Template:Short description Template:Featured article Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Canadian English Template:Infobox snooker player
Clifford Charles Devlin Thorburn (born 16 January 1948) is a Canadian retired professional snooker player. Nicknamed "The Grinder" because of his slow, determined style of play, he won the World Snooker Championship in 1980, defeating Alex Higgins 18–16 in the final. He is generally recognised as the sport's first world champion from outside the United Kingdom—since Australian Horace Lindrum's 1952 title is usually disregarded—and he remains the only world champion from the Americas. He was runner-up in two other world championships, losing 21–25 to John Spencer in the 1977 final and 6–18 to Steve Davis in the 1983 final. At the 1983 tournament, Thorburn became the first player to make a maximum break in a World Championship match, achieving the feat in his second-round encounter with Terry Griffiths.
Ranked world number one during the 1981–82 season, Thorburn was the first non-British player to top the snooker world rankings. He won the invitational Masters in 1983, 1985, and 1986, making him the first player to win the tournament three times and the first to retain the title. He retired from the main professional tour in 1996. Inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Snooker Hall of Fame in 2014, he competed later in his career in Snooker Legends events and on the World Seniors Tour, winning the 2018 Seniors Masters at the Crucible Theatre at age 70. He retired from competitive snooker after the 2022 UK Seniors Championship.
Early lifeEdit
Thorburn was born on 16 January 1948 in Victoria, British Columbia.<ref name="CANEN">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Sfn His parents separated when he was eighteen months old.Template:SfnTemplate:Rp He was abandoned by his mother, and after spending about two years in an orphanage during a custody dispute, was raised by his father and his paternal grandmother. He was told that his mother had died, but, aged twenty, learnt that she was still alive.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
He played pool and lacrosse in his youth,Template:Sfn and set a one-game scoring record of ten goals in the Greater Victoria Minor Lacrosse Association "midget division" in 1958.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He left school at the age of 16, and travelled across Canada playing pool and snooker money matches, taking jobs as a dishwasher and working on a garbage truck to help earn money for his stakes. In 1968 he entered his first tournaments, and won the Toronto City Championship. He spent time with Fred Davis and Rex Williams when they toured Canada in 1970, and afterwards became a resident professional at the House of Champions club in Toronto.Template:Sfn
In July 1970, he reportedly made a maximum break of 147 in a non-competitive game against Fred Hardwick.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He made six century breaks in winning the North American Amateur Championship in 1971, equalling the record, jointly held by Joe Davis and George Chenier, for most century breaks in a single tournament.<ref name="NA71" />
Early professional careerEdit
Thorburn played John Spencer in a series of three exhibition matches in 1971; although he lost all three,Template:Sfn he was recommended by Spencer to the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association,Template:Sfn and he was accepted as a professional in 1972.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Thorburn travelled to England in 1973, and on the day of his arrival, the reigning world snooker champion Alex Higgins offered to play him for £5 a frame. Thorburn, receiving 28 points start in each frame, claims to have beaten Higgins in every frame they played, and that Higgins refused to pay up.Template:Sfn
At the 1973 World Snooker Championship, his first major tournament on the professional snooker circuit, Thorburn defeated Dennis Taylor 9–8 in the first round then lost 15–16 to Williams in the second round. Later that year, he had a 4–0 win over Pat Houlihan at the 1973 Norwich Union Open before losing 2–4 to Higgins in the quarter-final. In the 1974 World Snooker Championship he defeated Alex McDonald 8–3 in qualifying then lost 4–8 to Paddy Morgan in the first round. He started the 1974–75 snooker season with a victory in the 1974 Canadian Open, knocking out Willie Thorne and Graham Miles to reach the final, where he won 8–6 against Taylor.Template:Sfn He reached the quarter-finals of the 1975 World Snooker Championship with wins over Morgan and Miles, losing the quarter-final 12–19 to Eddie Charlton, and, the following year, was eliminated 14–15 by Higgins in the first round of the 1976 World Snooker Championship.Template:Sfn
