Three Cushion Billiard News
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Frank Torres: In Memoriam
Frank Torres, 4-time USBA National Champion who passed in April of 2024.
As the USBA began its 2024 National Championship in Modesto, California, word leaked that Frank Torres, four-time national champion, had died after a brief illness. He had planned to play the 2024 tournament but withdrew on its eve. Frank was a true gentleman, with a sly smile and a soft voice. At the table, he was a fierce competitor with a steady stroke and a keen eye.
Born 1945 in San Antonio, Texas and named Francisco, Torres was known to everyone in the billiards world as Frank. More recently, as his hair turned grey then silver, he was affectionately called, The Silver Fox. Soon after his birth, his family moved to Mexico City. At the age of 14, he picked up a cue at the Club de Los Intelectuales and began his life at the table. In his early 20s, he moved back to the United States and eventually settled in a suburb of Las Vegas.
He was at the top of his game from 1974 to 1991, winning the US three-cushion title in 1974, 1978, 1985, and 1987, and taking silver in 1982, 1983, 1988, and 1991. On the world stage, Frank and Allen Gilbert finished third in the world team tournament in 1985. Frank made it to the finals of the 1987 World Championship in Cairo, but he fell short to a young Swedish player named Torbjörn Blomdahl. The same year, in the team world championship competition in Madrid, Frank and Gilbert took home the silver, losing to that nettlesome Swede and his father, Lennart. Frank paired with Sang Lee for another silver medal in teams in 1992, this time in Viersen, losing to the Japanese squad.
In more recent years, at the age of 77, Frank finished 9th in the US national tournament in 2022 with a 1.028 grand average. The same year, when the World Cup returned to the United States, he charged through the qualifications, from PPPQ to PPQ to PQ and to Q, before finally falling short of the final grouping. In 2023, he finished 16th in the USBA National tournament.
Since Willie Hoppe’s retirement in 1952, a common discussion among railbirds concerns the best America-born player of the pocketless game. Since 1990, the debate has become more acute as naturalized citizens have dominated the US three-cushion nationals. The last American-born player to win the national championship was Allen Gilbert in 1988. If you ever find yourself in this debate, you might venture Harold Worst as a candidate, though that name is for the old, old timers. Gilbert, with his five national titles from 1968 to 1988, or George Ashby, with his three from 1976 to 1984, deserve consideration. But don’t forget Frank Torres, the Silver Fox, born in San Antonio, Texas.
Frank Torres (second from right) was still a contender advancing to the Final 8 of the 2018 USBA National Championship alongside some of the current crop of players who now dominate the sport in the USA.
Text: Andrew Janquitto. Images courtesy Andrew Janquitto and Paul Frankel.
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Hugo Patino Captures His 5th US National Title
In the 24th inning in the final match it was Hugo Patino ahead 36 to 24 in 24. Pedro put together a run of 7 to close the gap to make it 36-31. Hugo answered with 2 points needing only two more but has to sit down after a miss leaving an opening for Pedro but Pedro misses a sensitive ticky shot! Hugo scores one but the tension gets the best of a short angle shot as he misses to close out the match. Pedro plays into a kiss and Hugo finishes capturing his 5th USBA National Championship title.
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Images: Jonathan Damian
Raymon Groot & Hugo Patino Head to Viersen for the World Team Championship
The 36th World Championship for National Teams will be contested from the 21st to the 24th of March 2024 at the Festhalle in Viersen, Germany. Sixteen two-man teams will compete and Raymon Groot and Hugo Patino will play for Team USA. Defending champions Turkey will be joined by Germany, Greece, Sweden, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Belgium, Colombia, Argentina, USA, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Egypt, and Jordan. The USA is in Qualification Group B along with Korea, Colombia, and Greece. The USA will face Korea in their first match scheduled for Thursday, March 21 at 4:00 PM German time. Groot will play Myung Woo Cho and Patino is matched up against Jung Han Heo.
Best of luck to Team USA!
Team USA congratulations after the first match.
Groot Tops Cho and it's All Square in Group B after the First Matches
It was Korea vs USA and Colombia vs Greece in Group B for the first matches and both ended in draws for the teams. Jung Han Heo prevailed over Hugo Patino but Raymon Groot leveled the match with a determined effort to finish 40-39 in 31 innings over Myung Woo Cho (who currently holds the #1 position on the UMB Wolrd Players Ranking). Huberney Catano was the winner for Colombia and Demitrios Seleventas scored the win for Greece so all four teams are level with 1 match point after the first round. Korea leads on average followed by USA, Colombia, and then Greece.
Team USA in action.