before White met Alan McManus
in the semi-finals, where he pulled away from 4–4 to win 16–7. He played Stephen Hendry in the final and won each of the first two sessions to open up a 10–6 lead, which he extended to 12–6 and 14–8. From 14–9, White lost three successive frames from commanding positions. At 14–12, White went when compiling a potentially frame-winning break. Hendry drew level at 14–14 without conceding a further and won the closely contested 29th and 30th frames to lead 16–14. Two completed Hendry's ten-frame winning streak and a remarkable 18–14 victory.
White responded well from this significant setback in the early part of the 1992/1993 season
. He defeated Ken Doherty
10–9 to claim his second 1992 Grand Prix title and followed this with an impressive victory in the 1992 UK Championship. After defeating Alan McManus 9–7 in the semi-finals, White opened up a commanding 6–1 lead in the first session of the final against John Parrott, from where he secured a 16–9 win. White has stated that this was among the best matches he has ever played.
However White toiled for the remainder of the season, and his struggles continued at the 1993 World Championship. He did, however, manage to overcome Joe Swail
, Doug Mountjoy
and Dennis Taylor
to reach the semi-finals. White lost the first five frames of his semi-final with James Wattana but, from 2–6, he won 12 successive frames en route to a 16–9 victory. However he proved no match for Stephen Hendry in the final, and Hendry's century break in his first visit to the table proved portentious as White was beaten 18–5 with a session to spare. Only John Parrott (in 1989) has suffered a heavier defeat in a World Championship final. White did, however, manage to end the season on a high-note when he beat Alan McManus to win the Matchroom League.
White endured a lacklustre campaign in the 1993/1994 season
, but managed to reach the 1994 World Championship final for a fifth successive year, becoming only the second player after Steve Davis (1983–89) to achieve this. For the fourth time in five years, White's opponent in the final was Stephen Hendry and the defending champion opened up a 5–1 lead. White recovered well to lead 13–12 and made a break of 75 to take the match into a deciding frame. In the final frame, White was on a break of 29 and leading the frame by 37 points to 24 when he missed a straightforward black off its spot. Commentator Dennis Taylor
memorably observed: "Dear me, that was just a little bit of tension". As it happened, Hendry cleared with a technically straightforward break of 58 to win the title. Gracious in defeat, White joked that Hendry was "beginning to annoy" him in the post-match interview.
White's form continued to decline the following season
and he failed to reach a ranking final. However his results on the table were greatly overshadowed, when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer during the season. He was able to make a successful recovery after having his left testicle removed. Shortly after, White underwent further surgery to correct his bald spot.
At the 1995 World Championship, White was involved in a controversial first-round match against South African Peter Francisco. From 2–2 White was able to pull away and win convincingly by 10 frames to 2. Shortly after it emerged that large sums of money had been placed on White to win the match by the eventual scoreline. The ensuing investigation found Francisco guilty of misconduct and banned him for five years. However no evidence was found against White, and he was completely cleared of any wrongdoing.
White put this controversy behind him and overcame David Roe
and John Parrott to reach his tenth World Championship semi-final. In his match with Stephen Hendry, White could only watch as the defending champion made a 147 break to go 8–4 in front. White recovered well to 7–8 and won three successive frames to reduce his arrears from 9–14 to 12–14. However Hendry proved too strong and ran out a 16–12 win.
White's ranking slipped from 7th to 13th at the end of the 1995/1996 season
and he was beaten 13–12 in a second-round encounter with Peter Ebdon
in the 1996 World Championship. White endured further personal problems later in 1996 with the deaths of his brother Martin and mother Lil. His mother's passing caused him to pull out of the 1996 Mosconi Cup
pool competition.
In the 1996/1997 season
White failed to win a professional match until February and a first-round defeat at the 1997 World Championship against Anthony Hamilton
(9–10, after leading 8–4) saw him drop out of the top-16 in the world rankings.
A run to the semi-finals of the 1997 Grand Prix helped to remedy this and White then enjoyed a great form at the 1998 World Championship. After qualifying to play Stephen Hendry in the first-round, White opened with a century break and uncharacteristically shrewd matchplay enabled him to open up a 7–0 lead with only one further break over 50. Despite losing the next three frames from winning positions, White was able to seal a memorable 10–4 success and became the first player to beat Hendry twice at the World Championship. White followed this with a 13–3 win over Darren Morgan
which included a break of 144. In his quarter-final against Ronnie O'Sullivan
, however, White reverted to his more familiar all-out attacking style and lost the first session 1–7. Although he fought back to 6–9, White succumbed to 7–13.
After regaining his top-16 ranking in the 1999/2000 season
White started 2000 by reaching the semi-finals of the Welsh Open, where he lost 5–6 to Stephen Lee
, despite leading 4–1 at one point of the match. He then defeated Marco Fu
and John Higgins to reach the quarter-finals of the Masters, and he followed this up with a run to the quarter-finals of the World Championship. On both occasions, however, he was beaten by Matthew Stevens
. Largely due to his poor form in the 1998/1999 season
, White also lost his top-16 place. He fought back the following season
, and reached the final of the British Open (losing 6–9 to Peter Ebdon) and the semi-finals of the 2000 Grand Prix in the early part of the campaign. His only other victory of note, however, was a 6–2 defeat of Ronnie O'Sullivan in the 2001 Masters and White subsequently failed to qualify for the 2001 World Championship.
Ranked 11 at the start of the 2001/2002 season
, White performed steadily in the ranking events without reaching a semi-final. In the invitational 2002 Masters he beat Matthew Stevens 6–1 and came back from 2–5 behind to defeat O'Sullivan 6–5 in the quarter-finals. He similarly recovered from 2–5 down in his semi-final with Mark Williams
but lost 5–6. He lost 3–13 in his second-round match with Matthew Stevens at the 2002 World Championship and issued an immediate apology after hitting the cue ball off the table in frustration when trailing 2–5.
but was able to maintain his top-16 ranking. He memorably came back from 1–5 down to defeat World Champion Peter Ebdon
6–5 in their first-round at the 2003 Masters.
In the 2003/2004 season
White produced his most consistent season in over a decade. After reaching the semi-finals of the UK Championship in November 2003, White defeated Neil Robertson
, Stephen Hendry and Peter Ebdon to reach the semi-finals of the 2004 Masters – where he lost a tight match against Ronnie O'Sullivan. White followed this up with further victories over Hendry and Robertson en route to the final of the European Open
in Malta, but was beaten 3–9 by world number 48 Stephen Maguire
. His last ranking victory to date came in April 2004, when White defeated Shaun Murphy
, John Parrott, Ian McCulloch
, Peter Ebdon and Paul Hunter
to win the Players Championship
in Glasgow – his first ranking title in over 11 years. Victory in the 2004 World Championship could have given White the number-one ranking, but he was beaten 10–8 by qualifier Barry Pinches
after leading 4–2.
White's consistency diminished in the 2004/2005 season
. Although his ranking rose to number 8 he was unable to reach the quarter-finals of any ranking event. However he made two more memorable comebacks in the 2005 Masters. White trailed Matthew Stevens 2–5 in the first-round and pulled back to 4–5 after needing two snookers in the ninth frame. White went on to win 6–5 and beat Stevens's compatriot Mark Williams by the same score in the quarter-finals after trailing 4–5. But White was soundly beaten 6–1 by Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-finals.
White fell out of the top-32 at the end of the 2005/2006 season
and has not regained this status to date. He failed to qualify for the 2006 World Championship, although he did beat Stephen Hendry, Ding Junhui
and World Champion Graeme Dott
to reach the final of the 2006 Premier League
.
In the 2006/2007 season
he only qualified for one ranking event, the 2007 China Open. He had a walkover Stephen Lee
, before he lost 1–5 against John Higgins. After the season he fell out ot the top-48.
In the 2007/2008 season
he won 7 of his 16 qualifying matches. He won 4 straight matches at the 2007 Grand Prix and finished in the third place of his group, thus not qualifying for the main draw. He won one match at the 2008 Welsh Open and two matches at the 2008 World Championship. After the season he fell out ot the top-64 and remained on the tour only via the one year list.