The 1977 World Snooker Championship was the first to be held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Thorburn became the first Canadian world snooker championship finalist. He whitewashed Chris Ross 11–0 in qualifying, then recorded a 13–6 win over Williams. In the quarter-final, he won in the deciding frame, 13–12, against Charlton.Template:Sfn He overcame Taylor 18–16 in the semi-final, and twelve hours later was facing Spencer in the final. Spencer built a 4–2 lead at the end of the first Template:Cuegloss, but Thorburn won four of the next six frames and they finished the second session level at 6–6. Thorburn took the first two frames of the third session, and it finished with them level again, at 9–9. Thorburn built a 13–11 lead during the fourth session, and extended it to 15–11 before Spencer won four consecutive frames to make it 15–15; the next session again saw them share the frames, finishing at 18–18. Spencer won three frames in a row to lead 21–18, and Thorburn took the next two to trail by a single frame. Spencer took the last frame of the session, leading 22–20. In the last session, Thorburn again narrowed the gap to one frame, but then Spencer won three in a row to achieve victory at 25–21.Template:Sfn
Thorburn reached the final of the 1978 Masters with wins over Doug Mountjoy and Spencer, losing 5–7 to Higgins in the final. He was knocked out of the 1978 World Snooker Championship by Charlton, 12–13 in the quarter-finals.Template:Sfn In the 1978–79 snooker season he defeated Tony Meo 17–15 in the final to win the 1978 Canadian Open after having trailed 6–10 at the end of the first day of the final,Template:Sfn but lost his opening matches in both the Masters (4–5 to Perrie Mans) and the World Championship (10–13 to John Virgo).Template:Sfn He retained his Canadian Open title in 1979, taking a 10–3 lead over Terry Griffiths before winning the match in the deciding frame, at 17–16.Template:Sfn
1980sEdit
1980 world snooker championEdit
Thorburn had defeated Virgo 6–1 in the round robin phase of the 1980 Bombay International, but lost 7–13 to him in the final.Template:Sfn He won 5–3 against Virgo in the first round of the 1980 Masters, then lost 3–5 to Griffiths in the quarter-final.Template:Sfn In advance of the 1980 World Championship, he practiced at a club near the Crucible that was owned by a friend, and gave up smoking and drinking alcohol for a week before the tournament. His first match was against Mountjoy, Thorburn finishing their first session behind 3–5. In the evening, he played cards and drank alcohol with friends until 5:00Template:Spacesam, resuming the match the next day by winning the first five frames in succession. Thorburn won the match 13–10.Template:Sfn In the quarter-final, he beat Jim Wych 13–6, having led 5–3, and 10–6.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He led David Taylor 5–3 after their first semi-final session, and 11–4 at the end of the second.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the last session of the match, Thorburn extended his lead to 15–7 by the mid-session interval, then won 16–7 with a break of 114 in the 23rd frame,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> becoming the first player to reach a second final at the Crucible.Template:Sfn
His opponent in the final was Higgins, the 1972 champion.Template:Sfn Thorburn won the first frame, and Higgins won the next five. Thorburn won the seventh to make it 5–2, Higgins complaining after the frame that Thorburn had been standing in his line of sight, a claim that author and sports statistician Ian Morrison called "unfounded".Template:Sfn Higgins led 6–3 at the end of the first session, extending this to 9–5 before Thorburn levelled the match at 9–9.Template:Sfn Writing in The Times, Sydney Friskin described the match to this point as a contrast of styles: "the shrewd cumulative processes of Thorburn against the explosive break-building of Higgins". He also noted that each player had accused the other of distracting them during the match.<ref name="06MAYT">Template:Cite news</ref> Thorburn won the 19th and 20th frames, Higgins taking the following two to level at 11–11.Template:Sfn Thorburn went ahead at 12–11 and 13–12, Higgins levelling the match both times, and the third session ending 13–13.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In the final session, Higgins won the first frame then Thorburn won the next two, before Higgins equalized at 15–15. Thorburn led 16–15, and missed an easy Template:Cuegloss that let Higgins in to make it 16–16.Template:Sfn With a break of 119, Thorburn moved within a frame of victory at 17–16. In the 34th frame, leading 45–9 in points, he laid a Template:Cuegloss for Higgins, and made a 51 break after that to win the title.Template:Sfn The BBC's television coverage of the final had been interrupted by the broadcast of live footage of the Iranian Embassy Siege.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The conclusion of the final was watched by 14.5Template:Spacesmillion television viewers.Template:Sfn Thorburn is generally regarded as the first player from outside the United Kingdom to win the world championship, Horace Lindrum's victory in the 1952 World Snooker Championship usually being disregarded.Template:Efn<ref>
- Template:Cite news
- Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Sfn After the match, Higgins said of Thorburn "he's a grinder",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the nickname "The Grinder" was subsequently associated with Thorburn, seen as apt for his slow, determined style of play.Template:Sfn Thorburn has aspired to be known by the nickname "Champagne Cliff", but admitted later that it never caught on.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
