Who is snooker world champion John Higgins?

JOHN Higgins, MBE, is a Scottish snooker legend dubbed The Wizard of Wishaw and The Kid. 

He has won over 31 titles during his snooker career making him one of the best players to grace the game. 

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Who is John Higgins?

Higgins was born on May 18, 1975, in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire in Scotland.

The Scot regularly played snooker from an early age with his talent for the game clearly evident. 

At only 16, became a professional snooker player winning his first ranking tournament at the Grand Prix aged 19. 

His phenomenal rise saw the young Higgins win two more tournaments including the British Open and the International Open, as well as reaching the Welsh Open and the Masters’ finals.  

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There was no stopping Higgins and soon after he won his first World Championship in 1998 setting a new record and becoming world number one. 

He is one of only five players in history to win the World and UK Championships in the same year and received a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his immense talent. 

Higgins received a six-month ban and £75,000 fine in 2010 for talking about betting and for failing to report an approach about illicit gambling.

Is John Higgins married and does he have any children?   

Higgins married Denise in 2010 who he has known since his school days at Wishaw High School. 

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The couple have three children together - Oliver, Pierce and Claudia.  

What are John Higgins' biggest achievements?  

Higgins was the first teenager to win three ranking events in one season. 

Over the span of his career, the Scot has won three UK Championships, four World Championships and two Masters’ titles earning him a total of nine Triple Crown titles. 

He has achieved 12 official competitive maximum breaks during his career.

In total he was won 31 titles and has achieved the impressive world number 1 ranking four times. 

Higgins' wins over his career has placed him as the third all-time winner overall behind Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry. 

What is John Higgins' net worth?   

Higgins is regarded as one of the wealthiest snooker players in the world. 

He has amassed a net worth of around £12.6m ($16.2m) and is still going strong.