Thirty players have cleared the first hurdle in their quest to reach the top tier of professional billiards.
The Professional Billiards Association (PBA) announced Wednesday that 30 players advanced to Round 2 following the conclusion of the 2026 PBA Q-School Round 1, held over three days from January 5 at the PBA Stadium in KINTEX, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
A total of 68 players ranked 25th to 120th in the Dream Tour (second division) competed in Round 1. On the opening day, January 5, nine players secured Round 2 berths, including overall top finisher Kim Dong-hyun, along with Jo Hwa-woo and Yoon Sung-soo. On January 6, eight players advanced including Kim Byung-seop and Kim Kwang-jin, while seven more secured their spots on the final day, January 7, including Seo Dae-hyun and Kim Gyu-jun. Six additional players, including Yoon Yong-je and Kim Jung-hoon, were also added to the qualifying list.
These 30 players will face decisive matches in Q-School Round 2, scheduled for three days starting January 13 at the same venue.
Round 2 will see the entry of first-division players who finished in the bottom 50% (ranked 61st to 120th), including Hwang Deuk-hee (SY) and Han Ji-seung (Welcome Savings Bank), all facing relegation. Approximately 30 players who pass Round 2 will secure spots in the first-division tour for the 2026-2027 season, which begins in May.
On January 12, the day before Q-School Round 2, the 2026 LPBA Tryout will be held for women seeking to enter the women's division. A total of 38 players will compete in three tournament rounds, with final selections based on a comprehensive evaluation of combined rankings and overall match performance.