He won the Canadian Open for a third successive year in 1980, defeating Griffiths 17–10 in the final,Template:Sfn and was part of the Canada Team that reached the final of the 1980 World Challenge Cup, where they lost 5–8 to Wales.Template:Sfn He led Higgins 5–1 in the semi-final of the 1981 Masters, but lost the match 5–6.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the 1981 World Championship, as defending champion, he reached the semi-final where he lost 10–16 to Steve Davis.<ref name="MJOYREC">Template:Cite news</ref> Following a 4–10 loss to Jimmy White in the first round of the 1982 World Snooker Championship, Thorburn decided to return to Canada.Template:Sfn Thorburn had been number two in the 1980/1981 world rankings, and reached number one in the 1981/1982 rankings. He won the 1983 Masters, recovering from 2–5 against Charlton to win 6–5 in the semi-final, and defeating Ray Reardon 9–7 in the final.Template:Sfn
1983 world championship maximum breakEdit
In 1983, Thorburn became the first player to make a maximum break at the World Championship,<ref name="GRAUN147" /> during the fourth frame of his second-round match against Griffiths,Template:Sfn and only the second player to make an official maximum in professional competition (after Davis at the 1982 Classic).Template:Sfn<ref name="147S">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Thorburn started the break by Template:Cuegloss a Template:Cuegloss. While he was completing the break, play stopped on the tournament's second table because his friend and fellow Canadian Bill Werbeniuk wanted to watch.<ref name="GRAUN147">Template:Cite news</ref> The match against Griffiths ended at 3:51Template:Spacesam, Thorburn emerging as the winner, 13–12. He then defeated Kirk Stevens 13–12 (from 10–12) in the quarter-final, and Tony Knowles 16–15 (from 13–15) in the semi-final.<ref name="BBC83">Template:Cite news</ref> During the semi-final, which finished at 12:45Template:Spacesam,Template:Sfn Thorburn learnt that his wife Barbara had suffered a miscarriage on the day of his maximum break.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He played Steve Davis in the final. From 2–2 after the first four frames, Davis won four in a row to leave Thorburn behind 2–6, extending this to 2–9 at the start of the second session, and 5–12 at the end of the first day. Davis wrapped up victory on the second day, at 18–6, this being the first final at the Crucible to be completed in only three sessions.Template:Sfn Commenting on Thorburn's performance in the final, snooker historian Clive Everton observed that the long matches he had played in reaching the final had "left him so drainedTemplate:Spaces... that he was able to offer only token resistance."Template:Sfn
1984 to 1989Edit
Thorburn enjoyed a resurgence in form during the 1984–85 season.Template:Sfn He reached the final of the Grand Prix, where he lost to Dennis Taylor 2–10. In the semi-final, Thorburn had defeated the reigning world champion Steve Davis 9–7.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He also reached the final of the Classic in January 1985, where he met Thorne, the latter winning five frames in a row to win 13–8 after the pair had been tied at 8–8.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Thorburn was again runner-up in the 1986 Classic, this time losing to Jimmy White in the final 12–13. Thorburn fluked a pot on the Template:Cuegloss in the deciding frame, to leave White requiring snookers to win. White potted the brown and Template:Cuegloss, then laid a snooker on the Template:Cuegloss. Thorburn failed to hit the pink, which gave White the points he needed, and White then potted the pink and black to win the title.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
He won further Masters titles by defeating Mountjoy 9–6 in 1985, and White 9–5 in 1986.Template:Sfn He became the first player ever to retain the Masters title, and the first to win it three times.Template:Sfn Thorburn experienced success in the Scottish Masters, an invitational event which opened the snooker season, in 1985 and 1986. He defeated Thorne 9–7 in the 1985 final, and Alex Higgins 9–8 the following year.Template:Sfn He won the opening ranking event in the 1985–86 snooker calendar, the Matchroom Trophy, where he beat Jimmy White in the final 12–10, having trailed 0–7.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was then runner-up in the corresponding event the following two seasons, 9–12 to Neal Foulds in 1986, and 5–12 to Davis in 1987.Template:Sfn
In 1988 Thorburn was fined £10,000, had two ranking points deducted, and was banned for two ranking tournaments, by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. The Association's disciplinary committee had decided that Thorburn had brought the sport into disrepute, as a drug test that he took at the 1988 British Open showed that he had "minute traces of cocaine in his urine sample".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He compiled another maximum break in the 1989 Matchroom League, during a match against White.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Later yearsEdit