He began the 2008/2009 season by qualifying for the main draw of the 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy
and the 2008 Shanghai Masters
, but lost in the first round against Barry Hawkins
3–5 and Mark King
4–5 respectively. He won 4 of his next 7 qualifying matches (2 at the 2008 Grand Prix and at the 2008 UK Championship. After this he qualified for the main stage of the 2009 Welsh Open, but lost in the first round 1–5 against Ali Carter. He won his next qualifying match at the 2009 World Championship. In the second qualifying round he defeated Vincent Muldoon
10–8, but lost his next match 8–10 against Andy Hicks
. At the end of season he has the provisional ranking of #56.
White reached the final of the Champion of Champions Challenge in Killarney, eventually losing 1–5 to Shaun Murphy.
Provisionally No. 47 for the season it has seen White have a surprising return of form. His 2nd tournament of the season was the Sangsom 6-red World Grand Prix in Bangkok Thailand. White won the tournament, putting an end to his drought of titles by winning his first since 2004. On his way to the final he beat Shaun Murphy, defending champion Ricky Walden
, Mark King
and Mark Williams, eventually beating Barry Hawkins
in the final 8–6.
Only 1 month later in the Paul Hunter Classic
he again reached the final, however this time lost to Shaun Murphy 0–4. Two months later on 18 October White reached the final of the World Series of Snooker in Prague, his fourth final of the season. This time he was victorious, claiming his 2nd title of the season by defeating Graeme Dott
5–3.
On 17 December 2009 it was confirmed that White received a wild card for the Wembley Masters. White played against Mark King in the wild card round, but lost the match 2–6.
Prior to the world championship White won only 2 of his 6 qualifying matches. he defeated Bjorn Haneveer
5–0 at the Shanghai Masters and Jordan Brown
5–1 at the Welsh Open. Due to this and skipping the UK Championship for I'm a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here! he was in danger to losing his Main Tour spot for the following season.
However he secured his place on the Main Tour for another season with a 10–8 victory over Mark Boyle
at the World Championship Qualifiers. He then lost 3–10 against Ken Doherty in the next round.
by entering the Players Tour Championship
, his best performance coming in the first European event
and at the sixth event in Sheffield
, where he reached the quarter-finals each time. After 10 out of 12 events White was ranked 35th in the Order of Merit.
White also reached the quarter-finals of the Six-red World Championship, topping his qualifying group along the way. He failed to qualify for the Shanghai Masters
, losing his first qualifying match 3–5 against Liam Highfield
. He won his two qualification matches for the World Open
; but lost in the last 32 1–3 against Ronnie O'Sullivan
.
White won the World Seniors Championship, defeating Steve Davis
4-1 in the final.
At the UK Championship
in December White lost 8-9 to Stephen Hendry
in the first-round after he had came through three qualifying rounds to get to Telford. It was only the fifth time in 24 years that White and Hendry had taken each other to the final frame and 16 years since Hendry's 18-17 win over White in the 1994 World Championship final. He participated at qualifying stages of the German Masters
, but lost in the second round 1–5 against Jimmy Robertson
, White reached the last qualifying round of the Welsh Open
, but was whitewashed by Ryan Day
, and has qualified for the final stages of the China Open
, by defeating Liu Chuang
, Peter Lines
and Dominic Dale
. but had to withdraw from the tournament due to visa problems. White lost his first qualifying match for the World Championship
9-10 against Jimmy Robertson
.
ranked number 55
. At at Legends Tour event in June 2011, White compiled a maximum break, unusual for the fact that he potted the first ball off the , meaning his opponent never played a shot in the frame. White couldn't qualify for the first two ranking events of the season, as he lost 3–5 against Rory McLeod
at the Australian Goldfields Open
and 0–5 against Nigel Bond
at the Shanghai Masters
White couldn't defend his World Seniors Championship
title, as he lost in the semi-finals 0–2 against eventual champion Darren Morgan
. White couldn't qualify for the next two ranking events, as he lost 5–6 against Jamie Jones
at the UK Championship
, and 4–5 against Peter Ebdon
at the German Masters
, .
, Surrey
.
Despite being best known for snooker, White is also a pool player. Along with Steve Davis and Alex Higgins, White was a member of Europe's victorious Mosconi Cup
team of 1995
, and won the deciding match against Lou Butera
.
In the late 1990s, White's bull terrier
, Splinter, was dognapped
and held for ransom
. Splinter became the first dog to have a colour poster on the front page of The Times
. White paid the ransom and Splinter was returned to him. Splinter went on to live for another three years.
In 1999, he was awarded an MBE
. Coincidentally, the three players to have beaten him in the world finals (Davis, 1984; Hendry, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994; Parrott, 1991) have also received an MBE. A keen poker
player, he won the second Poker Million
tournament, held in 2003, which also had Steve Davis
at the final table. He is also good friends with professional poker player Dave "The Devilfish" Ulliott
.
In November 2007, his father, Tommy White, died aged 88. With his daughter Lauren Albert, White is a director of Jimmy White Ltd, which had a turnover of £180,359 in 2006. White has been a fan of Chelsea Football Club
since 1972.
as himself (as the World Billiards Champion) in Stephen Chow
's 1990 kung fu
and billiards comedy film, Legend of the Dragon.
On the popular BBC
game show Big Break
, White was the first player to clear the table with 3 reds still remaining in the final part of the challenge (thus winning the top prize for the contestant he was playing for). He was introduced to the studio audience on each appearance with the song "Jimmy Jimmy
" by The Undertones
.
In the film Jack Said
(a prequel to Jack Says
) White played the part of Vic Lee, a dodgy snooker club owner, in his first major film role for British cinema
.
On 11 November 2009 it was announced by ITV
that White would be appearing in the 9th series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! to start on the 15th. He finished in third place on 4 December 2009, with Gino D'Acampo
winning.
White has endorsed four computer games: Jimmy White's 'Whirlwind' Snooker
, Jimmy White's 2: Cueball
, Jimmy White's Cueball World and Pool Paradise. These games have been released for numerous machines, from 8 bits up to second-generation consoles and mobile phones. In June 2007, he was contracted to the online billiard website Play89.
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Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 2 May 1962) is an English professional 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. Nicknamed the "Whirlwind" and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a multiple World Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
finalist renowned for losing each of the six finals he contested.
White's extensive list of achievements, however, also include victory in the World Amateur Championship, the UK Championship
UK Championship (snooker)
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the World Championship and is one of the Triple Crown events.-History:...
and the Masters
Masters (snooker)
The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...
. He is also a former World Doubles champion with Alex Higgins
Alex Higgins
Alexander Gordon "Alex" Higgins , also known by his nickname of Hurricane Higgins, was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who was twice World Champion and twice runner-up. Higgins earned the nickname The Hurricane because of his speed of play...
, won the World Cup twice and 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:...
once with England and is the 2010 World Seniors Champion. In 1992, he became the first left-handed player, and second overall, to record a maximum break at the World Championship.
Early life
White was born in TootingTooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, London, England, and studied at Ernest Bevin College
Ernest Bevin College
Ernest Bevin College is a specialist college in Tooting, London, England. The school is all-boys for ages 11 through 18, but has a co-educational sixth form. It has about 1173 pupils.-History:...
. He never achieved academic success, as he was often truant
Truancy
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
from school from the age of eight or nine, spending more and more time at Ted Zanicelli's snooker hall. It was around this time that he met Tony Meo with whom he would compete in money matches
Hustling
Hustling is the deceptive act of disguising one's skill in a sport or game with the intent of luring someone of probably lesser skill into gambling with the hustler, as a form of confidence trick...
in many venues. His natural aptitude for snooker led to a successful amateur career. After winning the English Amateur Championship
English Amateur Championship
The English Amateur Championship is a snooker competition that has been played since 1916.The first two tournaments were won by Charles Nathaniel Jaques, who was subsequently shot through the wrist in World War I and unable to defend his title again....
in 1979, a year later he became the youngest-ever winner of the World Amateur Snooker Championship, aged 18.
