Wayne, Griffiths' son, sharing the news on Facebook, wrote, \u201cTerry Griffiths OBE passed away peacefully on 1st December, after a lengthy battle with dementia. He was surrounded by his family in his beloved hometown in South Wales.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cA proud Welshman, Terry was born in Llanelli, brought pride to Llanelli, and now he has found peace in Llanelli. He would not have had it any other way.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Griffiths rose to global fame in 1979 when he became the first qualifier to win the World Snooker Championship, defeating Dennis Taylor 24-16 and marking a turning point in the sport's history.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Griffiths went on to complete snooker\u2019s prestigious \u2018Triple Crown,\u2019 adding the 1980 Masters and the 1982 UK Championship to his trophy cabinet. At the peak of his career, he reached a world ranking of third and was honoured with an OBE in 2007 for his services to snooker.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Following his retirement in 1997, he transitioned into coaching, where his impact was equally profound. He became a mentor to some of the sport\u2019s greatest players, including Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, and Mark Allen.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The World Snooker Tour\u2019s official X (formerly Twitter) account shared a heartfelt message: \u201cWe are deeply saddened tonight to hear that Terry Griffiths, a former world champion and all-time snooker great, has passed away at the age of 77. Our sincere condolences to Terry\u2019s family and many friends. He was loved and respected by everyone in the sport.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Following his retirement in 1997, he transitioned into coaching, where his impact was equally profound. He became a mentor to some of the sport\u2019s greatest players, including Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, and Mark Allen.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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