List of world three-cushion billiards champions

the World Three-Cushion Championship is a billiards competition held in the Americas.[1] It was the most prestigious Three-cushion tournament up until the UMB World Three-cushion Championship popularized Three-cushion in Europe. The event was held in United States and from 1928 ran alongside the UMB World Three-cushion Championship, both as World Championship events. By the 1950s, the popularity of thre-cushion had declined in the US following the retirement of Willie Hoppe.[2][3][4][5]

History

The first three-cushion billiards tournament took place at Mussey’s Billiard Hall in the United States in 1878. The winner was Leon Magnus, who received a cash prize of $75 (equivalent to $2,274 in 2023). However, fans of cue sports were not immediately taken with the new sport of three-cushion billiards. This lack of popularity resulted in a lull in the occurrence of additional tournaments in the United States for several years. In the subsequent decades, the tournament was held only once in 1899 and was won by William Catton.

The popularity of three-cushion billiards increased with the introduction of the Lambert Trophy in 1907. To win this trophy, a player had to defeat others in a knockout-style tournament. Harry Cline was the first winner of the Lambert Trophy. Around this time, less formal tournaments also became popular, especially in the United States. These were designed for both amateur and professional players, with the winner receiving a trophy or cup. Tournaments took place in billiard parlours with proprietors using posters to advertise the tournament events.

Winners

In the 1870s, Wayman McCreery invented the game of three-cushion.[1]

Sanctioned World Championship events

NBAA- National Billiard Association of America (1921 to 1942)

BAA- Billiard Association of America (1944 to 1947)

BCA- Billiard Congress of America (1947 to 1961)

Year	Winner	Runner-up
1921	August Kieckhefer	Alfredo De Oro
1921	August Kieckhefer	Johnny Layton
1922	Johnny Layton	Alfredo De Oro
1922	Johnny Layton	Charles McCourt
1923	Tilford Denton	Otto Reiselt
1924	Robert Cannefax	Johnny Layton
1927	August Kieckhefer	Otto Reiselt
1927	Otto Reiselt	August Kieckhefer
1927	Otto Reiselt	Gus Copulos
1927	Otto Reiselt	Allen Hall
1928	Otto Reiselt	Tilford Denton
1928	Johnny Layton	Willie Hoppe
1930	Johnny Layton	Otto Reiselt
1931[6]	Arthur Thurnblad	Allen Hall
1932	August Kieckhefer	Otto Reiselt
1933	Welker Cochran	Jay Bozeman
1934	Johnny Layton	Allen Hall
1935	Johnny Layton	Allen Hall
1935	Welker Cochran	Willie Hoppe
1936	Willie Hoppe	Welker Cochran
1936	Welker Cochran	Kinrey Matsuyama
1939	Joe Chamaco	Raymond Champanioni
1940	Willie Hoppe	Jake Schaefer Jr.
1941	Willie Hoppe	Jake Schaefer Jr.
1941	Willie Hoppe	Jake Schaefer Jr.
1942	Willie Hoppe	Welker Cochran
1944	Willie Hoppe	Welker Cochran
1944	Welker Cochran	Willie Hoppe
1945	Welker Cochran	Willie Hoppe
1946	Willie Hoppe	Jake Schaefer Jr.
1947	Willie Hoppe	Arthur Rubin
1947	Willie Hoppe	Arthur Rubin
1948	Willie Hoppe	Enrique Navarra
1949	Willie Hoppe	Joe Chamaco
1950	Willie Hoppe	Joe Chamaco
1950	Willie Hoppe	Joe Chamaco
1951	Willie Hoppe	Joe Chamaco
1952	Willie Hoppe	Kinrey Matsuyama
1953	Ray Kilgore	Jay Bozeman
1954[7]	Harold Worst	Enrique Navarra
1957	Harold Worst	Joe Chamaco
1960	Harold Worst	Joe Chamaco
1961	Harold Worst	Masako Katsura

Top performers

Name	Nationality	Winner	Years a champion
Willie Hoppe	United States	15	12
Johnny Layton	United States	6	5
Welker Cochran	United States	5	5
Harold Worst	United States	4	4
Otto Reiselt	United States		2
August Kieckhefer	United States		3

In the event of identical records, players are sorted in alphabetical order by first name.

References

Billiards: The Official Rules and Records Book. Billiard Congress of America. 2006. ISBN 1-878493-16-7.
New York Times Company (September 15, 1924). Hoppe–Greenleaf Match Is Clinched: To Meet in 600-Point Contest at 3-Cushions. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
New York Times Company (September 26, 1924). Greenleaf Beaten by Hoppe, 600-527: Balkline Star Takes Final Block in 3-Cushion Match at the Strand, 50 to 44. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
New York Times Company (October 17, 1952). Hoppe, 65, Leave Cue Competition; Three-Cushion Ace Will Play Exhibitions — Won 51 Titles During 46-Year Span. Retrieved January 2, 2007.
"Arthur Thurnblad, Good at Geometry, Becomes World Champ". The Tuscaloosa News. January 30, 1931.
"Harold Worst". Billiard Congress of America. Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2010-09-29. Worst won the world title for three-cushion billiards in Argentina in 1954, the youngest player to compete in world competition.

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[BCAbook-1] Billiards: The Official Rules and Records Book. Billiard Congress of America. 2006. ISBN 1-878493-16-7.

[3] New York Times Company (September 15, 1924). Hoppe–Greenleaf Match Is Clinched: To Meet in 600-Point Contest at 3-Cushions. Retrieved February 21, 2007.

[4] New York Times Company (September 26, 1924). Greenleaf Beaten by Hoppe, 600-527: Balkline Star Takes Final Block in 3-Cushion Match at the Strand, 50 to 44. Retrieved February 21, 2007.

[5] New York Times Company (October 17, 1952). Hoppe, 65, Leave Cue Competition; Three-Cushion Ace Will Play Exhibitions — Won 51 Titles During 46-Year Span. Retrieved January 2, 2007.

[6] "Arthur Thurnblad, Good at Geometry, Becomes World Champ". The Tuscaloosa News. January 30, 1931.

[7] "Harold Worst". Billiard Congress of America. Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2010-09-29. Worst won the world title for three-cushion billiards in Argentina in 1954, the youngest player to compete in world competition.