Thorburn last qualified for the World Championship in 1994,Template:Sfn where he faced Nigel Bond in the first round. Thorburn led by 9–2 but eventually lost 9–10.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the 1995 Thailand Open, ranked 54th, he defeated three players from the top 16, including second-ranked Steve Davis, to reach the semi-finals. It was the first time he had reached this stage of a major event since the 1991 European Open.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He lost the semi-final 0–5 to Ronnie O'Sullivan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Thorburn effectively retired from the professional tournament circuit after the 1995–96 season.Template:Sfn Ranked 91st, and having not entered for any ranking tournaments in the 1996–97 season, he was quoted as saying that when he realized he would have to take part in tournament qualifying rounds for several weeks, "I just couldn't accept thatTemplate:Spaces... When you've played at all of the major venues in front of capacity crowds, it's hard to focus and get motivated playing with just one man and a dog watching."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He played for Canada in the 1996 World Cup, where his team reached the quarter-finals.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Thorburn won over one million pounds in prize money during the course of his professional career.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Playing as an amateur again, he won the Canadian Amateur Championship in 2001; he had previously won the tournament in 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977.<ref name="cbsa.ca">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> During the 2006 World Championship, he flew to Sheffield to unveil a life-size painting of the maximum break that he made at the tournament in 1983. Painted by the artist Michael Myers, the work is on display at the Macdonald St. Paul's Hotel in Sheffield.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Thorburn competed on the inaugural Snooker Legends Tour in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
At the age of 70, Thorburn won the 2018 Seniors Masters at the Crucible Theatre, defeating Jonathan Bagley 2–0 in the final.<ref name="18SENMAS">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="SL18">Template:Cite AV mediaTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Shortly before turning 74, he announced that the 2022 UK Seniors Championship would be his last competitive event. Thorburn played his last competitive match on 5 January 2022 against Kuldesh Johal, losing 0–3.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Personal lifeEdit
Thorburn is the father of one son and one daughter,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the latter of whom is transgender.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Following his World Championship victory, he bought a house in England with the intention of spending more time in Britain.Template:Sfn His manager Darryl McKerrow was killed in a hunting accident during the 1984–85 season, and Thorburn was subsequently managed by Robert Windsor, until joining Barry Hearn's Matchroom Sport in January 1988.Template:Sfn Thorburn was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1984.<ref name="CANEN" /> He was added to the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1995,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.<ref name="ca">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
His instruction book, Cliff Thorburn's Snooker Skills, was published in 1987 by Hamlyn, and his autobiography, Playing for Keeps, co-written with Everton, was published by Partridge Press in the same year.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn Thorburn is the head coach for cue sports at the Canadian Billiards and Snooker Association,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> director of coaching and an ambassador for the Pan American Billiards & Snooker Association,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and a member of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association International Expert Coaching Advisory Panel.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Performance and rankings timelineEdit
| Tournament | 1972/ 73 |
1973/ 74 |
1974/ 75 |
1975/ 76 |
1976/ 77 |
1977/ 78 |
1978/ 79 |
1979/ 80 |
1980/ 81 |
1981/ 82 |
1982/ 83 |
1983/ 84 |
1984/ 85 |
1985/ 86 |
1986/ 87 |
1987/ 88 |
1988/ 89 |
1989/ 90 |
1990/ 91 |
1991/ 92 |
1992/ 93 |
1993/ 94 |
1994/ 95 |
1995/ 96 |
Template:Abbr | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | No ranking system | 13 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 36 | 36 | 41 | 54 | 41 | <ref name="Ranking history">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |||||||
| Ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand ClassicTemplate:Efn | Tournament not held | NR | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand PrixTemplate:Efn | Tournament not held | 3R | QF | F | SF | 1R | 2R | A | 2R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||
| UK Championship | Non-ranking event | SF | 3R | QF | QF | QF | 2R | WD | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||
| German Open | Tournament not held | LQ | Template:Sfn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Welsh Open | Tournament not held | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | Template:Sfn | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| International OpenTemplate:Efn | Tournament not held | NR | 2R | F | 1R | W | F | F | A | 1R | Not held | LQ | 2R | 1R | LQ | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||
