Karen Corr is a former snooker player and a professional pool player, nicknamed the “Irish Invader”. She was born on November, 10 1969 in Ballymoney and her parents moved to England when she was just 8. Her career in snooker began at 14 and at 15 Karen entered her first event in England. She won her first World Snooker Championship in 1990 and went on to win more titles in 1991, 1995 and 1997. Throughout the years Karen had to work different jobs in order to support herself and be able to continue playing snooker. While touring Australia and New Zealand in 1997 with Julie Kelly – a fellow pro, Julie told her she was going to play in the US so Karen decided to go as well.
In 1998 Karen Corr moved to America where she decided to try playing pool. She won 10 events in a row which qualified her to enter WPBA pro events. In 2000 Karen Corr won her first WPBA Classic Tour title in Pennsylvania. She also won two additional Classic Tour titles in the same year, the All Japan Open Championship in Osaka, Japan, and second places in the WPA Women’s World Championship as well as the UCC World Ladies Championship in Tokyo.
Karen Corr was ranked #24 by the end of ’98, #4 in ’99 and #2 in the world by 2000. In 2001 she won second place at the World Games in nine-ball pool and also at the WPA Women’s World Nine-ball Championship. Before the end of 2001 Karen Corr was ranked #1 in the world, and she remained at that spot for 2 years. But her most successful year to date would be 2002 when she became the very first person to win all six Classic Tour events in a single year.
In 2003 Karen won the Joss North East 9-Ball men’s tour event, the US Open in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Canadian Classic. She was also a part of the team that won the World Team event in Taiwan. In the next years she continued winning at events, including 3 WPBA wins as well as her first win in the Tournament of Champions; she also won the Joss Northeast Tour stop in Providence.
In 2008 Karen Corr moved to Goodlettsville, Tennessee, where she participated in many local events. She placed 5th at the World 10-all Championship in the Philippines and 2nd at the China Open. Karen continues to win events as one of the most prominent pool players in the world.
More Links:
www.karencorr.net
