Higginson, Gong and Company Complete Q School Class of 2026 in Leicester
A veteran's return, a Frenchman's dream denied, and four more tickets punched to the pro tour
There is something quietly heroic about Q School. No fanfare, no packed arena, no television cameras trained on every safety battle. Just players — some still chasing their first taste of the professional game, others desperate to reclaim what they once had — grinding through frame after frame under the unforgiving lights of the Mattioli Arena in Leicester. On Sunday, four more emerged from the other side, their places on the World Snooker Tour confirmed for the next two seasons.
The most storied name among them is Andrew Higginson. The man from Widnes — long nicknamed the Widnes Warrior — first turned professional back in 1996, meaning he has been part of the snooker landscape for the better part of three decades. At his peak, during the 2011/12 season, he climbed as high as number 18 in the world, reached the last 16 of the World Championship, and memorably beat John Higgins in the final of a PTC event in Sheffield. A year earlier he had reached the final of the Welsh Open. These are not footnotes; they are the CV of a player who genuinely belonged at the top table of the sport.
But snooker is relentless in the way it recycles fortunes. Now 48, Higginson has had to navigate the Q School process twice since 2023 just to hold onto his professional status. On Sunday, he did what was needed — seeing off the experienced Mark Davis and then Mark Joyce in the final two rounds — to confirm his return to the circuit. There is something in watching a player of his vintage still doing the hard yards that reminds you how much these tour cards mean. This was not merely a formality for Higginson. It was everything.
Gong ends Milkins' hopes before landing his own reprieve
Gong Chenzhi had his own narrative to resolve this week. The Chinese player had been relegated at the end of the recently concluded season, meaning Q School represented his route straight back. He took it, but not without drama. In the penultimate round, Gong edged out Robert Milkins — a two-time ranking event winner whose own Q School campaign had attracted considerable attention — in a tight 4-3 contest that could have gone either way. Milkins, a popular figure on tour, will have to reflect on where he goes from here. For Gong, though, there was no time to dwell. He returned the following day and dispatched Brian Ochoiski 4-2 to seal his place.
Ochoiski's defeat carries a particular poignancy. The French player had been attempting to become the first ever professional from France — a landmark that would have meant a great deal for the sport's development in a country where snooker has historically remained a fringe pursuit. He came agonisingly close. These are the stories Q School produces in abundance: the ones that never make the highlight reels but linger in the memory of anyone who witnessed them.
The other two graduates from Event 2 were Mitchell Mann, who beat Allan Taylor 4-2, and Stuart Carrington, who secured his return with a composed 4-1 victory over Israel's Yaron Bodor. Both Mann and Carrington have previous main tour experience and will be keen to make an immediate impression on the 2026/27 rankings.
Twelve graduates in total as a new season beckons
Event 2 in Leicester follows on from Event 1 at the same venue a week ago, where Liam Davies, Cheung Ka Wai, Sean O'Sullivan and Phil O'Kane claimed the first four available spots. Meanwhile, a separate Q School process held in Bangkok across two competitions produced a further four graduates: Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon, Deng Haohui, Huang Jiahao and Liu Yang. In total, 12 players have earned their places on the World Snooker Tour through this year's Q School — eight from Leicester, four from Thailand.
All 12 will not have long to wait before competitive action begins. Qualifying rounds for both the China Open and the Wuhan Open are scheduled for mid-June, with the new season's first ranking event — Championship League Snooker — getting underway on 22nd June. For players who have spent weeks competing in relative obscurity for the right to be there, that first ranking event represents the moment the world finally notices.
For Andrew Higginson, competing professionally at 48, it also represents something harder to define. Call it stubbornness, or passion, or simply the refusal to let go of something you love. Whatever it is, Q School has a habit of producing people who have it in abundance.
