Welker Cochran
Encyclopedia
Welker Cochran was an American
professional carom billiards player who won world titles in two different disciplines, balkline
and three-cushion billiards
.
owned by his father in Manson, and by the age of 17 was among the best players in the world.
He won his first world title in 1927 in 18.2 balkline. The popularity of balkline faded in the late 1920s and early 1930s, causing Cochran to switch to three-cushion, in which he won his first world title in 1933. In 1945, Cochran set a new world record (now surpassed) by achieving a game average of 3 (60 points in 20 innings) in a match he won against Willie Hoppe
. He retired from serious competition in 1946 due to arthritis, but did make a comeback attempt in 1954.
's Hall of Fame in 1967.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional carom billiards player who won world titles in two different disciplines, balkline
Balkline and straight rail
Balkline is the overarching title of a large array of carom billiards games generally played with two and a third, red , on a -covered, 5 foot × 10 foot, less table that is divided by on the cloth into marked regions called...
and three-cushion billiards
Three-cushion billiards
Three-cushion billiards is a form of carom billiards, and one of the most popular and challenging cue sports in the world.The object of the game is to the off both and contact the at least 3...
.
Biography
He was born in Manson, Iowa. He began playing at a young age in a billiards parlorPool hall
A billiard/billiards, pool or snooker hall is a place where people get together for playing cue sports such as pool, snooker or carom billiards...
owned by his father in Manson, and by the age of 17 was among the best players in the world.
He won his first world title in 1927 in 18.2 balkline. The popularity of balkline faded in the late 1920s and early 1930s, causing Cochran to switch to three-cushion, in which he won his first world title in 1933. In 1945, Cochran set a new world record (now surpassed) by achieving a game average of 3 (60 points in 20 innings) in a match he won against Willie Hoppe
Willie Hoppe
William Frederick Hoppe , known predominantly as Willie Hoppe , was an internationally renowned American professional carom billiards champion, who was posthumously inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 1966.-Biography:Hoppe was born in Cornwall on Hudson, New York on...
. He retired from serious competition in 1946 due to arthritis, but did make a comeback attempt in 1954.
Legacy
Cochran was inducted posthumously into the Billiard Congress of AmericaBilliard Congress of America
Billiard Congress of America is a governing body for cue sports in North America , the regional member organization of the World Pool-Billiard Association...
's Hall of Fame in 1967.
Titles and tournament wins
- World 18.2 Balkline Champion (1927, 1934)
- World Three-Cushion Champion (1933, 1935, 1936, 1944)
Further reading
- Robert ByrneRobert Byrne (author)Robert Byrne is an American author and Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame instructor of pool and carom billiards.- Early life and education :...
, Byrne's Wonderful World of Pool and Billiards: A Cornucopia of Instruction, Strategy, Anecdote, and Colorful Characters, 1996<--This is not a proper reference citation; useinline to source specific facts, with to provide source details.-->