JUDD TRUMP ensured it was third time lucky as he won group 3 of the Championship League at Crondon Park Golf Club on Tuesday night.
Trump was beaten 3-2 by Ricky Walden in the group 1 final and 3-0 by Joe Perry in the final of group 2 but defeated Ryan Day 3-0 in only 27 minutes to finally secure his place in the winners’ group in March.
Trump finished fourth in the seven man group but beat Shaun Murphy, who had finished top of the table, 3-0 in the semi-finals.
In the final, he made a highest break of 61 in thrashing Day, who potted just one ball in the whole match.
Romford-based Trump said: “I’m pleased to get through to the winners’ group. I enjoy playing in the tournament, it’s local to me and the standard is always high. This was my third group and it’s nice to have taken the chance to get to the winners’ group.
“I’ve been playing some really good stuff but I need to make that more consistent. The guys like Neil [Robertson] and Ronnie [O’Sullivan] do that every time but I’m still missing the odd shot here and there. I need to work on that and then I will be playing at a really high level.”
World no.4 Trump compiled four centuries during the group, including the highest, a 142 total clearance.
Robertson was beaten 3-2 by Day in the semi-finals but made two more centuries, taking his tally for the season to 70, which is 31 more than Ding Junhui, who occupies second place on the 2013/14 campaign's century-makers' list.
Group 4 of the Championship League will be played on Wednesday and Thursday and features Day, Robertson and Murphy as well as Matthew Stevens, who finished fifth in the table, and Mark Selby, Stephen Maguire and Tom Ford.
Photographs by Monique Limbos.