View source for Karen Corr

{{Short description|Northern Irish professional pool and snooker player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox snooker player
| name          = Karen Corr
| image         = Karen Corr.jpg
| caption       = Karen Corr (2009)
| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1969|11|10|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Ballymoney]], [[Northern Ireland]]
| Sport country = {{NIR}}
| Professional  = 1990
| Women's World champ   = '''[[World Women's Snooker Championship|Snooker]]''': {{Hlist|class=inline| [[1990 Women's World Snooker Championship|1990]] | [[1995 Women's World Championship (snooker)|1995]] | [[1997 Women's World Snooker Championship|1997]]}}<br/>'''[[World Women’s Billiards Championship|English Billiards]]''': {{Hlist|class=inline| 1998 | 1999}}
| medals-expand = yes
| medals        =
{{Medal|Sport | Women's [[Nine-ball]] }}
{{Medal|Country| {{GBR2}} }}
{{Medal|Competition | [[World Games]] }}
{{Medal|Silver | [[World Games 2001|2001 Akita]] | [[Cue sports at the World Games 2001|Individual]] }}
}}

'''Karen Corr''' (born 10 November 1969) is a [[Northern Irish]] professional [[Pool (cue sports)|pool]] and former [[snooker]] and [[English billiards]] player. She began entering women's snooker tournaments at age 15 and went on to win the [[World Women's Snooker Championship]] three times and the [[World Women's Billiards Championship]] twice. In 1998, she moved to the United States to play pool professionally. She has won numerous tournaments and has been ranked number one on the [[WPBA Tour]]. She was inducted into the [[BCA Hall of Fame]] in 2012.

==Early life==
Corr was born on 10 November 1969<ref name=AZB>{{cite web |url=https://www.azbilliards.com/people/4-karen-corr/ |title=Karen Corr |website=azbilliards.com |publisher=AZBilliards |access-date=8 December 2019 |archive-date=20 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620082703/https://www.azbilliards.com/people/4-karen-corr/ |url-status=live }}</ref> in [[Ballymoney]], Northern Ireland and spent her early childhood near [[Maghera]]. When she was 8 years old, her family moved to England.  She loved watching snooker matches on television and joined a snooker club at the age of 14 with her father and her brother. Her friends in [[Bourne, Lincolnshire|Bourne]] saw that she had exceptional snooker skills and encouraged her to play in tournaments.

==Snooker and pool career==
At the age of 15, she entered her first tournament in [[Leicester, England|Leicester]]. She continued to play in tournaments and rapidly became a top player on the women's tour. On the day after her 21st birthday, Corr won her first [[World Women's Snooker Championship|Women's World Snooker Championship]]. She would go on to repeat that feat in 1995 and 1997. She also won the [[World Women's Billiards Championship]] in 1998 and 1999.<ref name="WBLC">{{cite web |url=http://world-billiards.com/?p=9757 |title=World Ladies Billiards Champions |website=world-billiards.com |publisher=World Billiards Ltd |date=22 June 2015 |access-date=4 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816182227/http://world-billiards.com/?p=9757 |archive-date=16 August 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

A recession in the mid-1990s and increased restrictions on tobacco sponsorship caused prize funds to rapidly decrease for snooker events outside the World Championship. This forced Corr to look elsewhere for profitable tournament play. Fellow snooker player [[Julie Kelly]] told her about the [[WPBA Tour]] in America. Corr moved to the U.S. in 1998 to see how well she could play pool. After winning ten consecutive qualifying events, she was able to compete in the professional WPBA events.

By the end of 1998, Corr was ranked #24. At the end of 1999, she was ranked # 4.<ref name=BCA /> By the end of 2000, she was ranked 2nd in the world.

Corr won her first WPBA Classic Tour title, "The 2000 Cuetec Cues Players Championship" in [[Valley Forge, Pennsylvania]]. She completed that year with two more Classic tour titles.<ref name=BCAPR /> She also won the "All Japan Championship" held in Osaka, Japan. She placed second in the "WPA Women's World Championship" and in the "UCC World Ladies Championship" held in [[Tokyo, Japan]].

In 2001, she became the first person to win every WPBA Classic tour event in the same season since they began. She won the silver medal at the World Games and placed 2nd at the World Championships. Before 2001 ended, Corr found herself at the top, the No. 1 ranked player in the World<ref name=BCA /> and remained there for 2 years.