Career
With a host of major titles and achievements, including ten ranking tournaments, White's overall record ranks him well up the list of snooker's most successful players. The BBC describes him as a "legend". A left-hander, he reached the World Professional Championship Final on six occasions (1984, 1990–1994) but failed to win the sport's most prestigious title since his first attempt in 1981. Nonetheless, his consistency waned in the 2000s and a first-round defeat in the 2006 World Championship saw White drop out of the world's top 32 player rankingsSnooker world rankings
The snooker world rankings are the official system of ranking professional snooker players to determine automatic qualification and seeding for tournaments on the World Snooker Tour. They are maintained by the sport's governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association...
. White's continued slide down the rankings saw him drop to 65th but he recovered slightly to move up to no. 56 for the 2009/10 season
Snooker season 2009/2010
The snooker season 2009/10 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2009 and 2010. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :- Official rankings :...
. White is one of only six players to have completed a maximum break at the Crucible Theatre
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....
in 1992. He has also compiled over 250 competitive centuries during his career.
1980–1991
White established himself as a top professional in 1981. After losing 8–10 to eventual champion 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...
in the first-round of World Championship, White went on to win his first professional titles – the Scottish Masters (defeating Cliff Thorburn in the final) and the Northern Ireland Classic
Northern Ireland Trophy
- History :First contested in 1981 and named Northern Ireland Classic. It was an invitational event held at Ulster Hall, Belfast, and Jimmy White beat Steve Davis in the final....
(defeating Davis).
The World Championship has provided the theatre for White's greatest disappointments. In 1982, he led Alex Higgins
Alex Higgins
Alexander Gordon "Alex" Higgins , also known by his nickname of Hurricane Higgins, was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who was twice World Champion and twice runner-up. Higgins earned the nickname The Hurricane because of his speed of play...
15–14 in their semi-final, was up 59–0 in the penultimate and was a and away from the final. After missing a red with the rest, however, he could only watch as Higgins compiled frame-winning 69 break. Higgins won the deciding frame that followed to reach the final.
In 1984 White won the Masters for the only time to date, beating Terry Griffiths
Terry Griffiths
Terrence "Terry" Griffiths OBE is a retired Welsh snooker player and current snooker coach and pundit. He won the World Championship in 1979 at the first attempt, and reached the 1988 final. He also won the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982, making him one of seven players to have...
9–5 in the final. He followed this success by reaching his first World Championship final. Trailing Steve Davis 4–12 after the first two sessions, White responded by reducing the deficit to 15–16. He then made an aggressive clearance of 65 to take the score to 16–17, but was unable to build upon a 40-point lead in the following frame, and lost 16–18. White did, however, become a World Doubles Champion later that year when he and Alex Higgins defeated 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...
and Cliff Thorburn
Cliff Thorburn
Clifford Charles Devlin Thorburn CM, known as Cliff Thorburn is a retired professional Canadian snooker player...
10–2 in the final of the World Doubles Championship.
In 1986 White reached his second Masters final, but was defeated by Cliff Thorburn
Cliff Thorburn
Clifford Charles Devlin Thorburn CM, known as Cliff Thorburn is a retired professional Canadian snooker player...
. However he won the Classic
Classic (snooker)
The Classic was a professional snooker tournament, which began in 1980 and ended in 1992. It was originally a non-ranking event, but became ranking in 1984. Steve Davis has won the event six times and was the last champion.-History:...
and also retained the Irish Masters title he won in 1985. White won the Classic when he beat Thorburn in the final frame after needing a snooker. Later in the year he overcame veteran Rex Williams
Rex Williams
Rex Williams , son of Minnie Roberts and William Williams, is a retired English professional snooker and billiards player.Williams was an excellent junior player in both snooker and billiards. His professional career began in 1951, during a period of decline in snooker...
10–6 to win his first Grand Prix title.
White's third ranking win – the 1987 British Open
British Open (snooker)
The British Open was a professional snooker tournament. It was a ranking tournament from 1985. The tournament has not been held since the 2004/2005 season....
– helped him to end the 1986/1987 season
Snooker season 1986/1987
The snooker season 1986/1987 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1986 and 1987. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...
as World number 2, behind Steve Davis who defeated him 16–11 in the semi-finals of the 1987 World Championship. Later that year White and Davis contested a memorable UK Championship final which Davis won 16–14.
In 1988 he defeated John Campbell, Stephen Hendry
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...
and 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:...
to reach his fourth World Championship semi-final. He played Terry Griffiths and, trailing 11–13, lost a tied frame on a respotted black. Griffiths went on to reach the final courtesy of a 16–11 win. White did at least manage to consolidate his number-2 world ranking. However the 1988/1989 season
Snooker season 1988/1989
The snooker season 1988/1989 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1988 and 1989. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...
was less successful, and White's ranking slipped. He trailed John Virgo
John Virgo
John Virgo is an English former professional snooker player and more recently a snooker commentator and TV personality.- Career :...
11–12 in the second-round of the 1989 World Championship and looked beaten when his opponent was on a break of 26 in the following frame. Virgo, however, called a foul on himself and White was able to win 13–12. The reprieve was short-lived as White was soundly beaten 7–13 by eventual finalist 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...
in the quarter-finals. White avenged this defeat later in the year by beating Parrott 18–9 in the final of the invitational World Matchplay
World Matchplay (snooker)
The World Matchplay professional non-ranking snooker tournament was established in 1952 as an alternative to the World Snooker Championship and last held in 1992.-History:...
.
In 1990 White recorded an 16–14 victory over Steve Davis in the semi-finals of the World Championship. It was Davis's first defeat in the event in 4 years. White subsequently lost his second World Championship final 12–18 to Stephen Hendry. However White beat Hendry 18–9 to retain his World Matchplay title later in the year and this win was followed by a 10–4 victory over Hendry (after leading 9–0) in the final of the 1991 Classic
Classic (snooker)
The Classic was a professional snooker tournament, which began in 1980 and ended in 1992. It was originally a non-ranking event, but became ranking in 1984. Steve Davis has won the event six times and was the last champion.-History:...
. White continued his run of success with victory in the short-lived World Masters
World Masters
The World Masters, known for sponsorship reasons as the Mita/Sky World Masters, was a snooker tournament held in January 1991. Conceived by promoter Barry Hearn, the tournament had a similar format to the Grand Slam events in tennis, with men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles, women's...
, beating Tony Drago
Tony Drago
Tony Drago is a professional snooker and pool player from Malta. He won the 2003 World Pool Masters Tournament beating Hsia Hui-kai 8–6 and also reached the quarter finals of the World Snooker Championship...
10–6 in the final.
Steve James
Steve James (snooker player)
Stephen James is an English professional snooker player.-Career:A former postman, the high point of his career was his sole ranking title – the Mercantile Credit Classic in 1990, beating Australian Warren King 10–6 in the final...
ended Hendry's reign as World Champion in the 1991 World Championship and White in turn defeated James to reach the final. He played John Parrott and was whitewashed in the first session 0–7. Although White managed to close the gap to 7–11, Parrott was able to seal a convincing 18–11 victory. Parrott then overcame White 16–13 to win the UK Championship later in 1991.
1992–2002
White started 1992 positively and picked up his second British Open title, beating Steve Davis in the semi-finals and James WattanaJames Wattana
James Wattana is a Thai professional snooker player.-Career:...
in the final. He won another ranking title, the European Open
Malta Cup
The Malta Cup was a professional snooker tournament that has been on the World Snooker calendar since the 1988/89 season. It was previously known as the European Open as the sole ranking tournament in Europe, outside the British Isles.- History :Prior to the 1988/89 season, there were no ranking...
, shortly after.
