1974 World Masters
The 1974 World Masters was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament held from 1 to 5 July 1974 at the Victorian Club in South Yarra, Victoria, Australia.[1] Cliff Thorburn won the title by defeating John Spencer 160–67 in the final.[2] Thorburn, aged 26, was the youngest player in the event and the 8th seed.[2]
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 1–5 July 1974 | 
| Venue | Victorian Club | 
| City | South Yarra, Victoria | 
| Country | Australia | 
| Format | Non-ranking event | 
| Total prize fund | AUD20,000 | 
| Final | |
| Champion | .svg.png.webp) Cliff Thorburn (CAN) | 
| Runner-up |  John Spencer (ENG) | 
| Score | Aggregate Score (160–67) | 
The tournament started on 1 July.[3] The eight players were divided into two round-robin groups to produce semi-finalists, with the semi-finals and final played on 5 July.[4] The total prize fund was AUD20,000.[2]
John Spencer beat Perrie Mans in the first semi-final, whilst Cliff Thorburn beat Eddie Charlton in the other semi-final.[5]
The final was decided on the aggregate score across two frames. Thorburn led 81–29 after the first frame, and 160–67 at the conclusion, to win the title.[6]
Seedings
    
Players were seeded as follows:[1]
 Ray Reardon (WAL) Ray Reardon (WAL)
.svg.png.webp) Eddie Charlton (AUS) Eddie Charlton (AUS)
 John Spencer (ENG) John Spencer (ENG)
 Rex Williams (ENG) Rex Williams (ENG)
 John Pulman (ENG) John Pulman (ENG)
 Gary Owen (WAL) Gary Owen (WAL)
.svg.png.webp) Perrie Mans (RSA) Perrie Mans (RSA)
.svg.png.webp) Cliff Thorburn (CAN) Cliff Thorburn (CAN)
Group matches
    
Players in bold are match winners; "??" denotes that the result is missing.
Division 1
| Date | Player | Score | Player | Ref. | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July |  Gary Owen (WAL) | 54–53 |  Rex Williams (ENG) | [3] | 
| 1 July | .svg.png.webp) Cliff Thorburn (CAN) | 88–52 | .svg.png.webp) Eddie Charlton (AUS) | [3] | 
| 2 July | .svg.png.webp) Eddie Charlton (AUS) | ?? |  Gary Owen (WAL) | [4] | 
| 2 July | .svg.png.webp) Cliff Thorburn (CAN) | 61–52 |  Rex Williams (ENG) | [7] | 
| 4 July | .svg.png.webp) Cliff Thorburn (CAN) | ?? |  Gary Owen (WAL) | [4] | 
| 4 July | .svg.png.webp) Eddie Charlton (AUS) | 120-13 |  Rex Williams (ENG) | [4][5] | 
Division 2
| Date | Player | Score | Player | Ref. | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July |  John Spencer (ENG) | 80–39 | .svg.png.webp) Perrie Mans (RSA) | [3] | 
| 1 July |  Ray Reardon (WAL) | 92–19 |  John Pulman (ENG) | [3] | 
| 2 July |  John Spencer (ENG) | 77–38 |  Ray Reardon (WAL) | [7] | 
| 2 July |  John Pulman (ENG) | ?? | .svg.png.webp) Perrie Mans (RSA) | [4] | 
| 4 July | .svg.png.webp) Perrie Mans (RSA) | 79-15 |  Ray Reardon (WAL) | [4][5] | 
| 4 July |  John Pulman (ENG) | ?? |  John Spencer (ENG) | [4] | 
References
    
- "Charlton tops the bill". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 29 June 1974. p. 28.
- "Outsider's pot". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 6 July 1974. p. 34.
- "Stars down in snooker masters". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 2 July 1974. p. 28.
- "Four of the best: right on cue". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 1 July 1974. p. 26.
- "Reardon is beaten in snooker". The Canberra Times. Canberra, ACT, Australia. 5 July 1974. p. 18.
- "Snooker win to Thorburn". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 Jul 1974. p. 63.
- "Snooker". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 3 July 1974. p. 19.