1986 Classic (snooker)
The 1986 Mercantile Credit Classic was the seventh edition of the professional snooker tournament. The tournament was played at the Spectrum Arena, Warrington, Cheshire, and was televised on ITV from the last 16 round which started on 3 January 1986.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 3–12 January 1986 |
| Venue | Spectrum Arena |
| City | Warrington |
| Country | England |
| Organisation | WPBSA |
| Format | Ranking event |
| Total prize fund | £225,000 |
| Winner's share | £45,000 |
| Highest break | Jimmy White (ENG) (117x2) |
| Final | |
| Champion | Jimmy White (ENG) |
| Runner-up | Cliff Thorburn (CAN) |
| Score | 13–12 |
← 1985 1987 → | |
The earlier rounds (Pre last 16) were played between 8–13 November 1985. Defending champion Willie Thorne lost at the last-64 stage to Tony Jones 3–5.
Cliff Thorburn beat Doug Mountjoy 9–6 in the first semi-final. Thorburn led 5–2 after the first session and then 7–3 before Mountjoy won two frames in a row. Thorburn won the match in the 15th frame with a break of 72. Jimmy White beat Rex Williams 9–7 in the second semi-final, Williams having led 6–5.
Jimmy White won his first ranking event beating Cliff Thorburn 13–12 in the final, winning on the final black ball. White had been 7–8 behind at the end of the first day's play in the final, including a one frame penalty for arriving two minutes late for the start of the Saturday evening session.
The tournament had a prize fund of £225,000, with the winner receiving £45,000.