Since then, she has been a leading player in women's pool. The crowning achievement of her career came on 26 October 2012, when Corr was formally inducted into the Greatest Player wing of the BCA Hall of Fame.<ref name=BCA>{{cite web |url=https://bca-pool.com/page/111 |title=Hall of Fame Inductees, 2011–2018 |website=bca-pool.com |publisher=Billiard Congress of America |access-date=8 December 2019}}</ref> Her Hall of Fame induction announcement stated "her quick rise to the top and her consistent dominance on American soil has earned her the only spot in this year's BCA Hall of Fame class."<ref name=BCAPR>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.ymaws.com/bca-pool.com/resource/resmgr/imported/2012HOFreleaseFinal.pdf |date=19 July 2012 |title=Karen Corr Earns Enshrinement in Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame |website=bca-pool.com |publisher=Billiard Congress of America |access-date=8 December 2019 |archive-date=2 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502104204/https://cdn.ymaws.com/bca-pool.com/resource/resmgr/imported/2012HOFreleaseFinal.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

She has been runner-up at the [[WPA Women's World Nine-ball Championship|World 9-ball Championship]] four times.

==Titles and achievements==

===Snooker===

{| class="wikitable"
! Outcome !! No. !! Year !! Championship !! Opponent !! Score !! Ref.
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 1 || 1990 || [[1990 Women's World Snooker Championship|Women's World Snooker Championship]] || [[Stacey Hillyard]] || 7–4 ||<ref>{{cite web|title=Hall of Fame: 1990 World Championship|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120321215500/http://wlbsa.wytech.co.uk/node/59 |archive-date=21 March 2012 |url= http://wlbsa.wytech.co.uk/node/59 | website = wlbsa.wytech.co.uk |publisher=[[World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association]] |access-date=6 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Yates |first=Philip  |title=Corr keeps cool to win women's world title |magazine=Snooker Scene |page=4 |publisher=Everton's News Agency |issue=December 1990 }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
 || 2 || 1991 || [[1991 Women's World Snooker Championship|Women's World Snooker Championship]] || [[Allison Fisher]] || 2–8 || <ref>{{cite news |last=Yates |first=Phil |title=Fisher confirms her status as champion – Snooker |work=The Times |location=London |date=11 November 1991 |via=[[NewsBank]]. Retrieved 7 December 2019.}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 3 || 1994 || WLBSA Halstead Ladies Classic || [[Allison Fisher]] || 3–2 || <ref>{{cite web |url=https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1994-halstead-classic/results |title=1994 Halstead Classic - Results |publisher=World Women's Snooker |website=snookerscores.net |access-date=9 September 2020 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012959/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1994-halstead-classic/results |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 4 || 1994 || WLBSA [[Pontins Open|Pontins]] Spring Bowl || [[Lisa Quick]] || 4–1 || <ref>{{cite web |url=https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1994-pontins-spring-bowl/results |title=1994 Pontin's Spring Bowl - Results |publisher=World Women's Snooker |website=snookerscores.net |access-date=3 September 2020 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203013001/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1994-pontins-spring-bowl/results |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 5 || 1995 || [[1995 Women's World Championship (snooker)|Women's World Snooker Championship]] || [[Kim Shaw (snooker player)|Kim Shaw]] || 6–3 || <ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Karen Corr regains women's world title |magazine=Snooker Scene |pages=14–15 |publisher=Everton's News Agency |date=October 1995 }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 6 || 1995 || WLBSA [[Pontins Open|Pontins]] British Ladies || [[Ann-Marie Farren]] || 4–1 || <ref>{{cite web |url=https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1995-pontins-british-open/results |title=1995 Pontins British Open - Results |publisher=World Women's Snooker |website=snookerscores.net |access-date=9 September 2020 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203013006/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1995-pontins-british-open/results |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 7 || 1995 || WLBSA West Norwood Open || [[Kelly Fisher]] || 3–1 || <ref>{{cite web |url=https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1995-west-norwood-open/results |title=1995 West Norwood Open - Results |publisher=World Women's Snooker |website=snookerscores.net |access-date=9 September 2020 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203013004/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1995-west-norwood-open/results |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 8 || 1996 || WLBSA Academy Fork Lift || [[Kelly Fisher]] || 4–2 || <ref>{{cite web |url=https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1996-academy-fork-lift-classic/results |title=1996 Academy Fork Lift Classic - Results |publisher=World Women's Snooker |website=snookerscores.net |access-date=9 