White was drawn against Tony Drago in the first-round of the 1992 World Championship. After opening up an 8–4 lead, White made history in the 13th frame by becoming only the second player to make a maximum break in the World Championship. He won £100,000 in prize money for this achievement. Close wins over Alain Robidoux
Alain Robidoux
Alain Robidoux is a Canadian snooker player; he played on the World Snooker tour from 1988 to 2005 and continues to play in events in Canada.-Career:...
and Jim Wych
Jim Wych
Jim Wych is a sports announcer and former Canadian professional snooker and pocket billiards player. He reached the quarter-final of the Embassy World Professional Snooker Championship in his debut year of 1980, a "first" for any overseas player and duplicated this feat again in 1992...
followed before White met Alan McManus
Alan McManus
Alan McManus is a Scottish professional snooker player, known for his tactical play and safety shots, giving rise to his nickname "Angles" McManus.-Career:...
in the semi-finals, where he pulled away from 4–4 to win 16–7. He played Stephen Hendry in the final and won each of the first two sessions to open up a 10–6 lead, which he extended to 12–6 and 14–8. From 14–9, White lost three successive frames from commanding positions. At 14–12, White went when compiling a potentially frame-winning break. Hendry drew level at 14–14 without conceding a further and won the closely contested 29th and 30th frames to lead 16–14. Two completed Hendry's ten-frame winning streak and a remarkable 18–14 victory.
White responded well from this significant setback in the early part of the 1992/1993 season
Snooker season 1992/1993
The snooker season 1992/1993 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1992 and 1993. The following table outlines the results for ranking, minor-ranking and the invitational events.-Calendar:...
. He defeated 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...
10–9 to claim his second 1992 Grand Prix title and followed this with an impressive victory in the 1992 UK Championship. After defeating Alan McManus 9–7 in the semi-finals, White opened up a commanding 6–1 lead in the first session of the final against John Parrott, from where he secured a 16–9 win. White has stated that this was among the best matches he has ever played.
However White toiled for the remainder of the season, and his struggles continued at the 1993 World Championship. He did, however, manage to overcome Joe Swail
Joe Swail
-External links:*...
, Doug Mountjoy
Doug Mountjoy
Doug Mountjoy is a retired Welsh snooker player. Although he only won two ranking titles, he did so in successive tournaments in 1988/1989 – and while in his mid 40s. In more recent years he was the coach to the United Arab Emirates snooker association between 1997 and 1999.- Early life...
and Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor is a retired snooker player, and current BBC snooker commentator. Winner of two ranking events, he is best known for winning the 1985 World Championship, beating World number one Steve Davis on the final black in one of the sport's most memorable finals...
to reach the semi-finals. White lost the first five frames of his semi-final with James Wattana but, from 2–6, he won 12 successive frames en route to a 16–9 victory. However he proved no match for Stephen Hendry in the final, and Hendry's century break in his first visit to the table proved portentious as White was beaten 18–5 with a session to spare. Only John Parrott (in 1989) has suffered a heavier defeat in a World Championship final. White did, however, manage to end the season on a high-note when he beat Alan McManus to win the Matchroom League.
White endured a lacklustre campaign in the 1993/1994 season
Snooker season 1993/1994
The snooker season 1993/1994 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1993 and 1994. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...
, but managed to reach the 1994 World Championship final for a fifth successive year, becoming only the second player after Steve Davis (1983–89) to achieve this. For the fourth time in five years, White's opponent in the final was Stephen Hendry and the defending champion opened up a 5–1 lead. White recovered well to lead 13–12 and made a break of 75 to take the match into a deciding frame. In the final frame, White was on a break of 29 and leading the frame by 37 points to 24 when he missed a straightforward black off its spot. Commentator Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor is a retired snooker player, and current BBC snooker commentator. Winner of two ranking events, he is best known for winning the 1985 World Championship, beating World number one Steve Davis on the final black in one of the sport's most memorable finals...
memorably observed: "Dear me, that was just a little bit of tension". As it happened, Hendry cleared with a technically straightforward break of 58 to win the title. Gracious in defeat, White joked that Hendry was "beginning to annoy" him in the post-match interview.
White's form continued to decline the following season
Snooker season 1994/1995
The snooker season 1994/1995 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1994 and 1995. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...
and he failed to reach a ranking final. However his results on the table were greatly overshadowed, when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer during the season. He was able to make a successful recovery after having his left testicle removed. Shortly after, White underwent further surgery to correct his bald spot.
At the 1995 World Championship, White was involved in a controversial first-round match against South African Peter Francisco. From 2–2 White was able to pull away and win convincingly by 10 frames to 2. Shortly after it emerged that large sums of money had been placed on White to win the match by the eventual scoreline. The ensuing investigation found Francisco guilty of misconduct and banned him for five years. However no evidence was found against White, and he was completely cleared of any wrongdoing.
White put this controversy behind him and overcame David Roe
David Roe
David Roe is a former English professional snooker player, and a four-time ranking tournament quarter-finalist.Roe began his professional career for the 1986/1987 season...
and John Parrott to reach his tenth World Championship semi-final. In his match with Stephen Hendry, White could only watch as the defending champion made a 147 break to go 8–4 in front. White recovered well to 7–8 and won three successive frames to reduce his arrears from 9–14 to 12–14. However Hendry proved too strong and ran out a 16–12 win.
White's ranking slipped from 7th to 13th at the end of the 1995/1996 season
Snooker season 1995/1996
The snooker season 1995/1996 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1995 and 1996. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...
and he was beaten 13–12 in a second-round encounter with Peter Ebdon
Peter Ebdon
Peter "Ebbo" Ebdon is an English professional snooker player and former world champion renowned for his remarkably focused, determined style of play.-Early years:...
in the 1996 World Championship. White endured further personal problems later in 1996 with the deaths of his brother Martin and mother Lil. His mother's passing caused him to pull out of the 1996 Mosconi Cup
1996 Mosconi Cup
The 1996 Mosconi Cup, the third edition of the annual nine-ball pool competition between teams representing Europe and the United States, took place between 19–22 December, at the Goresbrook Leisure Centre, Dagenham, London, England....
pool competition.
In the 1996/1997 season
Snooker season 1996/1997
The snooker season 1996/1997 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1996 and 1997. The following table outlines the results of the finals for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...
White failed to win a professional match until February and a first-round defeat at the 1997 World Championship against Anthony Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton (snooker player)
Anthony Hamilton is an English professional snooker player noted for his strong break-building technique and distinctive appearance. He has spent five seasons ranked among the game's top 16, and fifteen in the top 32, reaching a career-high at number #10 in the world in the 1999/2000 season...
(9–10, after leading 8–4) saw him drop out of the top-16 in the world rankings.
A run to the semi-finals of the 1997 Grand Prix helped to remedy this and White then enjoyed a great form at the 1998 World Championship. After qualifying to play Stephen Hendry in the first-round, White opened with a century break and uncharacteristically shrewd matchplay enabled him to open up a 7–0 lead with only one further break over 50. Despite losing the next three frames from winning positions, White was able to seal a memorable 10–4 success and became the first player to beat Hendry twice at the World Championship. White followed this with a 13–3 win over Darren Morgan
Darren Morgan
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...
which included a break of 144. In his quarter-final against 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...
, however, White reverted to his more familiar all-out attacking style and lost the first session 1–7. Although he fought back to 6–9, White succumbed to 7–13.
After regaining his top-16 ranking in the 1999/2000 season
Snooker season 1999/2000
The snooker season 1999/2000 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1999 and 2000. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...
White started 2000 by reaching the semi-finals of the Welsh Open, where he lost 5–6 to Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee is a professional snooker-player from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, whose smooth cue action is regarded by some pundits as the most natural in the game. He has won four ranking titles, and spent 10 seasons in the Top 16 of the world rankings before dropping out for the snooker...
, despite leading 4–1 at one point of the match. He then defeated Marco Fu
Marco Fu
Marco Fu Ka-chun , commonly known as Marco Fu, is a professional snooker player from Hong Kong. He currently resides in Happy Valley. He is best known for winning the 2007 Grand Prix, beating Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final, and for being runner-up in the 2008 UK Championship...
and John Higgins to reach the quarter-finals of the Masters, and he followed this up with a run to the quarter-finals of the World Championship. On both occasions, however, he was beaten by 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...
. Largely due to his poor form in the 1998/1999 season
Snooker season 1998/1999
The snooker season 1998/1999 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1998 and 1999. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:...
, White also lost his top-16 place. He fought back the following season
Snooker season 2000/2001
The snooker season 2000/2001 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2000 and 2001. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...
