Snooker's dreaded Q School is back, where players battle fiercely to keep their careers and dreams alive in an atmosphere of intense pressure. Each season, 128 players compete on the main professional tour, with eight earning their spots through UK Q School—two nail-biting tournaments held in Leicester. Participants include those who dropped off the main tour last month, faded stars seeking a comeback, and ambitious newcomers aiming to turn professional for the first time.
The 'Worst Tournament in the World'
Q School has a gruesome reputation, described by veterans as 'absolutely brutal,' a 'bloodbath,' and a place where you see 'dead men walking' among the snooker tables. Few understand its rigours better than Phil O'Kane, who is competing for the 14th time this year. 'It's just the atmosphere,' O'Kane said. 'It goes so eerie when you go in there, no one's talking. It's the worst tournament in the world.' He added, 'You've got to learn how to deal with it. I can't stand it, but you need to not dread it to try and play well. Instead of playing for your life, you've got to just try to enjoy playing snooker and not think about what's at stake. I'm saying this now, but when I'm 3-3 on Thursday night I'll be shaking like a leaf and hating myself!'
A Long Journey of Perseverance
The 33-year-old O'Kane is still bidding to graduate from Q School for the first time, having alternated between playing full-time and working as a lift engineer. For the last three years, his focus has been solely on snooker, and he intends to keep it that way until his goal is achieved. 'I've given up so many times, thought life was better working, then just come crawling back,' he said. 'Now I've come to terms with it, I'm not going to give up no more. Eventually it'll happen.'
Earnings away from the pro game are modest, but O'Kane is backed by a support team that keeps the dream alive. Sponsors Coinpresso, BJM Construction, and his club Spots and Stripes in Redhill allow him to stay on the baize and away from fixing lifts. 'Luckily I've got good people around me, so the earning side isn't too bad,' he said. 'But it's just keeping yourself motivated. The setbacks, the bad losses, all that side is so hard to take and you never really get taught how to deal with that when you're younger. When you go to a tournament only one person will leave happy. So every time you're coming home sad and you learn so much about yourself in those times. It's horrible, but as you get older you learn and I've learned that having good people around you is everything.'
From Local Prodigy to Gritty Contender
O'Kane's journey began when his father introduced him to a pool table in a local pub, leading to early success on the snooker table before a harsh reality check. 'My first ever tournament was Star of the Future at Pontin's, Prestatyn,' he recalled. 'It was three grand for the winner, plus sponsorship. I was such a big fish in a little pond in my own little social club. I was like, "I've won this." Went up there, I had Kyren Wilson, Jack Lisowski, Anthony McGill, Duane Jones, and Jak Jones in my group. I think I won one frame. Back to reality. My first ever big tournament, I just got a biggest slap in the face ever. Then the hard work starts, you get the bug for it.'
The Sidcup cueist admits it has been challenging watching contemporaries achieve big things in the game—players he still competes with on the practice table. 'The whole friendship group growing up, your mates you become close with, some of them are on the main tour and you think, "I was beating you back then, why can I not do that?" I feel like jealousy is the wrong word for it, but you see one of your mates you beat in practice do really well and you think, "why can't that be me?" But that's what keeps the dream alive and pumping. Like Jak Jones, he's one of my best mates, he got to the World final two years ago. About a month before that, he was up practising with me and I think I lost 10-8 in a best-of-19. He could have been world champion! It's nuts.'
The Agony of Near Misses
O'Kane hopes to translate his practice form into Q School success this year, eager to put past painful experiences to good use. 'The thing that's horrible about this tournament is the whole season relies on these two weeks,' he said. 'On one bad game, or even one bad shot. I lost 4-3 to Mateusz Baranowski in the third to last round last year. I potted the blue to win 4-3 and went in-off. I walked away from that, honestly, I was devastated. He's got on tour and done all right. How can one shot make his next two years and ruin mine? A few years ago I lost to Elliot Slessor 4-3 in a close decider in the second to last round of the EBSA playoffs. There's been so many near misses, which is another reason why you keep chasing because you know you're there or thereabouts.'
Aiming for the Main Tour
The ambition to compete at the top of snooker remains, and while reality has perhaps trimmed the loftiest goals, O'Kane believes he has plenty of years ahead to make his mark. 'The first goal is getting on the main tour,' he said. 'I was one of the top top-ups a few years ago, so I played a lot of ranking events. I've been on TV, I've done that side. When you're a kid you want to become world champion and play on TV, whereas as you get older, it's all about earning a living. Now I just want to get on the main tour, give myself a proper crack at it. Then it's about getting in the top 64 and climbing the rankings as high as possible. I think it's unrealistic to say now I want to be world champion because that's every kid's dream and there's only a certain few that do it. It's just one goal at a time. Get on the main tour, get in the 64 and then just see where it goes from there.'
O'Kane acknowledges the external pressure: 'People around you don't really understand, people are like, "why are you still chasing? What are you doing?" You've got to tell yourself you're still young enough in the game of snooker and you've got to trust your own ability. If you don't do it, who else will?'
Q School Event 1 runs from May 21-26, with Event 2 from May 27-June 1, available to stream on WST's YouTube.