September 2020 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203013017/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1996-academy-fork-lift-classic/results |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 9 || 1996 || WLBSA Connie Gough Memorial || [[Kim Shaw (snooker player)|Kim Shaw]] || 3–2 || <ref>{{cite web |url=https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1996-connie-gough-memorial/results |title=1996 Connie Gough Memorial - Results |publisher=World Women's Snooker |website=snookerscores.net |access-date=9 September 2020 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203013019/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1996-connie-gough-memorial/results |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 10 || 1996 || WLBSA James Brooks Classic || [[Kelly Fisher]] || 3–0 || <ref>{{cite web |url=https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1996-james-brooks-ladies-classic/results |title=1996 James Brooks Ladies Classic - Results |publisher=World Women's Snooker |website=snookerscores.net |access-date=9 September 2020 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203013019/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1996-james-brooks-ladies-classic/results |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 11 || 1997 || [[1997 Women's World Snooker Championship|Women's World Snooker Championship]] || [[Kelly Fisher]] || 6–3 || <ref name=LATE>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Karen Corr wins 1996 world title a little late |magazine=Snooker Scene |pages=12–13 |publisher=Everton's News Agency |issue=July 1997}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 12 || 1997 || WLBSA Barratts Club National || [[Kelly Fisher]] || 3–2 || <ref>{{cite web |url=https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1997-barratts-club-national-championship/results |title=1997 Barratts Club National Championship - Results |publisher=World Women's Snooker |website=snookerscores.net |access-date=9 September 2020 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203013033/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1997-barratts-club-national-championship/results |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 13 || 1997 || WLBSA Ladies National || [[Kelly Fisher]] || 4–2 || <ref>{{cite web |url=https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1997-national-championship/results |title=1997 National Championship - Results |publisher=World Women's Snooker |website=snookerscores.net |access-date=9 September 2020 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203013015/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1997-national-championship/results |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 14 || 1997 || WLBSA UK Championship || [[Lynette Horsburgh]] || 4–3 || <ref>{{cite web |url=https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1997-uk-ladies-championship/results |title=1997 UK Ladies Championship - Results |publisher=World Women's Snooker |website=snookerscores.net |access-date=9 September 2020 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203013012/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1997-uk-ladies-championship/results |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 15 || 1997 || WLBSA [[Pontins Open|Pontins]] UK Championship ||  ||  || 
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 16 || 1997 || WLBSA Scottish Masters || [[Kelly Fisher]] || 4–2 || <ref>{{cite web |url=https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1997-regal-scottish-masters/results |title=1997 Regal Scottish Masters - Results |publisher=World Women's Snooker |website=snookerscores.net |access-date=9 September 2020 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203013032/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/1997-regal-scottish-masters/results |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
 || 17 || 1998 || [[1998 Women's World Championship (snooker)|Women's World Snooker Championship]] || [[Kelly Fisher]] || 0–5 || <ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Kelly Fisher: first woman to win at the Crucible |magazine=Snooker Scene |page=29 |publisher=Everton's News Agency |date=June 1998 }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
 || 18 || 1999 || [[1999 World Women's Snooker Championship|Women's World Snooker Championship]] || [[Kelly Fisher]] || 2–4 || <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.womenssnooker.com/about/world-champions/ |title=World Champions |publisher=World Women's Snooker |date= |website=womenssnooker.com |access-date=8 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004753/https://www.womenssnooker.com/about/world-champions/ |archive-date=3 January 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}

===English billiards===
{| class="wikitable"
! Outcome !! No. !! Year !! Championship !! Opponent !! Score !! Ref.
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 1 || 1998 || [[World Women’s Billiards Championship|World Ladies Billiards Championship]] || [[Emma Bonney]] || 403–219 || <ref name="WBLC" />
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98"| Winner
 || 2 || 1999 || [[World Women’s Billiards Championship|World Ladies Billiards Championship]] || [[Kelly Fisher]] || 354–276 || <ref name="WBLC" />
|}

