Barry Hawkins got the crowd on their feet at the UK Championship on Wednesday, making a maximum 147 break in his first round clash with Gerard Greene.
It is the 155th maximum in snooker history, the third 147 of the Hawk’s career and his first since 2015 when he rolled in a maxi against Stephen Maguire in the Championship League.
It is also the first 147 at the UK Championship since Mark Allen managed the feat in 2016 against Rod Lawler.
There is no single prize for making a 147, but the highest break prize at the UK Championship is £15,000 so he is very likely to be taking that home, or at least will share it with anyone else who nails a max.
The world number 10 made the huge break in the fourth frame of his clash with Greene, taking a 4-0 lead in sensational style.
Hawkins had warmed up with breaks of 91, 68 and 80 in the first three frames before making the iconic number in the fourth.
Barry’s superb effort was the fourth maximum of the season, meaning there are now 16 more needed for players to share a £1m bonus pot.
If there are 20 maximum breaks over the season then anyone who makes one will share out a cool £1m, although this target remains a long, long way away.
There has never been more than 13 maximum breaks in a season before and Hawkins himself has been disparaging of the new prize system, which was brought in at the start of the season.
‘In all honesty it’s an absolute waste of time, it’s the worst decision ever I think,’ Hawkins told Metro.co.uk. ‘No one’s going to go for them now because there’s no way in a million years there’s going to be 20 in a season.
‘Everyone thinks they’re not going to get a share of the prize anyway so they’re better off going for the highest break, so yeah, it’s pointless.’
Also making maximum breaks so far this season have been Tom Ford, who has incredibly made two, and Stuart Bingham.
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