Horace Lindrum

Horace Lindrum

Joe Davis and Horace Lindrum shaking hands before the 1946 World Snooker Championship final
Born	(1912-01-15)15 January 1912 Paddington, Sydney, New South Wales
Died	20 June 1974(1974-06-20) (aged 62) Dee Why, Sydney, New South Wales
Sport country	Australia
Professional	1935–1965
Career winnings	£750
Highest break	147
Century breaks	1000+
Tournament wins
Major	30
World Champion	1952

Horace Lindrum (born Horace Norman William Morrell, 15 January 1912 – 20 June 1974) was an Australian professional snooker and billiards player. Although the dominant snooker player in Australia, he was eclipsed by Joe Davis, whom he never beat on level terms. Lindrum contested three World Championship finals against Davis, in 1936, 1937 and 1946, losing all three but coming closer than anyone to beating him. When past his best, Lindrum won the 1952 World Championship which, because of a dispute between the governing body and the players' association, was only contested by himself and New Zealander Clark McConachy.

Horace Lindrum was born Horace Norman William Morrell on 15 January 1912 in Paddington, Sydney. He was the son of Clara (known as Violet), sister of Frederick III and Walter Lindrum. Clara was an Australian women's snooker champion in her own right. Horace was the great-grandson of Australia's first billiards champion Friedrich Wilhelm Von Lindrum and the grandson of the great billiards coach Frederick William Lindrum II.

Lindrum died on 20 June 1974 at the Delmar Private Hospital, Dee Why, Sydney. The cause of death was bronchial carcinoma. He was survived by his wife, Joy, and two daughters.

Horace Lindrum made his first snooker century at the age of 16 and his first four-figure break at billiards at the age of 18. He challenged Frank Smith for the Australian Professional Snooker Championship and on 5 December 1931, at the age of 19, won by an aggregate score of 8899–8262. Lindrum accepted a challenge from Smith for a rematch and won convincingly 8060–5942. Three years later, on 24 November 1934, he also won the Australian Professional Billiards Championship, successfully challenging his uncle Fred who had held the title since 1908. Horace won by 18,754–9,143.

In late June and early July 1934, Joe Davis had travelled to Australia to play in the World Billiards Championship. Davis received a bye to the final of the Billiards Championship and played Walter Lindrum, the defending Champion, in Melbourne, from 14 to 27 October. Walter Lindrum won a close match 23,553–22,678. Davis had been due to leave Australia on 30 October but accepted an offer of a snooker match against Horace Lindrum, delaying his departure until 7 November. An 81-frame snooker match was arranged to be played at the Tivoli Billiard Theatre, Bourke Street, Melbourne from 29 October to 6 November with two sessions of five frames played each day. Davis insisted on using the same table that had been used for the World Billiards Championship final. The match was reported as being the unofficial world championship.