===Pool===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Tournament !! Venue
 |-
 || 1999 || New York State 9-Ball Championship || Binghamton, NY
 |-
 || 2000 || [[All Japan Championship (pool)|All Japan Championship]] 9-Ball || Osaka, JAP
 |-
 || 2000 || Super Billiards Expo Players Championship || Valley Forge, PA
 |-
 || 2000 || Northeast 9-Ball Tour || Portland, ME
 |-
 || 2000 || WPBA Baltimore Classic || Baltimore, MD
 |-
 || 2000 || WPBA Affinix Software Los Angeles Open || Los Angeles, CA
 |-
 || 2001 || Super Billiards Expo Players Championship || Valley Forge, PA
 |-
 || 2001 || WPBA Spring Classic || Alpine, CA
 |-
 || 2001 || WPBA Charlotte Classic || Charlotte, NC
 |-
 || 2001 || WPBA Fall Classic || Albuquerque, NM
 |-
 || 2001 || WPBA Midwest Classic || Villa Park, IL
 |-
 || 2001 || WPBA National Championship || Lincoln City, OR
 |-
 || 2002 || WPBA Spring Classic || Alpine, CA
 |-
 || 2002 || BCA Open 9-Ball Championship || Las Vegas, NV
 |-
 || 2002 || WPBA National Championship || Miami, FL
 |-
 || 2003 || Super Billiards Expo Players Championship || Valley Forge, PA
 |-
 || 2003 || BCA Open 9-Ball Championship || Las Vegas, NV
 |-
 || 2003 || [[U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship#Women|WPBA U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship]] || Albuquerque, NM
 |-
 || 2003 || WPBA Canadian Open || Windsor, Ontario
 |-
 || 2004 || BCA Open 9-Ball Championship || Las Vegas, NV
 |-
 || 2004 || WPBA National Championship || Lincoln City, OR
 |-
 || 2005 || WPBA Southeast Classic || Hollywood, FL
 |-
 || 2006 || [[International Challenge of Champions#Women|Tournament of Champions]] || Uncasville, CT
 |-
 || 2006 || WPBA Carolina Classic || Rocky Mount, NC
 |-
 || 2006 || WPBA Florida Classic || Hollywood, FL
 |-
 || 2006 || WPBA Midwest Classic || Peoria, IL
 |-
 || 2007 || [[International Challenge of Champions#Women|Tournament of Champions]] || Uncasville, CT
 |-
 || 2007 || WPBA Midwest Classic || Norman, OK
 |-
 || 2007 || BCA Open 9-Ball Championship || Las Vegas, NV
 |-
 || 2008 || [[International Challenge of Champions#Women|Tournament of Champions]] || Uncasville, CT
 |-
 || 2014 || Super Billiards Expo Players Championship || Edison, NJ 
 |-
 || 2016 || Super Billiards Expo Players Championship || Oaks, PA
 |-
 || 2016 || NAPT Inaugural 10-Ball Invitational || Herndon, Va 
 |-
 || 2017 || [[U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship#Women|WPBA U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship]] || Pittsburgh, PA 
 |-
 || 2017 || NAPT Summer 10-Ball Classic || Grayslake, IL
 |-
 || 2017 || NAPT Freedom Classic || Dickson City, Pa 
 |-
 || 2017 || Desert Shootout || Las Vegas, Ne
 |-
 || 2018 || Super Billiards Expo Players Championship || Oaks, PA 
 |-
 || 2018 || Coupe du Quebec Pro Event || Quebec, CAN
 |-
 || 2019 || Coupe du Quebec Pro Event || Quebec, CAN
|}

* 2001 Billiards Digest Player of the Year  
* 2012 [[Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{portal|Cue sports}}
* {{Official website|https://www.karen-corr.com/}}
* {{AZB|https://www.azbilliards.com/people/4-karen-corr/}}
* {{snooker.org player|3174}}

{{World Women's Snooker champions|state=collapsed}}
{{Women's world champions of English billiards|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corr, Karen}}
[[Category:Pool players from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Snooker players from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Players of English billiards from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Female players of English billiards]]
[[Category:Female pool players]]
[[Category:Female snooker players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Ballymoney]]
[[Category:World Games silver medalists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:World Games medalists in cue sports]]
[[Category:World champions in English billiards]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2001 World Games]]