Local cue sports star successfully defends a big pool title in Weston-Super-Mare
Local cue sports ace Mark Gray took down Event 3 of the International Rules Pool Tour Seniors Tour in Weston-Super-Mare for the second year in a row.
Understandably the resident professional at Bourne Snooker Centre has not reached the dizzying heights of last season when wins seemed to arrive every weekend, but this was a welcome return to top form after one semi-final place and one last 16 appearance in the series this term.
Gray has still picked up six titles in total in 2026 though including two over 40 tour wins, a pair of IRPT Amateur tour wins and the Berkshire Seniors Open.
Gray came out on top of 128 players to collect a first prize of £1,200 in Somerset. He beat Leon Fernandez, a former snooker pro who once took on Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible, 7-4 in the final after racing into a 6-0 lead.
Gray had beaten Ultimate Pool Pro Dylan Leary 6-3 in the semi-final despite falling 2-1 behind after seeing off Norfolk’s Pete Mullaney 6-4 in the quarter-final from 3-0 down. Mullaney had beaten former World Champion Phil Harrison, winner of the two previous events in the series this summer, in the last 16.
Gray won all seven of his group games and beat Ireland’s John McMahon (5-1), Andrew Jones of Wales (5-0) and Rugby’s Surinder Singh (6-4) to reach the last eight.
He is next in action next month in the IRPT Amateur Event 4 in Leicester before he tackles a big senior amateur competition in Daventry which has a £3,200 first prize.