, and reached the final of the British Open (losing 6–9 to Peter Ebdon) and the semi-finals of the 2000 Grand Prix in the early part of the campaign. His only other victory of note, however, was a 6–2 defeat of Ronnie O'Sullivan in the 2001 Masters and White subsequently failed to qualify for the 2001 World Championship.
Ranked 11 at the start of the 2001/2002 season
Snooker season 2001/2002
The snooker season 2001/2002 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2001 and 2002. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...
, White performed steadily in the ranking events without reaching a semi-final. In the invitational 2002 Masters he beat Matthew Stevens 6–1 and came back from 2–5 behind to defeat O'Sullivan 6–5 in the quarter-finals. He similarly recovered from 2–5 down in his semi-final with 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...
but lost 5–6. He lost 3–13 in his second-round match with Matthew Stevens at the 2002 World Championship and issued an immediate apology after hitting the cue ball off the table in frustration when trailing 2–5.
2004–2009
White only won two ranking event matches in the 2002/2003 seasonSnooker season 2002/2003
The snooker season 2002/2003 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2002 and 2003. This was the final season to have tobacco sponsored events to a legal ban apart from Embassy which would continue to sponsor the World Championship for another two years...
but was able to maintain his top-16 ranking. He memorably came back from 1–5 down to defeat World Champion Peter Ebdon
Peter Ebdon
Peter "Ebbo" Ebdon is an English professional snooker player and former world champion renowned for his remarkably focused, determined style of play.-Early years:...
6–5 in their first-round at the 2003 Masters.
In the 2003/2004 season
Snooker season 2003/2004
The snooker season 2003/2004 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2003 and 2004. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...
White produced his most consistent season in over a decade. After reaching the semi-finals of the UK Championship in November 2003, White defeated Neil Robertson
Neil Robertson (snooker player)
Neil Robertson is an Australian professional snooker player and the 2010 World Champion and World #4...
, Stephen Hendry and Peter Ebdon to reach the semi-finals of the 2004 Masters – where he lost a tight match against Ronnie O'Sullivan. White followed this up with further victories over Hendry and Robertson en route to the final of the European Open
2004 European Open (snooker)
The 2004 European Open was the 2004 edition of the European Open snooker tournament, held from 1 to 6 March 2004, at the Hilton Conference Centre, Portomaso, Malta. It was the final year the event was known as European Open, as the event was renamed to Malta Cup in next year...
in Malta, but was beaten 3–9 by world number 48 Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire is a Scottish professional snooker player.-Early career:Maguire almost qualified for the 2000 World Championships, leading eventual semi-finalist Joe Swail 9–6 in the final qualifying round before losing 9–10, but first served notice of his true potential by knocking out Stephen...
. His last ranking victory to date came in April 2004, when White defeated Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy (snooker player)
Shaun Murphy is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned...
, John Parrott, Ian McCulloch
Ian McCulloch (snooker player)
-External links:**...
, Peter Ebdon and Paul Hunter
Paul Hunter
Paul Alan Hunter was an English professional snooker player. His media profile developed swiftly and he became known as the "Beckham of the Baize" because of his good looks and flamboyant style....
to win the Players Championship
Players Championship (snooker)
The Players Championship was a professional snooker tournament. It is the most recent name of the ranking tournament held in Scotland every year. The tournament has had a bewildering number of name changes in its history. Until recently it was commonly known as the Scottish Open, and prior to that...
in Glasgow – his first ranking title in over 11 years. Victory in the 2004 World Championship could have given White the number-one ranking, but he was beaten 10–8 by qualifier Barry Pinches
Barry Pinches
-External links:**...
after leading 4–2.
White's consistency diminished in the 2004/2005 season
Snooker season 2004/2005
The snooker season 2004/2005 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2004 and 2005. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...
. Although his ranking rose to number 8 he was unable to reach the quarter-finals of any ranking event. However he made two more memorable comebacks in the 2005 Masters. White trailed Matthew Stevens 2–5 in the first-round and pulled back to 4–5 after needing two snookers in the ninth frame. White went on to win 6–5 and beat Stevens's compatriot Mark Williams by the same score in the quarter-finals after trailing 4–5. But White was soundly beaten 6–1 by Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-finals.
White fell out of the top-32 at the end of the 2005/2006 season
Snooker season 2005/2006
The snooker season 2005/06 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2005 and 2006. The following table outlines the results and dates for the ranking and major invitational events that took place.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...
and has not regained this status to date. He failed to qualify for the 2006 World Championship, although he did beat Stephen Hendry, Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui is a Chinese professional snooker player. Ding Junhui is China's most successful player ever, having become only the second teenager, after John Higgins, to win three ranking titles...
and World Champion Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott is a Scottish professional snooker player from Larkhall in Scotland. He won the 2006 World Championship, which was his first ranking title after four previous runner-up spots...
to reach the final of the 2006 Premier League
2006 Premier League Snooker
* -18, 100–16, 74–1, 48–66, 106–17, 28–64, 71–14** 50–67, 0–71 , 0-, 20–62, -1, 63–28, 57–9, 90–16, 11–60–11*** 77–7, 62–49, -0, -0, 46–13, 98–1, -9-Century breaks:...
.
In the 2006/2007 season
Snooker season 2006/2007
The snooker season 2006/2007 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2006 and 2007. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...
he only qualified for one ranking event, the 2007 China Open. He had a walkover Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee is a professional snooker-player from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, whose smooth cue action is regarded by some pundits as the most natural in the game. He has won four ranking titles, and spent 10 seasons in the Top 16 of the world rankings before dropping out for the snooker...
, before he lost 1–5 against John Higgins. After the season he fell out ot the top-48.
In the 2007/2008 season
Snooker season 2007/2008
The Snooker Season 2007/2008 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2007 and 2008. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events...
he won 7 of his 16 qualifying matches. He won 4 straight matches at the 2007 Grand Prix and finished in the third place of his group, thus not qualifying for the main draw. He won one match at the 2008 Welsh Open and two matches at the 2008 World Championship. After the season he fell out ot the top-64 and remained on the tour only via the one year list.
He began the 2008/2009 season by qualifying for the main draw of the 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy
2008 Northern Ireland Trophy
The 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 24 and 31 August 2008 in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast....
and the 2008 Shanghai Masters
2008 Shanghai Masters
The 2008Roewe Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 29 September and 5 October 2008 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China...
, but lost in the first round against Barry Hawkins
Barry Hawkins
Barry Hawkins is an English professional snooker player. He has reached three ranking semi-finals, and spent five seasons inside the top 32 of the rankings. He has also played in the World Championship the last six years running.-Early career:Before taking up snooker professionally he was an...
3–5 and 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 :...
4–5 respectively. He won 4 of his next 7 qualifying matches (2 at the 2008 Grand Prix and at the 2008 UK Championship. After this he qualified for the main stage of the 2009 Welsh Open, but lost in the first round 1–5 against Ali Carter. He won his next qualifying match at the 2009 World Championship. In the second qualifying round he defeated Vincent Muldoon
Vincent Muldoon
Vincent Muldoon is an Irish professional snooker player. After being a successful junior player , he became a professional in 2008...
10–8, but lost his next match 8–10 against Andy Hicks
Andy Hicks
Andy Hicks is an English professional snooker player currently from Cornwall. Hicks, nicknamed "The Cream of Devon", has been a World Snooker Championship semi-finalist and was ranked within the worlds top 32 for many seasons but has never broken into the top 16.-Career:Although a professional...
. At the end of season he has the provisional ranking of #56.
2009/2010
At the beginning of the 2009/10 seasonSnooker season 2009/2010
The snooker season 2009/10 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2009 and 2010. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :- Official rankings :...
White reached the final of the Champion of Champions Challenge in Killarney, eventually losing 1–5 to Shaun Murphy.
Provisionally No. 47 for the season it has seen White have a surprising return of form. His 2nd tournament of the season was the Sangsom 6-red World Grand Prix in Bangkok Thailand. White won the tournament, putting an end to his drought of titles by winning his first since 2004. On his way to the final he beat Shaun Murphy, defending champion Ricky Walden
Ricky Walden
-External links:**...
