1998 Grand Prix (snooker)

Skoda Grand Prix

Tournament information
Dates	14–25 October 1998
Venue	Guild Hall
City	Preston
Country	England
Organisation	WPBSA
Format	Ranking event
Total prize fund	£370,000
Winner's share	£60,000
Highest break	Peter Ebdon (139)
Final
Champion	Stephen Lee
Runner-up	Marco Fu
Score	9–2
← 1997 1999 →

The 1998 Skoda Grand Prix was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 14–25 October 1998 at the Guild Hall in Preston, England.

Stephen Lee and Marco Fu both contested a ranking tournament final for the first time in their careers, Lee prevailing 9–2 to claim his first ranking title.

Tournament summary

Defending champion Dominic Dale was the number 1 seed with World Champion John Higgins seeded 2. The remaining places were allocated to players based on the world rankings.

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:

• Winner: £60,000
• Runner-up: £32,000
• Semi-final: £16,000
• Quarter-final: £9,100
• Last 16: £4,600
• Last 32: £2,600
• Last 64: £2,225

• Stage one highest break: £1,100
• Stage two highest break: £5,000
• Total: £370,000

Main draw

	Last 64 Best of 9 frames					Last 32 Best of 9 frames					Last 16 Best of 9 frames					Quarter-finals Best of 9 frames					Semi-finals Best of 11 frames					Final Best of 17 frames
	1	Dominic Dale	0
		Robin Hull	5
							Robin Hull	3
						18	Gary Wilkinson	5
	18	Gary Wilkinson	5
		Matthew Couch	0
											18	Gary Wilkinson	0
											31	Jamie Burnett	5
	14	Nigel Bond	5
		Patrick Wallace	2
						14	Nigel Bond	2
						31	Jamie Burnett	5
	31	Jamie Burnett	5
	37	Steve James	1
																31	Jamie Burnett	3
																25	Chris Small	5
	12	Anthony Hamilton	5
		Leigh Griffin	4
						12	Anthony Hamilton	5
						24	Paul Hunter	1
	24	Paul Hunter	5
		Jimmy Michie	2
											12	Anthony Hamilton	2
											25	Chris Small	5
	7	John Parrott	5
		Colm Gilcreest	4
						7	John Parrott	4
						25	Chris Small	5
	25	Chris Small	5
		Stuart Pettman	3
																					25	Chris Small	1
																						Marco Fu	6
	8	Peter Ebdon	5
	36	Joe Swail	3
						8	Peter Ebdon	5
						32	Billy Snaddon	1
	32	Billy Snaddon	5
	64	Nick Pearce	1
											8	Peter Ebdon	5
											9	Alan McManus	0
	9	Alan McManus	5
	54	Dean Reynolds	2
						9	Alan McManus	5
						55	Joe Johnson	3
	29	Terry Murphy	3
	55	Joe Johnson	5
																8	Peter Ebdon	3
																	Marco Fu	5
	11	Tony Drago	2
	43	Drew Henry	5
						43	Drew Henry	3
							Marco Fu	5
	22	Andy Hicks	4
		Marco Fu	5
												Marco Fu	5
											4	Ronnie O'Sullivan	2
	4	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
		Sam Chong	3
						4	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
						17	Mark King	2
	17	Mark King	5
	59	Gerard Greene	2
																											Marco Fu	2
																										10	Stephen Lee	9
	3	Stephen Hendry	5
	60	Ian McCulloch	1
						3	Stephen Hendry	5
						48	David Roe	0
	26	Matthew Stevens	1
	48	David Roe	5
											3	Stephen Hendry	5
											27	Brian Morgan	3
	13	Alain Robidoux	1
	40	Rod Lawler	5
						40	Rod Lawler	2
						27	Brian Morgan	5
	27	Brian Morgan	5
	61	David Gray	3
																3	Stephen Hendry	4
																20	Dave Harold	5
	16	James Wattana	1
	38	Euan Henderson	5
						38	Euan Henderson	2
						20	Dave Harold	5
	20	Dave Harold	5
		Alex Borg	0
											20	Dave Harold	5
											49	Shokat Ali	0
	5	Ken Doherty	5
		David McDonnell	0
						5	Ken Doherty	3
						49	Shokat Ali	5
	19	Jimmy White	4
	49	Shokat Ali	5
																					20	Dave Harold	4
																					10	Stephen Lee	6
	6	Mark Williams	5
	58	Michael Judge	3
						6	Mark Williams	4
						23	Darren Morgan	5
	23	Darren Morgan	5
		Robert Milkins	4
											23	Darren Morgan	2
											10	Stephen Lee	5
	10	Stephen Lee	5
	63	Tony Jones	3
						10	Stephen Lee	5
						21	Fergal O'Brien	1
	21	Fergal O'Brien	5
		Mark Johnston-Allen	1
																10	Stephen Lee	5
																45	Quinten Hann	0
	15	Steve Davis	4
	57	Dene O'Kane	5
						57	Dene O'Kane	4
						35	Jason Ferguson	5
	28	Martin Clark	3
	35	Jason Ferguson	5
											35	Jason Ferguson	3
											45	Quinten Hann	5
	2	John Higgins	1
	45	Quinten Hann	5
						45	Quinten Hann	5
							Alan Burnett	4
	30	Graeme Dott	3
		Alan Burnett	5

Final

Final: Best of 17 frames. Referee: John Newton. Preston Guild Hall, Preston, England, 25 October 1998.
Marco Fu Hong Kong	2–9	Stephen Lee (10) England
Afternoon: 8–115 (50), 0–128 (128), 17–75 (75), 0–130 (66, 64), 82–4 (82), 33–99 (66), 0–77 (70), 85–12 (85) Evening: 0–107 (90), 1–93 (57), 5–106 (106)
85	Highest break	128
0	Century breaks	2
2	50+ breaks	10

Century breaks

• 139 Peter Ebdon
• 134 Ronnie O'Sullivan
• 129 Martin Clark
• 128, 126, 106, 104 Stephen Lee
• 123 Marco Fu
• 121, 111, 110 Quinten Hann
• 121 John Parrott

• 120 Tony Drago
• 115, 107 Chris Small
• 110 Dene O'Kane
• 108 Stephen Hendry
• 106 Jason Ferguson
• 104, 103 Dave Harold
• 104, 102 Mark Williams