# 1996 UK Championship

The 1996 UK Championship was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place at the Guild Hall in Preston, England. The event started on 15 November 1996 and the televised stages were shown on BBC between 23 November and 1 December 1996.
Stephen Hendry won his third UK Championship in a row and fifth overall by defeating John Higgins 10–9 in the final. Hendry led 8–4, fell behind 8–9 after Higgins won 5 frames in a row, and then breaks of 82 and 77 in the last two frames was enough for Hendry to get the victory. Ken Doherty made the highest break of the tournament with 141.
Tony Drago made the fastest century break in a ranking event with a time of 3 minutes 31 seconds.

## Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:
* Winner £70,000
* Runner-up £37,000
* Highest break £5,000

## Main draw
### Top half

| Round 1 (Last 64) Best of 17 frames | Round 1 (Last 64) Best of 17 frames | Round 2 (Last 32) Best of 17 frames | Round 2 (Last 32) Best of 17 frames | Round 3 (Last 16) Best of 17 frames | Round 3 (Last 16) Best of 17 frames | Quarter-finals Best of 17 frames | Quarter-finals Best of 17 frames | Semi-finals Best of 17 frames | Semi-finals Best of 17 frames |
| Stephen Hendry | 9 | | | | | | |
| Dominic Dale | 6 | | | | | | |
| Dominic Dale | 6 | Stephen Hendry | 9 | | | | |
| | | Robert Milkins | 5 | | | | |
| Neal Foulds | 3 | Robert Milkins | 5 | | | | |
| Robert Milkins | 9 | | | | | | |
| Robert Milkins | 9 | | | Stephen Hendry | 9 | | |
| | | | | Anthony Hamilton | 1 | | |
| Dave Harold | 6 | | | Anthony Hamilton | 1 | | |
| David Gray | 9 | | | | | | |
| David Gray | 9 | David Gray | 8 | | | | |
| | | Anthony Hamilton | 9 | | | | |
| Anthony Hamilton | 9 | Anthony Hamilton | 9 | | | | |
| Quinten Hann | 3 | | | | | | |
| Quinten Hann | 3 | | | | | Stephen Hendry | 9 |
| | | | | | | Paul Hunter | 5 |
| Willie Thorne | 0 | | | | | Paul Hunter | 5 |
| Paul Hunter | 9 | | | | | | |
| Paul Hunter | 9 | Paul Hunter | 9 | | | | |
| | | James Wattana | 5 | | | | |
| James Wattana | 9 | James Wattana | 5 | | | | |
| Jon Birch | 3 | | | | | | |
| Jon Birch | 3 | | | Paul Hunter | 9 | | |
| | | | | Terry Murphy | 7 | | |
| Mick Price | 9 | | | Terry Murphy | 7 | | |
| Eddie Manning | 6 | | | | | | |
| Eddie Manning | 6 | Mick Price | 6 | | | | |
| | | Terry Murphy | 9 | | | | |
| Ronnie O'Sullivan | 7 | Terry Murphy | 9 | | | | |
| Terry Murphy | 9 | | | | | | | | |
| Terry Murphy | 9 | | | | | | | Stephen Hendry | 9 |
| | | | | | | | | Alan McManus | 1 |
| Alan McManus | 9 | | | | | | | Alan McManus | 1 |
| Ian Sargeant | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Ian Sargeant | 6 | Alan McManus | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | Gary Wilkinson | 7 | | | | | | |
| Gary Wilkinson | 9 | Gary Wilkinson | 7 | | | | | | |
| Brian Morgan | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| Brian Morgan | 2 | | | Alan McManus | 9 | | | | |
| | | | | Billy Snaddon | 5 | | | | |
| Darren Morgan | 6 | | | Billy Snaddon | 5 | | | | |
| Billy Snaddon | 9 | | | | | | | | |
| Billy Snaddon | 9 | Billy Snaddon | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | Rod Lawler | 7 | | | | | | |
| Rod Lawler | 9 | Rod Lawler | 7 | | | | | | |
| Darren Clarke | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| Darren Clarke | 5 | | | | | Alan McManus | 9 | | |
| | | | | | | John Parrott | 8 |
| Dene O'Kane | 8 | | | | | John Parrott | 8 |
| Joe Johnson | 9 | | | | | | |
| Joe Johnson | 9 | Joe Johnson | 9 | | | | |
| | | Tai Pichit | 6 | | | | |
| Jimmy White | 7 | Tai Pichit | 6 | | | | |
| Tai Pichit | 9 | | | | | | |
| Tai Pichit | 9 | | | Joe Johnson | 6 | | |
| | | | | John Parrott | 9 | | |
| Martin Clark | 9 | | | John Parrott | 9 | | |
| Tony Jones | 6 | | | | | | |
| Tony Jones | 6 | Martin Clark | 8 | | | | |
| | | John Parrott | 9 | | | | |
| John Parrott | 9 | John Parrott | 9 | | | | |
| Noppadon Noppachorn | 4 | | | | | | |

