# 1987–88 snooker season

The 1987–88 snooker season was a series of snooker tournaments played between 29 June 1987 and 15 May 1988. The following table outlines the results for the ranking and invitational events.

## New professional players

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association had introduced a play-off system to restrict the number of entries for professional tournaments, other than the World Championship, to 128. A total of ten amateurs, being the World Amateur Champion, the English Amateur Champion, and the eight players (excluding otherwise-qualified players) finishing highest in a play-off series, would be considered for professional status.
For 1987–88, six-play offs between those amateurs and the lowest-ranked professional would have been necessary to keep to the limit of 128. The English Amateur Championship winner Antony Harris accepted a place on the professional tour, but World Amateur champion Paul Mifsud declined. Existing professionals Bert Demarco, Mike Hines, Paddy Morgan, Bernard Bennett and James Giannaros, rather than participate in the play-offs, opted to accept "non-tournament" status, which would allow them to enter only the World Championship. This meant that Gary Wilkinson, Martin Clark, Jim Chambers, Derek Heaton, Robert Marshall and Eric Lawlor took their places on the tour. Maurice Parkin took non-tournament status after losing 1–10 to Steve Meakin in a play-off.
Changes in professional tour membership :
| New professionals for 1987–88 | Moved to non-tournament status |
| Antony Harris Gary Wilkinson Martin Clark Jim Chambers Derek Heaton Robert Marshall Eric Lawlor Steve Meakin | Bert Demarco Mike Hines Paddy Morgan Bernard Bennett James Giannaros Maurice Parkin |

## Calendar

| Date | Date | | Rank | Tournament name | Venue | City | Winner | Runner-up | Score |
| 06-29 | 07-08 | AUS | NR | Australian Masters | Parmatta Club | Sydney | Stephen Hendry | Mike Hallett | |
| 07-13 | 07-19 | AUS | NR | Australian Professional Championship | Lakemba Services Memorial Club | Sydney | Warren King | Eddie Charlton | 10–7 |
| 08-02 | 08-08 | CAN | NR | Canadian Professional Championship | Scarborough Village Theatre | Toronto | Cliff Thorburn | Jim Bear | 8–4 |
| 08-28 | 08-31 | JPN | NR | Tokyo Masters | Tokyo Prince Hotel | Tokyo | Dennis Taylor | Terry Griffiths | 6–3 |
| 09-02 | 09-06 | HKG | NR | Hong Kong Masters | Queen Elizabeth Stadium | Hong Kong | Steve Davis | Stephen Hendry | 9–3 |
| 09-14 | 09-16 | IRL | NR | Carling Challenge | RTÉ Studios | Dublin | Dennis Taylor | Joe Johnson | 8–5 |
| 09-17 | 09-20 | SCO | NR | Scottish Masters | Hospitality Inn | Glasgow | Joe Johnson | Terry Griffiths | 9–7 |
| 09-25 | 10-04 | ENG | WR | International Open | Trentham Gardens | Stoke-on-Trent | Steve Davis | Cliff Thorburn | 12–5 |
| 10-17 | 10-25 | ENG | WR | Grand Prix | Hexagon Theatre | Reading | Stephen Hendry | Dennis Taylor | 10–7 |
| 10-27 | 10-31 | CAN | NR | Canadian Masters | CBC Television Studios | Toronto | Dennis Taylor | Jimmy White | 9–7 |
| 11-04 | 11-07 | ENG | NR | Matchroom Professional Championship | Cliffs Pavilion | Southend-on-Sea | Dennis Taylor | Willie Thorne | 10–3 |
| 11-13 | 11-29 | ENG | WR | UK Championship | Guild Hall | Preston | Steve Davis | Jimmy White | 16–14 |
| 12-01 | 12-13 | ENG | TE | World Doubles Championship | Derngate Centre | Northampton | Mike Hallett Stephen Hendry | Cliff Thorburn Dennis Taylor | 12–8 |
| 01-01 | 01-10 | ENG | WR | The Classic | Norbreck Castle Hotel | Blackpool | Steve Davis | John Parrott | 13–11 |
| 01-?? | 01-?? | RSA | NR | South African Professional Championship | | Germiston | Francois Ellis | Jimmy van Rensberg | 9–4 |
| 01-24 | 01-30 | ENG | NR | The Masters | Wembley Conference Centre | London | Steve Davis | Mike Hallett | 9–0 |
| 02-04 | 02-10 | ENG | NR | English Professional Championship | Corn Exchange | Ipswich | Dean Reynolds | Neal Foulds | 9–5 |
| 02-08 | 02-12 | WAL | NR | Welsh Professional Championship | Newport Centre | Newport | Terry Griffiths | Wayne Jones | 9–3 |
| 02-09 | 02-12 | NIR | NR | Irish Professional Championship | Antrim Forum | Antrim | Jack McLaughlin | Dennis Taylor | 9–4 |
| 02-11 | 02-14 | SCO | NR | Scottish Professional Championship | Marco's Leisure Centre | Edinburgh | Stephen Hendry | Murdo MacLeod | 10–4 |
| 02-21 | 03-06 | ENG | WR | British Open | Assembly Rooms | Derby | Stephen Hendry | Mike Hallett | 13–2 |
| 03-16 | 03-19 | ENG | TE | World Cup | Bournemouth International Centre | Bournemouth | England | Australia | 9–7 |
| 03-22 | 03-27 | IRL | NR | Irish Masters | Goff's | Kill | Steve Davis | Neal Foulds | 9–4 |
| 04-06 | 04-09 | CHN | NR | Kent Cup | Beijing Indoor Stadium | Beijing | John Parrott | Martin Clark | 5–1 |
| 04-16 | 05-02 | ENG | WR | World Snooker Championship | Crucible Theatre | Sheffield | Steve Davis | Terry Griffiths | 18–11 |
| 05-07 | 05-14 | WAL | NR | Pontins Professional | Pontins | Prestatyn | John Parrott | Mike Hallett | 9–1 |
| 01-23 | 05-15 | EUR | NR | Matchroom League | | | Steve Davis | Stephen Hendry | |
* WR = World ranking event
* NR = Non-ranking event

## Official rankings

The top 16 of the world rankings, these players automatically played in the final rounds of the world ranking events and were invited for the Masters.
| No. | Name |
| 1 | Steve Davis |
| 2 | Jimmy White |
| 3 | Neal Foulds |
| 4 | Cliff Thorburn |
| 5 | Joe Johnson |
| 6 | Terry Griffiths |
| 7 | Tony Knowles |
| 8 | Dennis Taylor |
| 9 | Alex Higgins |
| 10 | Silvino Francisco |
| 11 | Willie Thorne |
| 12 | Rex Williams |
| 13 | John Parrott |
| 14 | Doug Mountjoy |
| 15 | Dean Reynolds |
| 16 | Mike Hallett |