WORLD BILLIARD CHAMPION

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 72, 3 June 1953, Page 7

WORLD BILLIARD CHAMPION

McConachy Visits Taupo ♦ Billiard and snooker lovers in Taupo enjoyed the finer points of the games on Thui'sday, May 28th when Clark McConachy, world billiards champion gave a demonstration at Andy Judd's Billard Room. The first game consisted of an liour'-s billiards in which he gave Top' Pennycook 400 start. The champion paid several- blank visits to the table before he found foTm, but then quickly manoeuvred the balls into a suitable position at the top of the table and reeled off 90 successive elose cannons. With. his bireak totalling 192 he failed when endeavouring to comply with the rule making it necessary to cross the baulk line between 180 and 200. Later McConachy reeled off a break of 118 compi'ising a beautiful all round display of long shots off both red and white, and potting the red, interspersed with cannons. A screw-back cannon ended the break. He passed his opponent's score with a 49 break and established a good lead with another of 164. Meanwhile "Pop" Pennycook stood with cue reversed watching the champion go his merry way, but when he did get to the table he brought off several good shots and notched two or three double figure breaks, alw.ays an achievem,ent in amateur billiards.

The visitor is runner-up to the world snooker champion, but it is the game w'here it is not so easy to control the run of the balls as in billiards. With a handicap lead of seven black^ balls (42 points) the local boys were able to give the visitors a good run for his money and in four of the five games he found the handicap too great, To close ,the evening's entertainment Clark MeCoriachy gave a demonstration of trick shots. In a few words at the end he expressed pleasure at the opportunity to play in Taupo again after many years. He expressed great satisfaction at the high standard of the table and lighting. Scores were as follows: — Billiards Pennycook (receives 400) 466, McConachy 674. Snooker L. Erickson , receives 42) 83, McConachy 58; Keireopa (receives 42) 82, McConachy 72; J. Osmers (receives 42) 48, McConachy 122; G. Lafferty (receives 42) 78, McConachy 78; A. Judd (receives 42) 71, McConachy 62.