, 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 :...
and Mark Williams, eventually beating Barry Hawkins
Barry Hawkins
Barry Hawkins is an English professional snooker player. He has reached three ranking semi-finals, and spent five seasons inside the top 32 of the rankings. He has also played in the World Championship the last six years running.-Early career:Before taking up snooker professionally he was an...
in the final 8–6.
Only 1 month later in the Paul Hunter Classic
Paul Hunter Classic
The Paul Hunter Classic is a pro-am minor-ranking snooker tournament. From 2010 it is part of the Players Tour Championship, and is the first of the tour events to take place in mainland Europe.-History:...
he again reached the final, however this time lost to Shaun Murphy 0–4. Two months later on 18 October White reached the final of the World Series of Snooker in Prague, his fourth final of the season. This time he was victorious, claiming his 2nd title of the season by defeating Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott is a Scottish professional snooker player from Larkhall in Scotland. He won the 2006 World Championship, which was his first ranking title after four previous runner-up spots...
5–3.
On 17 December 2009 it was confirmed that White received a wild card for the Wembley Masters. White played against Mark King in the wild card round, but lost the match 2–6.
Prior to the world championship White won only 2 of his 6 qualifying matches. he defeated Bjorn Haneveer
Bjorn Haneveer
Bjorn Haneveer is a Belgian professional snooker player. Haneveer also commentates on snooker matches for Dutch Eurosport.-Career:...
5–0 at the Shanghai Masters and Jordan Brown
Jordan Brown (snooker player)
Jordan Brown is a Northern Irish professional snooker player, who is making his debut on the Main Tour for the 2009/2010 season.-External links:* * *...
5–1 at the Welsh Open. Due to this and skipping the UK Championship for I'm a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here! he was in danger to losing his Main Tour spot for the following season.
However he secured his place on the Main Tour for another season with a 10–8 victory over Mark Boyle
Mark Boyle (snooker player)
Mark Boyle is a Scottish professional snooker player. He first entered the professional tour for the 2006/07 season.-Amateur:Billiards* 2003 Scottish Billiards Championship* 2004 Scottish Billiards ChampionshipSnooker...
at the World Championship Qualifiers. He then lost 3–10 against Ken Doherty in the next round.
2010/2011
White started the 2010/2011 seasonSnooker season 2010/2011
The 2010/11 snooker season is a series of snooker tournaments played during 2010 and 2011. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :-New professional players:...
by entering the Players Tour Championship
Players Tour Championship 2010/2011
The Players Tour Championship 2010/2011 started on 24 June 2010 and ended on 20 March 2011 with events held in Sheffield and Europe. The televised finals took place between the top 24 Order of Merit players, who have played at least 6 events ....
, his best performance coming in the first European event
Euro Players Tour Championship 2010/2011 – Event 1
The Euro Players Tour Championship 2010/2011 – Event 1 minor-ranking snooker tournament took place between 26–29 August 2010 in Fürth, Germany....
and at the sixth event in Sheffield
Players Tour Championship 2010/2011 – Event 6
The Players Tour Championship 2010/2011 – Event 6 minor-ranking snooker tournament took place over 14–17 October 2010, at the World Snooker Academy, Sheffield, England.Dominic Dale won in the final 4–3 against Martin Gould.-Prize fund and ranking points:1 Only professional players...
, where he reached the quarter-finals each time. After 10 out of 12 events White was ranked 35th in the Order of Merit.
White also reached the quarter-finals of the Six-red World Championship, topping his qualifying group along the way. He failed to qualify for the Shanghai Masters
2010 Shanghai Masters
The 2010 Roewe Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 6–12 September 2010 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China.Ronnie O'Sullivan was the defending champion, but he has withdrawn due to personal reasons....
, losing his first qualifying match 3–5 against Liam Highfield
Liam Highfield
Liam Highfield is an English professional snooker player. He turned professional in 2010, with finishing second in the 2009/2010 PIOS rankings.-Amateur years:...
. He won his two qualification matches for the World Open
2010 World Open (snooker)
The 2010 12bet.com World Open professional ranking snooker tournament was held at the S.E.C.C., Glasgow between 18–26 September 2010. This was the first time that the World Open was sponsored by 12bet.com....
; but lost in the last 32 1–3 against 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...
.
White won the World Seniors Championship, defeating Steve Davis
Steve 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...
4-1 in the final.
At the UK Championship
2010 UK Championship (snooker)
The 2010 12BET.com UK Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 4–12 December 2010 at the Telford International Centre, Telford, England.Ding Junhui was the defending champion, but he lost 8–9 against Mark Allen in the last 16....
in December White lost 8-9 to Stephen Hendry
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...
in the first-round after he had came through three qualifying rounds to get to Telford. It was only the fifth time in 24 years that White and Hendry had taken each other to the final frame and 16 years since Hendry's 18-17 win over White in the 1994 World Championship final. He participated at qualifying stages of the German Masters
2011 German Masters
The 2011 German Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 2–6 February at the Tempodrom in Berlin, Germany.The event was last held in 1998, but it was non-ranking...
, but lost in the second round 1–5 against Jimmy Robertson
Jimmy Robertson (snooker player)
Jimmy "Robbo" Robertson is an English professional snooker player.He was on the main tour for 2002/2003 where he was the youngest player on the tour...
, White reached the last qualifying round of the Welsh Open
2011 Welsh Open (snooker)
The 2011 Wyldecrest Park Homes Welsh Open professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 14–20 February 2011 in the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales. This was the first time that the Welsh Open was sponsored by Wyldecrest Park Homes....
, but was whitewashed by Ryan Day
Ryan Day
-External links:* * *...
, and has qualified for the final stages of the China Open
2011 China Open (snooker)
The 2011 Bank of Beijing China Open professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 28 March and 3 April 2011 at the Beijing University Students Gymnasium, Beijing, China....
, by defeating Liu Chuang
Liu Chuang
Liu Chuang is a Chinese professional snooker player.-Early life:Liu grew up in Liaoning province in northeast China. Near his parents' house there was a snooker table and when he was 10 he played on it and liked it a lot...
, Peter Lines
Peter Lines
Peter Lines is an English professional snooker player from Leeds. He practices at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds.He qualified for the World Championship in 1998, compiling a magnificent 141 total clearance in the process before losing 10–3 to John Parrott in Round One...
and Dominic Dale
Dominic Dale
-External links:**...
. but had to withdraw from the tournament due to visa problems. White lost his first qualifying match for the World Championship
2011 World Snooker Championship
The 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 16 April and 2 May 2011 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 74th edition of the event and was the last ranking event of the 2010/2011 snooker season...
9-10 against Jimmy Robertson
Jimmy Robertson (snooker player)
Jimmy "Robbo" Robertson is an English professional snooker player.He was on the main tour for 2002/2003 where he was the youngest player on the tour...
.
2011/2012
White began the 2011/2012 seasonSnooker season 2011/2012
The 2011/12 snooker season is a series of snooker tournaments played during 2011 and 2012. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :-New professional players:...
ranked number 55
Snooker world rankings 2011/2012
Snooker world rankings 2011/2012: The professional world rankings for all the professional snooker players who qualified for the 2011/2012 season are listed below. The rankings work as a two-year rolling list. The points for each tournament two years ago will be removed, when the corresponding...
. At at Legends Tour event in June 2011, White compiled a maximum break, unusual for the fact that he potted the first ball off the , meaning his opponent never played a shot in the frame. White couldn't qualify for the first two ranking events of the season, as he lost 3–5 against Rory McLeod
Rory McLeod (snooker player)
Rory McLeod is an English professional snooker player. After ten years on the Challenge Tour he reached the Main Tour professional ranks for the 2001/2002 season, paving the way for a solid journeyman career.-Career:...
at the Australian Goldfields Open
2011 Australian Goldfields Open
-Final:-Qualifying:These matches took place between 26 and 30 June 2011 at the World Snooker Academy, Sheffield, England. David Gilbert was the only player to go through all four rounds of qualifying to make it to the main stage.-Preliminary round:...
and 0–5 against Nigel Bond
Nigel Bond
-External links:*...
at the Shanghai Masters
2011 Shanghai Masters
The 2011 Bank of Communication Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 5–11 September 2011 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China...
