When does a maximum become a 180? When it's Ronnie O'Sullivan, writing more history. That's when.
In a season when snooker's 147, once considered as rare as the Abominable Snowman, has made frequent appearances for the cameras, it was left to O'Sullivan to demonstrate that nobody does it better. Sinking his second 147 in barely two hours at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August, O'Sullivan secured a record £180,333 in prize money.
As his half-century milestone approaches in December, O'Sullivan maintains an bold streak that sets him apart. Almost three decades after his legendary lightning-fast maximum at the Crucible, he continues to be pure box office.
But O'Sullivan, who starts his quest for a record-extending ninth title, is in good company in understanding the path to a maximum. There have been an astonishing 25 so far on the professional tour in 2025, shattering the calendar year best of 14.
'Any tour professional is now capable'
"Picture Moira Stuart in 1983 coming on the Six O'Clock News and telling the nation Cliff Thorburn's had a 147 at the Crucible. It would now get missed because it's just like, 'oh, there's been another 147'."
That's the assessment of Shaun Murphy, fourth on the all-time list with 10 maximums. He has a point. Thorburn's maximum was a seminal event for 1983's armchair sports fan. It was only the second official maximum, with Steve Davis achieving the first. Davis' prize? One of the sponsor's cars.
There were just 8 147s across the entire 1980s, a snooker decade bursting with soap opera drama and towering characters. For sheer quality, nothing touches the current one.
"Professionals are pursuing their career records and the tour are putting incentives out there," notes Murphy. "Players are more aware of these challenges. They're practising for them."
Legendary figures like Alex Higgins never had a maximum break on tour. Nor did other world champions. Yet rising star Aaron Hill made two inside four weeks. The 23-year-old cannot believe Higgins never had one.
Hill says: "There will be a lot of players who haven't had one. It was always a goal to have my name on the board. The buzz is unreal. Everyone on the tour now could make one. We're almost anticipating one in every tournament. It's everyone egging each other on."
How do you make a 147?
"In my opinion if there is a secret, it's seeing it early," explains Shaun Murphy. "When you approach the table early and take a couple of reds and some blacks, and you see the black's on to both pockets... we all think 'hang on a minute, there's a 147 on here'.
"I remain proud of the one I made in the Shoot Out because I tried to make it from the very first pot. To have the personal challenge and then achieve it in the cauldron of the Shoot Out was really something."
Murphy describes the unique atmosphere: "When you're on a maximum, everyone in the room knows it and it intensifies their attention. Everyone's focus zooms in on you." Are maximums becoming commonplace? "Not in my view."
What's next if the 147 code has been cracked?
- Snooker is waiting for its first official maximum by a woman. China's Bai Yulu had a 145 at a recently held championship.
- Two 147s in the same match has been accomplished. Two in back-to-back frames next?
- The one-five-five (a 147 plus eight points from a foul shot at the start) has never been achieved in tournament play. Footage exists of a player making one in practice.
- The 167 is "probably the next step," says Murphy, referring to a new challenge involving a special bonus ball for a huge financial prize.
Ronnie O'Sullivan, he's coming for you...
Murphy proposes the surge of maximums is straightforward to understand. "My belief is everyone's getting better. Some of the players lower in the standings that the general public have never heard of, on their day they can beat anyone."
The improving "quality and consistency of playing conditions" is also credited as a factor. But ultimately, the players are the ones potting the shots.
Hill now owns two maximums. O'Sullivan possesses the record of 17. "Watch out Ronnie, he's coming for you." It is said in jest, but Hill welcomes the challenge.
"By the conclusion of my career, I believe I'll be well up there with maximum breaks," he declares. At the very least, players now go about their everyday matches with the thought that the next frame is rich in promise.
Pot the red, add the black. Again and again.
