John Higgins got here near turning into the primary participant to compile a 167 break – and win £395,000 – as the brand new golden ball was launched on the inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker.
4-time world champion Higgins, 48, transformed 15 reds and blacks however overhit his method to the yellow.
The golden ball has been introduced in for the Saudi Arabia occasion, that includes the world’s main gamers.
If a participant completes a 147, they’ve the possibility to make a report 167 break.
The golden ball – value 20 factors – sits on the highest cushion all through the body for so long as a participant can nonetheless full the utmost break and is eliminated when the chance is over.
On the opening day of the match, Scotland’s Higgins seemed on track to create historical past within the first body of his second-round match towards Wales’ Mark Williams.
However the former world primary was unable to chop within the yellow, smiling and shaking his head as he completed with a break of 120.
Higgins, who lifted the world title in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011, went on to beat Williams 4-2, establishing a quarter-final match towards English world primary Ronnie O’Sullivan.