Ronnie O'Sullivan to headline new Saudi snooker tournament that features bizarre 'golden ball' rule

Ronnie O'Sullivan will partake in the first Riyadh Season World of Snooker in Saudi Arabia later this year, with the competition offering the chance of a 167 break.

O'Sullivan recently won The Masters for the eighth time in his career, defeating rival Alistair Carter 7-10 in the final.

The Masters champion is continuing to dominate the scene in the World Grand Prix by winning his first two games in Leicester this week.

The 48-year-old is well renowned for cherry-picking the tournaments he plays in throughout the year often prioritising major events, meaning his decision to play in Saudi Arabia has raised eyebrows.

The Riyadh Season World of Snooker will take place in March, and O'Sullivan will be joined by the likes of Luca Brecel and Judd Trump for the first invitational event in the country.

The games will all be played under the current rules of snooker, but there will be one significant difference due to the addition of a 23rd ball to the table.

This brand new concept will be trialed for the first time in Saudi Arabia, with the new ball being named the 'Riyadh Season ball' and will be gold in colour.

The new golden ball is going to be worth 20 points, however, players will only be able to pot it once all the other balls on the table have been cleared if a player is on maximum break.

The added points also make a maximum break even more impressive as the traditional 147 will change to 167 for this tournament.

Ronnie with his Masters trophy- Getty

While some may label the new rule slightly gimmicky, there is no question it will add extra incentive for O'Sullivan and the rest of the players to be the first to achieve the 167 break.

Steve Dawson, chairman of the World Snooker Tour, said: “It is a great privilege for the World Snooker Tour to work in partnership with HE Advisor Turki Alalshikh to stage an event in Saudi Arabia for the first time.

“This is a huge breakthrough for snooker into a new territory, and we see this as the beginning of a new adventure for our sport in the region."