1979 Castle Open

The 1979 Castle Open was a pro-am snooker tournament held from late 1978 to January 1979 at the Castle Snooker Club.^[1][2] It was won by Alex Higgins, who defeated Fred Davis 5–1 in the final.^[3]

The promoter, snooker professional Bernard Bennett, who owned the Castle Club, provided a prize fund of £3,500,^[1] including a first prize of £750.^[2] Almost all of the professional snooker players who were in the country at the time participated, alongside many of the leading amateurs.^[1] All matches were played on level terms; no handicaps were applied.^[1]

The tournament was played across two blocks.^[1] The earlier rounds featured amateurs and lower-ranked professionals, with higher-ranked professionals joining in the second block,^[1] held from 19 to 21 January 1979.^[4] Only two amateurs progressed to the second block: 16-year-old Jimmy White and 19-year-old Tony Meo.^[1] White defeated professionals Jack Karnehm and David Taylor, and Meo eliminated eight-time world champion John Pulman.^[1][5]

Terry Griffiths, who had turned professional that season,^[6] later wrote that, "The matches were short and the prize money not all that much but because the proprietor, Bernard Bennett, is a professional who is well liked in the snooker world, there was a good turn-out of professionals to support his tournament."^[7]

Fred Davis reached the final at the age of 65, having eliminated Willie Thorne and Cliff Thorburn during the tournament.^[8] He won the first frame, but lost 1–5 to Alex Higgins.^[9][10][11]