Four New Tour Cards Handed Out At Q School Event Two As Higginson, Mann, Carrington And Gong Seal Their Spots

Q School Delivers Drama In Leicester As Four Players Secure Two-Year Tour Cards

Q School Event Two has concluded in Leicester, and four players have done what so many others failed to do — hold their nerve when it mattered most. Andrew Higginson, Mitchell Mann, Stuart Carrington and Gong Chenzhi all came through the final round to earn two-year tour cards, securing their places on the World Snooker Tour for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 seasons.

Higginson Returns After A Season Away From The Tour

Perhaps the most emotionally charged story of the day belongs to Andrew Higginson, who secured his return to professional snooker with a composed 4-1 victory over fellow ex-professional Mark Joyce. The 49-year-old Cheshire cueman had been absent from the World Snooker Tour for a full season after dropping off following the conclusion of the 2025 World Championship, spending his time competing on the Q Tour where he finished ranked 19th. That ranking tells only part of the story — Q School is a different beast entirely, and Higginson rose to the occasion, seeing off the likes of Shaun Liu and Mark Davis before closing out today's final-round match with breaks of 89 and 61.

Snooker fans of a certain vintage will remember Higginson as the man who pushed Neil Robertson all the way to the final of the 2007 Welsh Open, finishing runner-up in what remains one of the highlights of his career. Now, nearly two decades on, he's back on tour and clearly hungry to make it stick this time. "Q School is very difficult, but it is the easy part compared to staying on the tour," Higginson said afterwards. "I need to make the two years count rather than be a yo-yo player and drop off again." Refreshingly honest, and exactly the kind of self-awareness that suggests he might just do that.

Mann Bounces Back Immediately After Relegation

Mitchell Mann had the misfortune of losing out in the opening round of Event One, making his task considerably harder from that point on. But the 34-year-old Englishman dug deep in Event Two and ultimately secured a 4-2 win over Allan Taylor to preserve his professional status. Mann's 2025/26 season wasn't without its bright spots — a quarter-final run at the British Open showed he belongs at this level — but it wasn't enough to keep him on tour through the rankings alone. Breaks of 54, 52 and 50 kept the pressure on Taylor throughout and ultimately ended the latter's hopes of an immediate return to the circuit.

Mann was candid in his post-match remarks, admitting that his work rate needs to improve significantly if he's to avoid another Q School ordeal. "The people who really know me will know my work rate isn't good enough," he said. "That is one thing I want to change." It's rare to hear a player be that forthright about their own shortcomings straight after winning a career-defining match, and it suggests Mann has the self-awareness to back up his renewed motivation with genuine improvement.

Carrington Overcomes Injury Scare To Reclaim Tour Status

Stuart Carrington had arguably the toughest road of the four. The Grimsby potter dropped off the tour following the conclusion of the 2025 World Championship — the second time he has had to go through the Q School process, having previously regained his card back in 2023. This year's campaign started under a cloud when a neck injury forced him to sit out Event One entirely. The fact that he recovered in time for Event Two, then went on to win the whole thing with a clinical 4-1 defeat of Israel's Yaron Bodor, speaks volumes about his resilience. "There are so many emotions going through my body and my head," Carrington said. "It is torture down here for everybody. You just want to get that win and I've done it."

Gong Chenzhi Completes The Quartet

Gong Chenzhi rounds out the four players earning tour cards from Event Two, continuing the growing representation of Chinese talent on the professional circuit. The World Snooker Tour has increasingly become a global competition, and Q School has played a central role in bringing through players from all corners of the game's expanding footprint.

What This Means For The Tour

With Q School now concluded, the full picture of the 2026/27 World Snooker Tour is beginning to take shape. For Higginson, Mann, Carrington and Gong, the hard work starts now. Earning a tour card at Q School is one thing — as Higginson himself acknowledged, surviving on tour is the real challenge. All four will be worth keeping an eye on as the new season gets underway, particularly Higginson and Carrington, whose experience and clear motivation could see them punch above their expected ranking weight.

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