The event was first held in
1991 with 16 players aged over 40. It took place at the
Trentham Gardens in
Stoke-on-Trent with the sponsorship of
Matchroom. The final was contested between the two highest ranked players, with
Cliff Wilson defeating
Eddie Charlton 5–4 to become the inaugural champion. The event was sponsored by Wyldecrest Park Homes, who remained the sponsor until 2012. In
2011 event the minimum age for competitors was increased from 40 to 45 years, and it was moved to the
East of England Showground in
Peterborough. All matches were best of 3 frames, a 30-second shot clock was introduced after ten minutes of play, and the miss rule was altered so was awarded anywhere on table after the third miss. The field was increased to 16 players, with 12 being invited and four coming through qualifying. In
2012 the event was moved to the
Mountbatten Centre in
Portsmouth. In
2013 the number of qualifying spots was reduced to two, and the event was sponsored by
888casino.com.
Stephen Hendry became eligible to compete at tournament, because he turned 45 during the
2013/2014 season. In the
2014/2015 season the event was moved to the second half of the season, and held at
Circus Arena in
Blackpool. The minimum age for the event returned to 40 years. All former
World Seniors Champions and
World Snooker Champions, who registered for the event, were seeded through to Blackpool, and the remaining places were filled through a qualifying event. In 2017 and
2018 it was held for non-tour players aged 40 or over at the beginning of the year. From 2019 the tournament was opened back up to players on the main tour who were over 40 but ranked outside the top 64 in the world rankings. The tournament was played at the
Crucible Theatre in
Sheffield. For 2024-25, the minimum age for players on the main tour but outside the top 64 was reverted to 45 years. The minimum age for amateurs was retained at 40 years. ==Winners==