| European Open | Tournament not held | QF | 1R | SF | 2R | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand OpenTemplate:Efn | Tournament not held | Non-ranking event | Not held | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | 1R | SF | WD | Template:Sfn | |||||||||||||||||||
| British OpenTemplate:Efn | Tournament not held | Non-ranking event | 3R | 3R | SF | SF | 3R | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | Template:Sfn | |||||||||||||||
| World Championship | NR | 1R | QF | 1R | F | QF | 1R | W | SF | 1R | F | QF | QF | SF | 1R | SF | 1R | QF | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | Template:Sfn | |||||
| Non-ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian MastersTemplate:Efn | Tournament not held | A | A | A | RR | W | 1R | A | A | QF | NH | R | Tournament not held | A | A | <ref name="CWSEP82">Template:Cite magazine</ref>Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||
| Scottish Masters | Tournament not held | F | A | SF | QF | W | W | SF | NH | QF | A | A | A | A | A | A | Template:Sfn | |||||||||||||
| The Masters | Not held | 1R | 1R | A | F | QF | QF | SF | QF | W | 1R | W | W | SF | QF | QF | 1R | A | LQ | A | A | A | A | Template:Sfn | ||||||
| Irish MastersTemplate:Efn | Not held | A | A | A | A | A | RR | SF | QF | A | QF | QF | SF | QF | QF | 1R | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | Template:Sfn | ||||||
| European LeagueTemplate:Efn | Tournament not held | A | Not held | RR | RR | RR | RR | A | A | A | A | A | A | <ref> | ||||||||||||||||
| Pontins Professional | NH | SF | SF | A | SF | RR | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | Template:Sfn | |||||
| Former ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canadian MastersTemplate:Efn | Not held | Non-ranking event | Tournament not held | Non-ranking event | QF | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hong Kong OpenTemplate:Efn | Tournament not held | Non-ranking event | NH | LQ | Tournament not held | NR | Template:Sfn | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic | Tournament not held | Non-ranking event | 1R | F | F | 2R | 2R | SF | 2R | 1R | 2R | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | |||||||||||||||||
| Strachan Open | Tournament not held | QF | MR | NR | Not held | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former non-ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship | 2R | Ranking event | Template:Sfn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Masters | Not held | W | Tournament not held | <ref name="AGE6JUL">Template:Cite news</ref> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norwich Union Open | NH | QF | SF | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Matchplay Championship | Tournament not held | 1R | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Holsten Lager International | Tournament not held | QF | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Limosin International | Tournament not held | SF | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bombay International | Tournament not held | RR | F | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pontins Camber Sands | Tournament not held | QF | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Champion of Champions | Tournament not held | A | NH | RR | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International OpenTemplate:Efn | Tournament not held | 2R | Ranking event | Not held | Ranking event | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Classic | Tournament not held | QF | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Championship | Tournament not held | A | A | A | A | 2R | A | A | Ranking event | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||
| British OpenTemplate:Efn | Tournament not held | A | RR | 2R | A | A | Ranking event | Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic | Tournament not held | A | QFTemplate:Efn | QF | QF | Ranking event | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref><ref name="CLASS80">Template:Cite news</ref> | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Tolly Cobbold Classic | Tournament not held | A | A | F | A | A | SF | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | |||||||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand Masters | Tournament not held | QF | Not held | A | A | Tournament not held | <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carlsberg Challenge | Tournament not held | A | SF | A | A | A | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| KitKat Break for World Champions | Tournament not held | QFTemplate:Efn | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pot Black | A | RR | A | A | SF | RR | A | A | W | SF | A | A | SF | SF | Tournament not held | A | A | A | NH | Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn<ref>
|
CitationClass=web
}}
|
CitationClass=web
}}
|
CitationClass=web
}}
|
CitationClass=web
}}
|
CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |||||
| Hong Kong Masters | Tournament not held | A | A | A | QF | QF | A | NH | A | A | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||
| Canadian MastersTemplate:Efn | Not held | W | QF | QF | QF | W | W | W | Tournament not held | SF | QF | SF | R | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | |||||||||||||||
