“Never dealt with more blatant cheating. Embarrassing” – Mason Whitlock fumes after Day Two Q-School exit

Mason Whitlock’s European Q-School campaign took a dramatic turn on Day Two after a heavy Last 128 defeat was followed by a pointed public reaction on social media.

After losing 5-0 to Germany’s Robin Pietsch, Whitlock took to his Instagram Story to vent his frustration, writing: “I’ve never in my life dealt with more tactics and blatant cheating. Embarrassing tbh.” The post quickly drew attention as one of the more striking reactions to emerge from the early stages of Q-School.

Whitlock’s Day Two began with solid progress through the field. He opened with a 5-3 victory over Douwe van Kalkeren in the Last 512, before easing past Stevie Moreira 5-1 to reach the Last 256. That set up a place in the Last 128, where Pietsch proved far too strong, running out a 5-0 winner to end Whitlock’s hopes of advancing further.

The result brought an abrupt halt to what had been a promising day at the oche, and the frustration was clear in Whitlock’s post-match response online.

While Whitlock’s tournament ended at that stage, Pietsch went on to enjoy a deep run through the remainder of the day. The German progressed all the way to the play-off round, where his own Q-School challenge eventually came to an end with a 5-0 defeat to Dutchman Davy Proosten.

For Whitlock, the focus now turns away from Day Two, with his social media comments adding an extra layer of intrigue to an already intense Q-School environment.

As the son of two-time world championship finalist Simon Whitlock, Mason Whitlock arrived at Q-School carrying a familiar surname and heightened scrutiny. Day Two delivered both progress and controversy, underlining just how unforgiving the Q-School format can be, particularly when margins are tight and emotions run high.

With European Q-School continuing, Whitlock’s comments ensure his Day Two exit will be remembered not just for the scoreline, but for the reaction that followed.