### Bottom half

| Round 1 (Last 64) Best of 17 frames | Round 1 (Last 64) Best of 17 frames | Round 2 (Last 32) Best of 17 frames | Round 2 (Last 32) Best of 17 frames | Round 3 (Last 16) Best of 17 frames | Round 3 (Last 16) Best of 17 frames | Quarter-finals Best of 17 frames | Quarter-finals Best of 17 frames | Semi-finals Best of 17 frames | Semi-finals Best of 17 frames |
| Peter Ebdon | 8 | | | | | | |
| Karl Broughton | 9 | | | | | | |
| Karl Broughton | 9 | Karl Broughton | 9 | | | | |
| | | Chris Small | 6 | | | | |
| Chris Small | 9 | Chris Small | 6 | | | | |
| David Roe | 4 | | | | | | |
| David Roe | 4 | | | Karl Broughton | 8 | | |
| | | | | Alain Robidoux | 9 | | |
| Alain Robidoux | 9 | | | Alain Robidoux | 9 | | |
| Jason Weston | 7 | | | | | | |
| Jason Weston | 7 | Alain Robidoux | 9 | | | | |
| | | Stephen Lee | 6 | | | | |
| Stephen Lee | 9 | Stephen Lee | 6 | | | | |
| Jason Prince | 3 | | | | | | |
| Jason Prince | 3 | | | | | Alain Robidoux | 3 |
| | | | | | | Ken Doherty | 9 |
| Jason Ferguson | 4 | | | | | Ken Doherty | 9 |
| Shokat Ali | 9 | | | | | | |
| Shokat Ali | 9 | Shokat Ali | 7 | | | | |
| | | Steve Davis | 9 | | | | |
| Steve Davis | 9 | Steve Davis | 9 | | | | |
| Jamie Burnett | 5 | | | | | | |
| Jamie Burnett | 5 | | | Steve Davis | 5 | | |
| | | | | Ken Doherty | 9 | | |
| Dennis Taylor | 9 | | | Ken Doherty | 9 | | |
| Peter Lines | 5 | | | | | | |
| Peter Lines | 5 | Dennis Taylor | 4 | | | | |
| | | Ken Doherty | 9 | | | | |
| Ken Doherty | 9 | Ken Doherty | 9 | | | | |
| Nick Pearce | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| Nick Pearce | 2 | | | | | | | Ken Doherty | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | John Higgins | 9 |
| Nigel Bond | 9 | | | | | | | John Higgins | 9 |
| Paul Wykes | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| Paul Wykes | 0 | Nigel Bond | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | Joe Swail | 6 | | | | | | |
| Joe Swail | 9 | Joe Swail | 6 | | | | | | |
| Mark King | 8 | | | | | | | | |
| Mark King | 8 | | | Nigel Bond | 4 | | | | |
| | | | | Mark Williams | 9 | | | | |
| Mark Williams | 9 | | | Mark Williams | 9 | | | | |
| Tony Chappel | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| Tony Chappel | 3 | Mark Williams | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | Yasin Merchant | 3 | | | | | | |
| David Finbow | 5 | Yasin Merchant | 3 | | | | | | |
| Yasin Merchant | 9 | | | | | | | | |
| Yasin Merchant | 9 | | | | | Mark Williams | 6 | | |
| | | | | | | John Higgins | 9 |
| Andy Hicks | 9 | | | | | John Higgins | 9 |
| Nick Terry | 4 | | | | | | |
| Nick Terry | 4 | Andy Hicks | 5 | | | | |
| | | Tony Drago | 9 | | | | |
| Tony Drago | 9 | Tony Drago | 9 | | | | |
| Alan Burnett | 4 | | | | | | |
| Alan Burnett | 4 | | | Tony Drago | 8 | | |
| | | | | John Higgins | 9 | | |
| Steve James | 6 | | | John Higgins | 9 | | |
| Marcus Campbell | 9 | | | | | | |
| Marcus Campbell | 9 | Marcus Campbell | 5 | | | | |
| | | John Higgins | 9 | | | | |
| John Higgins | 9 | John Higgins | 9 | | | | |
| Steve Newbury | 8 | | | | | | |

## Final

Final: Best of 19 frames. Referee: Len Ganley The Guild Hall, Preston, England, 1 December 1996. :
| Stephen Hendry Scotland | 10–9 | John Higgins Scotland |
| First session: 32–72 (69), 78–32, 105–14 (74), 16–65 (64), 80–28, 108–8 (102), 115–14 (115), 36–70, 4–93 Second session: 73–4 (73), 61–33, 108–0 (108), 59–66, 39–68, 32–96, 29–62 (54), 12–62, 82–0 (82), 77–0 (77) |||
| 115 | Highest break | 69 |
| 3 | Century breaks | 0 |
| 7 | 50+ breaks | 3 |

## Century breaks

* 141, 140 – Ken Doherty
* 141, 133, 122, 106, 106, 104 – Andy Hicks
* 140, 115, 108, 108, 104, 103, 102 – Stephen Hendry
* 138 – Darren Clarke
* 136, 118, 105, 100, 100 – Paul Hunter
* 135, 132, 109 – James Wattana
* 135, 109 – John Higgins
* 135, 106 – Jason Weston
* 132, 113 – Nigel Bond
* 131 – Shokat Ali
* 130 – Tony Chappel
* 130 – Steve Newbury
* 124, 119, 106, 104 – Mark Williams
* 122, 103 – Tony Drago
* 122, 102 – Marcus Campbell
* 116 – Karl Broughton
* 115 – Tai Pichit
* 111, 100 – Anthony Hamilton
* 110 – Peter Ebdon
* 110 – Ronnie O'Sullivan
* 109, 107 – David Gray
* 109, 101 – John Parrott
* 109 – Stephen Lee
* 108 – Jonathan Birch
* 105 – Joe Johnson
* 104 – Gary Wilkinson
* 102, 102, 100 – Terry Murphy
* 102 – Tony Jones
* 102 – Billy Snaddon
* 101 – Quinten Hann