Jimmy White (snooker player)

Jimmy White

German Masters 2013
Born	(1962-05-02) 2 May 1962 (age 55) Tooting, England
Sport country	England
Nickname	The Whirlwind
Professional	1980–
Highest ranking	2 (1987/88–1988/89)
Current ranking	108 (as of 9 October 2017)
Career winnings	£4,717,428
Highest break	147 (1992 World Championship)
Century breaks	316
Tournament wins
Ranking	10
Non-ranking	21

James Warren White, MBE (born 2 May 1962) is an English former professional snooker player who now competes with an invitational tour card. Nicknamed "The Whirlwind" because of his fluid, attacking style of play and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a six times World Championship finalist, the 1980 World Amateur Champion, 2009 Six-red World Champion, 2010 World Seniors Champion and 1984 World Doubles champion with Alex Higgins.

White's non-world championship achievements include the UK Championship, the Masters and the Nations Cup. A two-time winner of both the World Cup and the British Open, White was also the first left-handed player, and second player overall, to record a maximum break at the World Championship.

White was born in Streathbourne Road, Tooting, London, England, and studied at Hillcroft Comprehensive (later renamed Ernest Bevin College). He never achieved academic success, as he was often truant from school from the age of eight or nine, spending more and more time at "Zans", Ted Zanoncelli's snooker hall. The club was affectionately known as "Zans" and after Ted's death in 1978 it was handed down to his daughter. It was around this time that White met Tony Meo with whom he would compete in money matches in many venues. His natural aptitude for snooker led to a successful amateur career. After winning the English Amateur Championship in 1979, a year later he became the youngest ever winner of the World Amateur Snooker Championship, aged 18, a record since surpassed by Ian Preece and Hossein Vafaei.