| Template:Nowrap | Tournament not held | W | Not held | SF | W | W | W | W | SF | Tournament not held | Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dubai MastersTemplate:Efn | Tournament not held | QF | Ranking event | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Template:Nowrap | Tournament not held | A | A | QF | Ranking event | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norwich Union Grand Prix | Tournament not held | RR | A | A | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Matchplay | Tournament not held | 1R | 1R | A | A | A | Not held | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoot-Out | Tournament not held | 3R | Tournament not held | <ref name="SHOOT">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Grand Masters | Tournament not held | QF | Tournament not held | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Masters | Tournament not held | 1R | Tournament not held | Template:Sfn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Challenge | Tournament not held | QF | A | Not held | <ref name="SDBEURO91">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Seniors Championship | Tournament not held | 1R | Tournament not held | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LQ | lost in the qualifying draw | #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) |
QF | lost in the quarter-finals |
| SF | lost in the semi-finals | F | lost in the final | W | won the tournament |
| DNQ | did not qualify for the tournament | A | did not participate in the tournament | WD | withdrew from the tournament |
| NH / Not held | means an event was not held. | |||
| NR / Non-ranking event | means an event is/was no longer a ranking event. | |||
| R / Ranking event | means an event is/was a ranking event. | |||
Career finalsEdit
Ranking finals: 10 (2 titles)Edit
Thorburn's record in ranking tournament finals is shown below.Template:Sfn
| World Championship (1–2) |
| Other (1–6) |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1977 | World Snooker Championship | Template:Flagathlete | 21–25 |
| Winner | 1. | 1980 | World Snooker Championship | Template:Flagathlete | 18–16 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1983 | World Snooker Championship (2) | Template:Flagathlete | 6–18 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 1983 | International Open | Template:Flagathlete | 4–9 |
| Runner-up | 4. | 1984 | Grand Prix | Template:Flagathlete | 2–10 |
| Runner-up | 5. | 1985 | The Classic | Template:Flagathlete | 8–13 |
| Winner | 2. | 1985 | Matchroom Trophy | Template:Flagathlete | 12–10 |
| Runner-up | 6. | 1986 | The Classic (2) | Template:Flagathlete | 12–13 |
| Runner-up | 7. | 1986 | International Open (2) | Template:Flagathlete | 9–12 |
| Runner-up | 8. | 1987 | International Open (3) | Template:Flagathlete | 5–12 |
Non-ranking finals: 26 (19 titles)Edit
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, the governing body for professional snooker, first published official world rankings for players on the main tour for the 1976–77 season.<ref name="SCENE76">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Thorburn's record in non-ranking tournament finals is shown below.
| Legend |
|---|
| The Masters (3–1) |
| Other (16–6) |
Team finals: 9 (4 titles)Edit
Amateur finals: 12 (7 titles)Edit
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 1971 | North American Amateur Championship | Template:Flagathlete | 36–15 | <ref name="NA71">Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Winner | 2. | 1972 | Canadian Amateur Championship | <ref name="OJ74">Template:Cite news</ref> | ||
| Runner-up | 1. | 1973 | North American Amateur Championship | Template:Flagathlete | 22–26 | <ref name="NA73">Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Winner | 3. | 1974 | Canadian Amateur Championship (2) | Template:Flagathlete | 13–11 | <ref name="cbsa.ca"/><ref name="OJ74A">Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Winner | 4. | 1975 | Canadian Amateur Championship (3) | Template:Flagathlete | 11–1 | <ref name="OJ75">Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1975 | North American Amateur Championship (2) | Template:Flagathlete | 9–11 | <ref name="C76">Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Winner | 5. | 1976 | Canadian Amateur Championship (4) | Template:Flagathlete | 9–2 | <ref name="C76" /> |
| Runner-up | 3. | 1976 | North American Amateur Championship (3) | Template:Flagathlete | 10–11 | <ref name="C76">Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Winner | 6. | 1977 | Canadian Amateur Championship (5) | Template:Flagathlete | 10–6 | <ref name="OJ77">Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Winner | 7. | 2001 | Canadian Amateur Championship (6) | Template:Flagathlete | 4–3 | <ref name="cbsa.ca"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Runner-up | 4. | 2002 | Canadian Amateur Championship | Template:Flagathlete | 1–6 | <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| Runner-up | 5. | 2003 | Canadian Amateur Championship (2) | Template:Flagathlete | 2–6 | <ref name="cbsa.ca"/> |
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
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External linksEdit
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Template:World snooker champions Template:Masters winners Template:Snooker world number ones