Mr. Billiard’s Wins World Tournament

Pockets 155 Balls Without a Miss in Tussle with Stone in Match at Danbury

Ralph Greenleaf made a world record high run for pocket billiards in Danbury, Conn., last night when he knocked off 155 balls before he missed a shot. While the run was made on a championship table and under championship conditions, it is unlikely that it will be accepted as a record by the powers that be. It was made in an exhibition game. Greenleaf was playing against Bob Stone, the Connecticut state champion, whom he defeated by a score of 140 to 9. Greenleaf had ten points when he started on this great exhibition. He made 130 and finished the game. The spectators yelled for him to continue and he did so, he made twenty five more balls before he missed.

★★★

It was in the second inning that Greenleaf made his run. The score was 10 to 9 at the time he started his rampage. He found the balls fairly well scattered when he went to bat for the second time and immediately cleaned the table–that is, all but the fifteen ball which he left in perfect position to pocket and make the break at the same time. It was this that featured his playing throughout the record run. Greenleaf invariably left the fifteenth ball so that he could not only drive it into the pocket but could break the bunch at the same time. For a long time Greenleaf had been recognized as one of the best shot makers in the game. His safety play is usually poor because he pays so little attention to it.

★★★

As a result of this run Greenleaf undoubtedly will be one of the favorites in the national pocket billiard championship tournament to be held in Philadelphia beginning on Dec. 1. He has been showing excellent form recently and, unless he suffers an attack of nerves, he should be one of the strongest players in the title tourney.

★★★

Greenleaf recently won the professional exhibition tournament in Brooklyn by winning three and losing one of his games. He defeated Joseph Coconanon, another entrant in the championship event and Louis Krueter and Larry Stoutenburgh, two prospective competitors. Those who have seen him in his recent work are unanimous in declaring him one of the best players this style of billiards has known since the days of Tom Huston and Alfredo deOro, when they were at their best.

This article originally appeared in the February 1965 issue of the National Billiard News and is reprinted with permission.