Lindrum To Give Snooker Exhibition

Southland Times, Issue 23946, 12 October 1939, Page 11

Lindrum To Give Snooker Exhibition

The names of Purdue, Nicholls and Brownlie occupy prominent positions in New Zealand Rugby football/ in Australia the name of Gregory is a household word in cricket, but the name of Lindrum is known the world over for its association with billards and snooker.

Visiting New Zealand, and later to give exhibition games in Invercargill, is Horace Lindrum, one of the fourth generation of Lindrums known to billiards and snooker followers. He recently concluded a successful tour of South Africa and as the result of his success in that country, and his sensational form in England, he was invited by Billiards, Ltd., to make a tour of New Zealand.

For 100 years there has been at. least one representative of the Lindrum family occupying the spotlight in billiards or snooker and Horace of that ilk, who is now 27 years of age, bids well to be the most famous. He holds the unofficial world record break of 141 at snooker—the possible use of the foul stroke, is 147—only six below the maximum. He has “cleared the table” in one visit on seven occasions, five times against Joe Davis, who retained the world title this year by defeating Lindrum by 37 games to 35. Davis has “cleared the table” on five occasions, but never in competition against Lindrum, who has 61 snooker breaks in excess of 100. BREAK OF 1431 IN BILLLARDS Snooker and billiards do not mix, says Lindrum, but the young Australian has a personal record of 1431 at billiards and was the first player to make a break of 1000 under the amended baulk-line rules, rules framed to handicap his famous uncle Walter Lindrum. Horace learned billiards under the tutorship of his grandfather, Fred Lindrum, son of Australia’s first billiards champion and ' aftei’ five years he turned professional. For the last eight years he has travelled the world as a professional, but this is his first visit to New Zealand.

“I have seen many excellent amateur cueists in New Zealand and they are able to ‘sink’ the balls with the accuracy of professionals,” says Lindrum. “Unfortunately, they do not possess control of the cue ball and soon lose position. This is fatal in snooker and means the difference between a good amateur player and a professional. I advise all intending snooker players to concentrate first on billiards, learn ball control, and then turn to snooker. But, once having mastered control, it is not advisable to mix the games. In snooker the cue action is a ‘stab shot’: in billiards there is a distinct ‘follow through.’ I would also advise a player to select a cue that suits him and use none other. My cue weighs 1740 z and is 4ft 7in in length, but it would not suit all players.”