Introduction
Tyler Rees is an amateur snooker from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. After discovering cue sports at the age of 8, he later learned his trade with the Welsh Billiards & Snooker Association (WBSA). He started winning international tournaments in 2016. Rees beat Brian Ochoiski, Ross Bulman and now-professional Jackson Page to win the European Under-18 Snooker Championship. In the same year, Rees won the U18 MIUS Cup that featured forty players and seven different nationalities.
Due to his international success, Tyler Rees was invited to the 2016 World Championship qualifiers, where he was whitewashed by Jimmy Robertson. He was the Welsh wildcard at the 2017 Welsh Open, losing to Jamie Jones in the first round. Since then, he featured in the 2017 and 2018 World Championship qualifiers and was part of the winning Wales A team in the Home Internationals in 2019. Rees is also the U21 European runner-up, beaten by German Simon Lichtenberg 6-3.
Tyler Rees received a late entry to the Challenge Tour Play Offs, having finished 9th on The Challenge Tour. He will play professional Adam Stefanów in the first round of the 2020 World Championship Qualifiers. He will also participate in this year’s Q School.
We had a lovely chat earlier and our interview is underneath. Enjoy!
Interview – Tyler Rees
Best Beginnings
CoR: How have you become interested in snooker?
Tyler Rees: When I was 8 years-old, I went over my friends house who had a pool table in the attic. I would often go over for a game and I enjoyed it so much that I had my own table for Christmas! I went to my local club in Llanelli called Terry Griffiths’ Matchroom and my interest developed from there.
CoR: Why did you want to try and become a professional?
Tyler Rees: Someone in my local league entered me into the Welsh amateur tournaments after seeing me play. When I was 12, I got to the final in my first U14s tournament. I realised then I had a talent and I couldn’t wait to take it further.
CoR: What has been your greatest achievement during your amateur career?
Tyler Rees: I think my greatest achievement so far has been winning the EBSA European Under-18 Championship and the MIUS Cup in the same year. I have since achieved many goals but still have a lot more to reach.
CoR: How did you rate your performances in Portugal during the European Amateur Championships? It must’ve been difficult to play under strange circumstances!
Tyler Rees: I didn’t perform well in Portugal. It just wasn’t a good tournament for me since I only reached the first knockout round of the U21 Championships. Since then I feel like I have definitely bounced back as failure only makes me work harder.
Life After Lockdown
CoR: How have you occupied yourself since lockdown started?
Tyler Rees: Lockdown hasn’t affected my routine much really! Although I have started exercising around my snooker. I’m fortunate enough to have a table at home so I’ve been taking full advantage and working very hard on my game. With all this practice under my belt I’m eager to play in tournaments during the lockdown.
CoR: Was it a surprise to receive the call that you will be participating in The Challenge Tour Play-Offs?
Tyler Rees: It was definitely a surprise but I do feel like I belong in that tournament. I only entered six out of ten events and I still managed to finish 12th in the rankings!
CoR: Are you looking forward to the challenge of competing in three tournaments in a space of a few weeks?
Tyler Rees: Definitely! I haven’t played in a tournament in so long so I feel like every extra tournament is a bonus. I will play in whatever I can and make the most of it. If the Play-Offs don’t work out, then at least I’ll have another good few chances at Q School to get on the main tour.
CoR: How much would it mean to you if you were to win a two-year professional card?
Tyler Rees: It would mean a lot to me. It would be one of my goals ticked off but I’m viewing it as the start of my snooker career rather than an end goal.
Acknowledgments
Many thanks go to Tyler Rees for taking his time out to be interviewed by me. Thanks to those who helped me organise it. I wish his the very best for the upcoming event!
Rees will play Jake Nicholson in the first round of The Challenge Tour Play-Offs on 20th July, with the rest of the competition finishing the same day. He faces Adam Stefanów in the first round of the 2020 World Championship Qualifiers on 21st July. Q School starts in early August.
I take no credit for the photos used in this interview. Owners include the WPBSA and the EBSA.
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Tyler is one of a number of promising young Welsh players, along with Jackson Page, Dylan Emery, Ben Fortey, etc. who I expect to be good professionals in the next few years. For reasons I cannot imagine, the Welsh Open seems to reserve their wildcards for players who retired many years ago. I am a keen follower of young players, and they desperately need all the help and exposure they can get, for the good of snooker, so I’m grateful for your article.
Tyler is a great guy and a good friend of my son “Liam Davies who also plays. If anyone deserves a break then it’s Tyler. He works hard and is an all round Nice person.
Yes Liam Davies is a great prospect – he could be the best one! Really, Welsh snooker has a lot to look forward to.
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