Report – Dave Causier wins season opener in Leeds; Carl Walter Steiner now ranked 71st in World Billiards rankings

The start of the World Billiards season, running from August 2025 to June 2026, once again saw Englishman Dave Causier as the almost customary figure in the winner’s photo of the Ian Williamson Open, traditionally held at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds.

Anyone following the World Billiards Open Tour will have noticed that, alongside Causier, hardly any other player has occupied the top step of the podium over the past two seasons. The 52-year-old Englishman impressed yet again with his attacking power – showcased, among other things, by the tournament’s highest break of 743 points – and deservedly claimed the first event of the season. In the final, the reigning World Matchplay champion defeated his fellow Englishman Peter Sheehan 729-354, earning £750 in prize money (including the high-break bonus).

From an Austrian perspective, all eyes were on billiards all-rounder Carl Walter Steiner, a regular participant in WBL tournaments and now, in 71st place, once again the highest-ranked Austrian in the world rankings. In Group A – where he faced, among others, multiple world champion Peter Gilchrist from Singapore – the Viennese player had to settle for fourth place, which unfortunately was not enough to progress to the knockout stage.

The next events of the season will take the World Billiards tour to Australia and New Zealand, where three tournaments are scheduled from 5 to 14 September. Unsurprisingly, CW Steiner will also be competing there, aiming to collect more valuable ranking points for a good seeding ahead of the upcoming World Championship in October.

In late spring 2026, one of the international season’s highlight tournaments will take place in Vienna, when the European Billiards Open – a second-tier WBL event – will be held for the first time, in combination with the Austrian Billiards Open taking place the weekend before, both staged at the Austrian Snooker and Billiards Academy in Vienna. The exact date for this double event will be announced in autumn 2025.

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