HAWKERIDGE ace Ben Harrison reckons his chances of breaking into the pro game have been boosted after changes to the structure of the World Professional Tour.

World Snooker announced that the number of players competing on the professional circuit will increase from 96 to 128 from the 2013-14 season while players qualifying for the tour via next year’s Q School will keep their cards for two years, rather than one.

Amateur Harrison, 19, a regular at the Players Tour Championship events, said: “I couldn’t believe it when I found out – my manager (Neil Quigley) phoned me to tell me the news and I was jumping up and down.

“The hardest thing once you get on the tour is to stay on in that first season, so the fact that it’ll be for two seasons at least is really exciting.

“Getting on the tour is all I think about – if I finish as one of the top amateurs in the PTC series then I might get on but if not, then I’ll just have to try for the Q School (next May).

“I spend time talking to the top players at the PTCs and they’re always asking me how I’m getting on so I just want to be part of it.”

Harrison notched up his best-ever result in the PTC series at the start of last month as he reached the last 32 at the seventh tournament at the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester, eventually losing to world number 15 Matt Stevens.