Opinion/Blog
- Written by: Sal Bello
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Three-cushion billiards is one of the most captivating and challenging cue sports on the planet. The game demands players to have exceptional skill, strike the ball with laser-like precision, and be highly strategic thinkers. This combination has helped three-cushion billiards mesmerize enthusiasts on a global scale.
Throughout three-cushion billiards' history, players have risen to the top, written their names in the game's history books, and left their mark on this highly skilled cue sport. This article explores five of the best three-cushion billiards players of all time. How many do you agree with?
Raymond Ceulemans (Belgium)
Many consider Belgium's Raymond Ceulemans the greatest three-cushion billiards player in history, and his remarkable trophy haul shows why. Although Ceulemans played when online sportsbook reviews sites were decades away, he was always a favorite to win whenever he entered any major billiards competition.
Ceulemans started playing billiards at the age of seven and, at 23, won his first three-cushion title in 1961. By the time the Belgian called time on his professional playing career, he had won 21 UMB three-cushion World Championships, 23 European titles, and 61 national titles! Amazingly, Ceulemans won his last UMB world title in 2001 at the age of 64!
His achievements at the billiards table did not go unnoticed back home. Ceulemans was awarded the Belgian Sports Merit Award in 1966, was crowned Belgian Sportsman of the Year in 1967, and was among the first non-Americans inducted into the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame in 2001.
Torbjörn Blomdahl (Sweden)
Torbjörn Blomdahl is one of the legendary figures in modern billiards, partly because he became a three-cushion World Champion seven times, winning in 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1997, 2015, and 2019. Those seven world titles rank Blomdahl second behind Ceulemans mentioned above.
He is the only Swede to become a world champion and can count eight CEB European three-cushion titles and 18 Swedish titles in addition to his seven world championship medals.
Blomdahl is renowned for his impressive runs and high averages and for taking on shots that other players would not even dream of trying. His record-highest run stands at an almost unbelievable 26, and he once made 50 points in nine innings for a 5.555 average.
Unsurprisingly, Blomdahl's talents are not confined to the three-cushion game. The Swede also excels in eight ball, nine ball, and once ran 100 in straight pool. Blomdahl is at home with a cue in his hand.
Frederic Caudron (Belgium)
Belgium's Frederic Caudron is a three-cushion billiards player famous for his high averages and exceptional runs, making him one of the sport's most formidable players. Caudron is a strategic thinker capable of thinking several moves ahead, which enables him to outmaneuver his opponents.
Caudron has won the UMB World Three-Cushion Championship twice, back-to-back Sang Lee International Opens in 2006 and 2007, the CEB European Championship twice, and an impressive 53 Belgian national titles.
Caudron's best game average of 40 points in six innings (6.666) is nothing short of amazing, and he boasts of a highest three-cushion run of 28, which he set in April 2015. At the 2017 World Championship for National Teams, played in the Scotch Double format, Caudron and Roland Forthomme made a high run of 20, which remains a record in the format today.
Dick Jaspers (Netherlands)
Dick Jaspers is one of the most successful Dutch players in three-cushion billiards history. Jaspers started playing billiards at three in the pub his parents ran in his hometown in Sint Willebrord, Netherlands.
After excelling at youth level, Jaspers made the leap to professional billiards in 1986, age 21, after watching a televised clash between Nobuaki Kobayashi and Raymond Ceulemans in the World Cup final.
Since turning professional, Jaspers has won the Three-Cushion World Cup five times and the UMB World Three-Cushion Championship three times, among many others. He is also a world record holder regarding consecutive points. He scored 34 consecutive points in the 2008 European Championship Final against Torbjorn Blomdahl, averaging 5.625.
Sang Lee (South Korea / USA)
Sang Lee was born in South Korea in 1954 but became a neutralized American citizen after moving to the United States in 1987, aged 33. Lee had already won eight Jorean titles before emigrating to America, and he dreamed of making billiards popular in the USA.
Lee earned the nickname "Michael Jordan of three-cushion billiards" after dominating the American scene, including 12 consecutive USBA National Three-Cushion Championships between 1990 and 2001. His incredible run in the USBA National Three-Cushion Championship ended in 2002 at the hands of Pedro Piedrabuena, a player Lee had trained; the apprentice became the master.
Lee won his only world title in Gent in 1993, and six years later, Billiards Digest ranked him as the fifth Greatest Living Player of the Century.
Sadly, Lee died in 2004 after battling stomach cancer. The Sang Lee International Open tournament was set up in his memory, while the BCA Hall of Fame posthumously inducted Lee in 2007.
Conclusion
The three-cushion billiards world has been shaped by many extraordinary talents over the years, but the five stars featured in this article stand out from the crowd. Nobody in the game's history can boast a trophy count near that of Raymond Ceulemans, arguably the greatest ever three-cushion billiards player.
That said, you cannot discount the incredibly talented Swede Torbjorn Blomdahl, Frederic Caudron, the record-breaking Dick Jaspers, or the late Sang Lee. Had Lee showcased his skills on the European and World stage more before his death, there is every chance he would be even more highly regarded than he is.
Each of the five players you have read about in this article has stamped their name in three-cushion billiards history books. Their enduring legacies continue influencing the game, with up-and-coming players emulating this quintet of heroes' cue action and thought processes, ensuring the sport remains as exciting and captivating as ever.
- Written by: Jay Karahan
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Star Billiards, Houston’s newest Sports Bar located at 12824 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77072 opened its doors on December 22, 2023. Dedicated to the international sport of carom billiards, the official grand opening will be celebrated with a one day handicapped tournament for A, B and C players taking place on Saturday, February 3, 2024.