2026 British Open Snooker Begins in Cheltenham

The 2026 British Open snooker tournament began on Monday, August 31, at the Centaur in Cheltenham, with defending champion Shaun Murphy opening his title defense and world number one Zhao Xintong starting his first event atop the rankings. The event, the fourth ranking tournament of the 2026-27 season, features a unique random draw for each round, meaning top players can face each other from the very first match. Murphy, who won the title last year by defeating Anthony McGill in the final, began his campaign with a 4-0 victory over 12-time women's world champion Reanne Evans. In other early results, Mark Williams was whitewashed 4-0 by David Gilbert.