2006 Masters (snooker)

The 2006 SAGA Insurance Masters was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that took place from 15 to 22 January 2006 at the Wembley Conference Centre in London, England. It was the 32nd edition of the tournament, and the last time that the tournament was held at this venue. The tournament was part of the 2005/2006 season.

John Higgins won the tournament by defeating Ronnie O'Sullivan 10–9 in the final.

Field

Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan was the number 1 seed with World Champion Shaun Murphy seeded 2. Places were allocated to the leading players in the world rankings. With Murphy having a ranking of 21, Ian McCulloch, ranked 16, was not an automatic invitation. Players seeded 15 and 16 played in the wild-card round against the winner of the qualifying event, Stuart Bingham (ranked 37), and McCulloch, who was the wild-card selection. Stuart Bingham and Ian McCulloch were making their debuts in the Masters.

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:

Qualifying stage

• Winner: £2,000
• Runner-up: £680
• Semi-final: £250
• Quarter-final: £105
• Total: £3,600

Televised stage

• Winner: £125,000
• Runner Up: £60,000
• Semi-final: £30,000
• Quarter-final: £15,000
• Last 16: £10,000
• Last 18 (seeded): £10,000
• Last 18 (wild-cards): £2,000

• Highest break: £10,000
• Maximum break: £25,000

Wild-card round

In the preliminary "wild-card round", the two wild-card players were drawn against the players seeded 15th and 16th:

Match	Date		Score
WC1	Sunday 15 January	Joe Perry (15)	3–6	Ian McCulloch
WC2	Sunday 15 January	Steve Davis (16)	4–6	Stuart Bingham

Main draw

	Last 16 Best of 11 frames					Quarter-finals Best of 11 frames					Semi-finals Best of 11 frames					Final Best of 19 frames
	1	Ronnie O'Sullivan	6
		Ian McCulloch	0
						1	Ronnie O'Sullivan	6
						8	Peter Ebdon	2
	8	Peter Ebdon	6
		Stuart Bingham	4
											1	Ronnie O'Sullivan	6
											11	Stephen Lee	5
	5	Matthew Stevens	3
	14	Graeme Dott	6
						14	Graeme Dott	5
						11	Stephen Lee	6
	4	Stephen Maguire	0
	11	Stephen Lee	6
																1	Ronnie O'Sullivan	9
																7	John Higgins	10
	3	Stephen Hendry	4
	13	Alan McManus	6
						13	Alan McManus	6
						10	Mark Williams	4
	6	Paul Hunter	3
	10	Mark Williams	6
											13	Alan McManus	2
											7	John Higgins	6
	7	John Higgins	6
	9	Jimmy White	3
						7	John Higgins	6
						2	Shaun Murphy	4
	2	Shaun Murphy	6
	12	Ken Doherty	5

Final

Final: Best of 19 frames. Referee: Eirian Williams Wembley Conference Centre, London, England, 22 January 2006.
Ronnie O'Sullivan (1) England	9–10	John Higgins (7) Scotland
Afternoon: 60–48, 139–0 (139), 138–0 (138), 0–73 (73), 0–80 (80), 20–48, 27–66, 0–71 Evening: 91–44 (91), 100–30 (56), 0–81 (81), 6–86 (68), 72–46, 100–5 (100), 1–71 (62), 62–53, 65–5 (58), 1–83, 60–64 (60, 64)
139	Highest break	80
3	Century breaks	0
4	50+ breaks	6

Qualifying

The 2005 Masters Qualifying Event s were held between 20 and 23 November 2005 at Pontin's in Prestatyn, Wales. The winner of this series of matches, who qualified for the tournament, was Stuart Bingham.

	Last 48 Best of 7 frames					Last 32 Best of 9 frames					Last 16 Best of 9 frames					Quarter-finals Best of 9 frames					Semi-finals Best of 9 frames					Final Best of 11 frames
		Rory McLeod	4				Anthony Hamilton	3
		Joe Jogia	3				Rory McLeod	5
												Rory McLeod	5
												Tony Drago	3
		James Tatton	1		Tony Drago	5
		Simon Bedford	4				Simon Bedford	1
																	Rory McLeod	5
																Barry Hawkins	3
		Matthew Couch	1				Barry Hawkins	5
		Andrew Norman	4				Andrew Norman	2
												Barry Hawkins	5
												Patrick Wallace	1
		Patrick Wallace	4		Robert Milkins	w/d
		Rod Lawler	2				Patrick Wallace	w/o
																						Rory McLeod	4
																						Stuart Bingham	5
		Marcus Campbell	4				Nigel Bond	4
		Gary Wilson	0				Marcus Campbell	5
												Marcus Campbell	5
												Michael Judge	3
		Michael Judge	w/o		Gerard Greene	0
		Adam Davies	w/d				Michael Judge	5
																	Marcus Campbell	0
																Stuart Bingham	5
		Ricky Walden	3				Stuart Bingham	5
		David Roe	4				David Roe	2
												Stuart Bingham	5
												Robin Hull	3
		Robin Hull	4		David Gray	2
		Mark Allen	1				Robin Hull	5
																											Stuart Bingham	6
																											Ali Carter	3
		Justin Astley	w/o				Ali Carter	5
		James McBain	w/d				Justin Astley	2
												Ali Carter	5
												Ryan Day	2
		Chris Norbury	2		Ryan Day	5
		Alfie Burden	4				Alfie Burden	3
																	Ali Carter	5
																Fergal O'Brien	4
		Fergal O'Brien	w/o				Neil Robertson	2
		Brian Morgan	w/d				Fergal O'Brien	5
												Fergal O'Brien	5
												Lee Spick	2
		Lee Spick	w/o		Marco Fu	2
		Sean Storey	w/d				Lee Spick	5
																						Ali Carter	5
																						Joe Swail	3
		Dave Harold	2				Michael Holt	5
		Judd Trump	4				Judd Trump	2
												Michael Holt	2
												Joe Swail	5
		Joe Swail	4		Mark Selby	2
		Stuart Mann	0				Joe Swail	5
																	Joe Swail	5
																Ding Junhui	4
		Jamie Cope	4				John Parrott	0
		Leo Fernandez	2				Jamie Cope	5
												Jamie Cope	1
												Ding Junhui	5
		Tom Ford	3		Barry Pinches	2
		Ding Junhui	4				Ding Junhui	5

Century breaks

Qualifying stage centuries

• 147, 114, 109, 101 Stuart Bingham
• 140, 106, 100 Fergal O'Brien
• 132, 120, 116, 116 Ding Junhui
• 132, 106, 101 Barry Hawkins
• 130, 100 Ryan Day
• 127, 105 Judd Trump
• 127 Jamie Cope
• 125, 117, 114, 111 Robin Hull

• 125, 102, 101 Joe Swail
• 122 Michael Judge
• 120 Ricky Walden
• 114 Patrick Wallace
• 112, 100 Alfie Burden
• 111 James Tatton
• 110 Lee Spick
• 107 Ali Carter

Televised stage centuries

• 139, 138, 100 Ronnie O'Sullivan
• 138, 100 Peter Ebdon
• 116, 102 Graeme Dott
• 115, 101 Shaun Murphy
• 110 John Higgins
• 101 Stephen Lee