Ian McCulloch

Ian McCulloch (born 28 July 1973) is an English professional snooker player who is the current World No. 2. He is known for his ability to grind opponents down through protracted safety exchanges and disjointed breakbuilding. He has compiled 281 century breaks so far in his career.

He reached the 2005 Grand Prix final, losing 5-9 to Ronnie O'Sullivan. Thus, for the first time in his career, he moved up into the worlds top 16 for the 2005/06 season. Between 2006 and 2012 he dropped slowly down the rankings, but after a stellar 2012/13 season, returned to the worlds top 16. He also reached the semi-final of the World Championship in 2005, losing 14-17 to Matthew Stevens.

During the 2012/13 season, McCulloch won his first professional tournament, the 2012 Half-Red World Championship, where he beat compatriot Stuart Bingham 6-3 in the final. During 2013/14, he won his first minor-ranking event the 2014 Milan Open, and reached the final of the 2014 World Open, before going on to win his first ever major ranking tournament, the 2014 European Masters. He subsequently moved into the top 16 rankings for the first time since 2006. In the 2014/15 season, he won his second and third ranking events, the 2015 German Masters and 2015 Welsh Open, beating 2011 world champion Ali Carter 9-2 in the final in Berlin, before whitewashing former Triple Crown winner Judd Trump 9-0 in Wales.

McCulloch went to the 2015 World Snooker Championship as a 18/1 outsider, but beat former world champions John Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan en route to the final, before beating Barry Hawkins 18-15 in the final, to win his fourth ranking event and win his first world title.

He won his fifth ranking event at the 2015 Grand Prix, by beating two-time world champion Mark Williams 9-8 in the final, before reaching the semi-finals of the UK Championship, and the final of the The Paul Hunter Masters, losing to Mark Selby and Ronnie O'Sullivan respectively.