White couldn't defend his World Seniors Championship
2011 World Seniors Championship
The 2011 Wyldecrest Park Homes World Seniors Championship was a cue sport tournament played under a variation of the standard rules of snooker, that took place between 5–6 November 2011 at the East of England Showground, Peterborough, England...
title, as he lost in the semi-finals 0–2 against eventual champion Darren Morgan
Darren Morgan
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...
. White couldn't qualify for the next two ranking events, as he lost 5–6 against Jamie Jones
Jamie Jones (snooker player)
-Early career:In 2002, he became the youngest ever player to make a 147 in an official event, making it aged 14, a record that has since been beaten by Judd Trump....
at the UK Championship
2011 UK Championship (snooker)
-Final:-Qualifying:These matches were held between 5 and 9 November 2011 at the South West Snooker Academy, Gloucester, England.-Preliminary round:Best of 11 frames- Round 1–4 :-Qualifying stages centuries:* 139 David Hogan* 134, 100 Sam Baird...
, and 4–5 against Peter Ebdon
Peter Ebdon
Peter "Ebbo" Ebdon is an English professional snooker player and former world champion renowned for his remarkably focused, determined style of play.-Early years:...
at the German Masters
2012 German Masters
-Final:-Qualifying:These matches were held between 21 and 25 November 2011 at the World Snooker Academy, Sheffield, England.-Preliminary round:Best of 9 frames- Round 1–3 :-Qualifying stages centuries:* 147 Mike Dunn* 143, 100, 100 Michael White...
, .
Personal life
In 1995 after a routine check-up with his doctor, White was diagnosed with testicular cancer after discovering a lump. He was operated on almost immediately and soon after given the all clear. He married Maureen White, and they have five children, Lauren, Ashleigh, Georgia, Breeze and Tommy. He currently lives in OxshottOxshott
Oxshott is a village in Surrey, England with a growing population of around 6,100. Neighbouring settlements include: Chessington, Claygate and Cobham. It is situated in fields and woodlands between Esher and Leatherhead on the A244, five minutes by car from both the A3 and the M25 London Orbital...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.
Despite being best known for snooker, White is also a pool player. Along with Steve Davis and Alex Higgins, White was a member of Europe's victorious Mosconi Cup
Mosconi Cup
The Mosconi Cup is an annual nine-ball pool tournament contested between teams representing Europe and the USA since 1994. The trophy is named after American player Willie Mosconi, and is modeled on and compared to the Ryder Cup in golf...
team of 1995
1995 Mosconi Cup
The 1995 Mosconi Cup, the second edition of the annual nine-ball pool competition between teams representing Europe and the United States, took place between 7–10 December, at the Festival Hall, Basildon, England....
, and won the deciding match against Lou Butera
Lou Butera
Lou Butera is an American professional pool player and an inductee into the Billiards Congress of America's Hall of Fame in 1986....
.
In the late 1990s, White's bull terrier
Bull Terrier
The Bull Terrier or English Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. They are known for their large, egg-shaped head, small triangular eyes, and "jaunty gait." Their temperament has been described as generally fun-loving, active and clownish...
, Splinter, was dognapped
Dognapping
Dognapping is the crime of taking a dog from its owner with the intention of demanding a ransom. Historically in the United States, dogs had been stolen and sold on for medical research, but the introduction of the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 reduced these occurrences...
and held for ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
. Splinter became the first dog to have a colour poster on the front page of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. White paid the ransom and Splinter was returned to him. Splinter went on to live for another three years.
In 1999, he was awarded an MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. Coincidentally, the three players to have beaten him in the world finals (Davis, 1984; Hendry, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994; Parrott, 1991) have also received an MBE. A keen poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player, he won the second Poker Million
Poker Million
The Poker Million has been a televised European poker tournament since its inception in November 2000. The final debuted to 30 million viewers and has since remained popular. It was created by UK gaming outfit Ladbrokes with the help of sports promotion firm Matchroom Sport...
tournament, held in 2003, which also had Steve Davis
Steve 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...
at the final table. He is also good friends with professional poker player Dave "The Devilfish" Ulliott
Dave Ulliott
David A. Ulliott , known by the nickname Devilfish, is an English professional gambler and poker player. Formerly, Ulliott was a minor figure in the Hull underworld, but went on to become a World Series of Poker bracelet-winner, and a mainstay of televised poker...
.
In November 2007, his father, Tommy White, died aged 88. With his daughter Lauren Albert, White is a director of Jimmy White Ltd, which had a turnover of £180,359 in 2006. White has been a fan of Chelsea Football Club
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
since 1972.
In other media
White had a cameo roleCameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as himself (as the World Billiards Champion) in Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow Sing-Chi is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, screenwriter, film director and producer.- Professional career :Stephen Chow began as a temporary actor for TVB. He entered TVB in early 1980s, and was trained there, although he had few opportunities to appear in films. Chow graduated from...
's 1990 kung fu
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
and billiards comedy film, Legend of the Dragon.
On the popular BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
game show Big Break
Big Break
Big Break is a British game show based around the game of snooker, mixed with traditional game show elements. It was broadcast on BBC1 between 30 April 1991 and 9 October 2002...
, White was the first player to clear the table with 3 reds still remaining in the final part of the challenge (thus winning the top prize for the contestant he was playing for). He was introduced to the studio audience on each appearance with the song "Jimmy Jimmy
Jimmy Jimmy (song)
"Jimmy Jimmy" is a Top 20 punk rock song originally written and recorded by Northern Irish band The Undertones in the spring of 1979. The song was written by the band's main songwriter, John O'Neill, it was The Undertones' third single and was released on 20 April 1979, reaching number 16 on the UK...
" by The Undertones
The Undertones
The Undertones are a punk rock/new wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975.The original line-up of the Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums — The Undertones , Hypnotised , Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride — before disbanding in July 1983.Music guide Allmusic...
.
In the film Jack Said
Jack Said
Jack Said is a 2009 British thriller film, the prequel to Jack Says. It is written by Paul Tanter, and based on the graphic novel written by him and illustrated by Oscar Alvarado...
(a prequel to Jack Says
Jack Says
Jack Says is a 2008 British thriller film known particularly for being the last professional engagement of Mike Reid, who died shortly after filming in 2007. The film is a contemporary film noir, with comic book undertones that reflect its precursor graphic novel Jack Said, and is comparable in...
) White played the part of Vic Lee, a dodgy snooker club owner, in his first major film role for British cinema
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
.
On 11 November 2009 it was announced by ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
that White would be appearing in the 9th series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! to start on the 15th. He finished in third place on 4 December 2009, with Gino D'Acampo
Gino D'Acampo
Gennaro "Gino" D'Acampo is an Italian chef, television personality and winner of ITV's 2009 series of I'm a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here. D'Acampo lives in the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
winning.
White has endorsed four computer games: Jimmy White's 'Whirlwind' Snooker
Jimmy White's 'Whirlwind' Snooker
Jimmy White's 'Whirlwind' Snooker is a computer game by veteran programmer Archer MacLean, released by Virgin Games in 1991 for the Commodore Amiga, Atari ST and PC . Whirlwind' Snooker is a highly realistic snooker simulator...
, Jimmy White's 2: Cueball
Jimmy White's 2: Cueball
Jimmy White's 2: Cueball is a sports simulation video game published by Virgin Interactive as a sequel to Jimmy White's Whirlwind Snooker, and released in 1999 for the PC, Sony PlayStation and Sega Dreamcast. The development team was led by Archer MacLean, the designer of the original game...
, Jimmy White's Cueball World and Pool Paradise. These games have been released for numerous machines, from 8 bits up to second-generation consoles and mobile phones. In June 2007, he was contracted to the online billiard website Play89.
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UK Championship (snooker)
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the World Championship and is one of the Triple Crown events.-History:...
