User talk:Fuhghettaboutit/Welker Cochran

Welker Cochran (October 7, 1897 – July 26, 1960) was an American professional carom billiards player who won world titles in two different disciplines, balkline and three-cushion billiards.

Early life
Reports vary but he was born in either Des Moines or Manson, Iowa. He began playing at a young age in a billiards parlor owned by his father in Manson, and by the age of 17 was among the best players in the world.

Professional career
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. Cochran was inducted posthumously into the Billiard Congress of America'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)