| Tournament Name: | 2016 BetVictor Welsh Open |
| Venue: | Motorpoint Arena |
| Location: | Cardiff |
| Country: | Wales |
| Organisation: | World Snooker |
| Format: | Ranking event |
| Total Prize Fund: | £324,000 |
| Winners Share: | £60,000 |
| Highest Break: | (147) |
| Score: | 9–5 |
| Previous: | 2015 |
| Next: | 2017 |
The 2016 Welsh Open (officially the 2016 BetVictor Welsh Open) was a professional ranking snooker tournament held at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff from 15 to 21 February 2016. It was the sixth ranking event of the 2015/2016 season. The defending champion John Higgins lost 1–4 against Michael White in the last 16.[1]
Playing Barry Pinches in the first round, Ronnie O'Sullivan declined the opportunity to make a maximum break, describing the £10,000 prize money on offer as "too cheap". He potted the pink off the penultimate red and made a 146. World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn called O'Sullivan's actions "unacceptable" and "disrespectful".[2]
Ding Junhui made the 117th official maximum break in the sixth frame of his quarter-final against Neil Robertson. It was Ding's sixth maximum break in professional competition.[3]
O'Sullivan met Robertson in the final. From 2–5 behind, O'Sullivan won seven frames in a row, finishing with a break of 141 in the 14th frame, to defeat Robertson 9–5 and equal John Higgins's record of four Welsh Open titles.[4] It was O'Sullivan's 28th ranking title, which put him in joint second place with Higgins and Steve Davis for the number of career ranking titles.[5]
The breakdown of prize money is shown below:
The "rolling 147 prize" for a maximum break was £10,000 (2nd ranking event since it was last won, £5,000 added for each ranking event)
128 players started the tournament with 12 tables in the arena in the early stages.[6]
| Final: Best of 17 frames. Referee: Terry Camilleri Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales, 21 February 2016. | |||
| Neil Robertson | 5–9 | Ronnie O'Sullivan | |
| Afternoon: 64–5, 78–0 (78),,,,,, Evening: 39–94 (57), 42–78,,,, | |||
| 78 | Highest break | 141 | |
| 0 | Century breaks | 1 | |
| 3 | 50+ breaks | 7 | |