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2010 UK Championship (snooker)
The 2010 12BET.com UK Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 4–12 December 2010 at the Telford International Centre, Telford, England.Ding Junhui was the defending champion, but he lost 8–9 against Mark Allen in the last 16....
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2011 UK Championship (snooker)
-Final:-Qualifying:These matches were held between 5 and 9 November 2011 at the South West Snooker Academy, Gloucester, England.-Preliminary round:Best of 11 frames- Round 1–4 :-Qualifying stages centuries:* 139 David Hogan* 134, 100 Sam Baird...
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|style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Masters
Masters (snooker)
The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...
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2011 Masters (snooker)
The 2011 Ladbrokes Mobile Masters professional non-ranking snooker tournament was held between 9–16 January 2011 at the Wembley Arena, London, England...
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2012 Masters (snooker)
The 2012 Masters professional non-ranking snooker tournament will be held between 15–22 January 2012 at the Alexandra Palace, London, England. This could be the first time that Stephen Hendry will not participate at the Masters since his début in 1989....
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2011 World Snooker Championship
The 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 16 April and 2 May 2011 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 74th edition of the event and was the last ranking event of the 2010/2011 snooker season...
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| Performance Table Legend | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| LQ | lost in the qualifying draw | #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR=Wild card round) |
| QF | advanced to but not past the quarterfinals | SF | advanced to but not past the semifinals |
| F | advanced to the final, tournament runner-up | W | won the tournament |
| A | did not participate in the tournament | ||
Ranking event finals: 23 (10 titles, 13 runner-ups)
{|| valign=top width=40% align=left |
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|Legend
|- bgcolor="#e5d1cb"
| World Championship (0–6)
|- bgcolor="dfe2e9"
| UK Championship (1–2)
|- bgcolor=
| Other (9–5)
|}
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!width="80"|Outcome
!width="20"|No.
!width="50"|Year
!width="250"|Championship
!width="200"|Opponent in the final
!width="100"|Score
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 1.
| 1984
| World Snooker Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
|
| 16–18
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 2.
| 1985
|
|
| 10–12
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 1.
| 1986
| Classic
Classic (snooker)
The Classic was a professional snooker tournament, which began in 1980 and ended in 1992. It was originally a non-ranking event, but became ranking in 1984. Steve Davis has won the event six times and was the last champion.-History:...
|
| 13–12
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 2.
| 1986
| Grand Prix
|
| 10–6
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 3.
| 1987
| Classic
Classic (snooker)
The Classic was a professional snooker tournament, which began in 1980 and ended in 1992. It was originally a non-ranking event, but became ranking in 1984. Steve Davis has won the event six times and was the last champion.-History:...
|
| 12–13
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 3.
| 1987
| British Open
British Open (snooker)
The British Open was a professional snooker tournament. It was a ranking tournament from 1985. The tournament has not been held since the 2004/2005 season....
|
| 13–9
|- style="background:#dfe2e9;"
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 4.
| 1987
| UK Championship
UK Championship (snooker)
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the World Championship and is one of the Triple Crown events.-History:...
|
| 14–16
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 5.
| 1988
| International Open
Players Championship (snooker)
The Players Championship was a professional snooker tournament. It is the most recent name of the ranking tournament held in Scotland every year. The tournament has had a bewildering number of name changes in its history. Until recently it was commonly known as the Scottish Open, and prior to that...
|
| 6–12
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 4.
| 1989
| Canadian Masters
|
| 9–4
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 6.
| 1990
| World Snooker Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
(2)
|
| 12–18
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 5.
| 1991
| Classic
Classic (snooker)
The Classic was a professional snooker tournament, which began in 1980 and ended in 1992. It was originally a non-ranking event, but became ranking in 1984. Steve Davis has won the event six times and was the last champion.-History:...
|
| 10–4
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 7.
| 1991
| World Snooker Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
(3)
|
| 11–18
|- style="background:#dfe2e9;"
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 8.
| 1991
| UK Championship
UK Championship (snooker)
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the World Championship and is one of the Triple Crown events.-History:...
(2)
|
| 9–16
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 6.
| 1992
| European Open
Malta Cup
The Malta Cup was a professional snooker tournament that has been on the World Snooker calendar since the 1988/89 season. It was previously known as the European Open as the sole ranking tournament in Europe, outside the British Isles.- History :Prior to the 1988/89 season, there were no ranking...
|
| 9–3
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 7.
| 1992
| British Open
British Open (snooker)
The British Open was a professional snooker tournament. It was a ranking tournament from 1985. The tournament has not been held since the 2004/2005 season....
|
| 10–7
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 9.
| 1992
| World Snooker Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
(4)
|
| 14–18
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 8.
| 1992
| Grand Prix (2)
|
| 10–9
|- style="background:#dfe2e9;"
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 9.
| 1992
| UK Championship
UK Championship (snooker)
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the World Championship and is one of the Triple Crown events.-History:...
|
| 16–9
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 10.
| 1993
| World Snooker Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
(5)
|
| 5–18
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 11.
| 1994
| World Snooker Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
(6)
|
| 17–18
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 12.
| 2000
| British Open
British Open (snooker)
The British Open was a professional snooker tournament. It was a ranking tournament from 1985. The tournament has not been held since the 2004/2005 season....
|
| 6–9
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 13.
| 2004
| European Open
Malta Cup
The Malta Cup was a professional snooker tournament that has been on the World Snooker calendar since the 1988/89 season. It was previously known as the European Open as the sole ranking tournament in Europe, outside the British Isles.- History :Prior to the 1988/89 season, there were no ranking...
|
| 3–9
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 10.
| 2004
| Players Championship
Players Championship (snooker)
The Players Championship was a professional snooker tournament. It is the most recent name of the ranking tournament held in Scotland every year. The tournament has had a bewildering number of name changes in its history. Until recently it was commonly known as the Scottish Open, and prior to that...
|
| 9–7
|}
Non-ranking wins
- Scottish Masters – 1981
- Northern Ireland ClassicNorthern Ireland Trophy- History :First contested in 1981 and named Northern Ireland Classic. It was an invitational event held at Ulster Hall, Belfast, and Jimmy White beat Steve Davis in the final....
– 1981 - MastersMasters (snooker)The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...
– 1984 - Carlsberg Challenge – 1984, 1985
- Thailand Masters – 1984/85
- Irish Masters – 1985, 1986
- Pot BlackPot BlackPot Black was a British series of snooker tournaments televised by BBC, that played a large part in the popularisation of the modern game, from 1969 to 1986. The event was revived in the form of several one-off tournaments throughout the 1990s and up to 2007...
– 1986 - Malaysian Masters – 1986/87
- Hong Kong Masters – 1988
- World MatchplayWorld Matchplay (snooker)The World Matchplay professional non-ranking snooker tournament was established in 1952 as an alternative to the World Snooker Championship and last held in 1992.-History:...
– 1989, 1990 - Mita/Sky World Masters Men's SinglesWorld MastersThe World Masters, known for sponsorship reasons as the Mita/Sky World Masters, was a snooker tournament held in January 1991. Conceived by promoter Barry Hearn, the tournament had a similar format to the Grand Slam events in tennis, with men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles, women's...
– 1991 - European Challenge – 1991
- Matchroom League – 1993
- Pontin's Professional Tournament – 1999
- World Seniors Championship - 2010
Team wins
- World Doubles Championship – 1984 (with Alex HigginsAlex HigginsAlexander Gordon "Alex" Higgins , also known by his nickname of Hurricane Higgins, was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who was twice World Champion and twice runner-up. Higgins earned the nickname The Hurricane because of his speed of play...
) - World Cup – 1988, 1989 (with team England)
- Nations CupNations 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:...
– 2000 (with team England)
Pro-am wins
- World Series of Snooker – Tournament in Prague – 2009
Amateur
- English Amateur ChampionshipEnglish Amateur ChampionshipThe English Amateur Championship is a snooker competition that has been played since 1916.The first two tournaments were won by Charles Nathaniel Jaques, who was subsequently shot through the wrist in World War I and unable to defend his title again....
– 1979 - IBSF World Amateur ChampionshipIBSF World Snooker ChampionshipThe 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...
– 1980 - Indian Amateur Championship – 1980