1997 Masters (snooker)
The 1997 Masters (officially the 1997 Benson & Hedges Masters) was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that took place between 2 and 9 February 1997 at the Wembley Conference Centre in London, England.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2–9 February 1997 |
| Venue | Wembley Conference Centre |
| City | London |
| Country | England |
| Organisation | WPBSA |
| Format | Non-ranking event |
| Winner's share | £135,000 |
| Highest break | Steve Davis (ENG) (130) |
| Final | |
| Champion | Steve Davis (ENG) |
| Runner-up | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) |
| Score | 10–8 |
← 1996 1998 → | |
Steve Davis won his third Masters title, nine years after his last win in 1988, by defeating Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final. O'Sullivan, who was playing in his third consecutive Masters final, took an 8–4 lead before Davis came back to win six successive frames and clinch the title with a 10–8 victory.
The final was notable for featuring snooker's first ever streaker, 22-year-old secretary Lianne Crofts, who invaded the playing area at the beginning of the third frame. After stewards removed her from the arena, O'Sullivan amused the crowd by comically wiping the brow of veteran referee John Street, who was refereeing his final match of his career.
The wild-card players included Paul Hunter, who would later go on to win 3 Masters titles in 4 years between 2001 and 2004. The highest break of the tournament was 130 made by Steve Davis.