Cho Myung Woo Triumphs with a Stunning Comeback in $40,000 Billiards Tournament
At just 26 years old, Cho Myung Woo made an impressive comeback to win the championship and claim the $40,000 prize at the World 3 Cushion Survival 2024 billiards tournament. The final, held on the evening of August 25 in South Korea, featured a thrilling contest between four of the world’s top players from different countries: Eddy Merckx from Belgium, Tasdemir Tayfun from Turkey, Glenn Hofman from the Netherlands, and the host nation’s own Cho Myung Woo.
The tournament was conducted under the unique “survival” format, where four players competed simultaneously. The match was divided into two halves, each lasting 45 minutes. At the start of each half, each player was awarded 30 points. Every successful shot added 3 points to the player’s score, while the other players lost 1 point.
The first half saw a competitive three-way race between Merckx, Tayfun, and Hofman, who were scoring points consistently. In contrast, Cho Myung Woo struggled to make points, falling nearly 40 points behind the leader. However, during his fifth turn, Cho Myung Woo managed a series of 5, scoring 15 points and gradually closing the gap. From this point on, the “Korean billiards prodigy” improved his performance and finished the first half in second place with 29 points, tied with Hofman. Tayfun led with 41 points, while Merckx was at the bottom with 21 points.
As the second half began, Myung Woo quickly caught up with Tasdemir Tayfun, both having 72 points, pushing Hofman (52 points) and Merckx (44 points) into a chasing position. With his impressive scoring ability, Myung Woo soon took the lead with 74 points, creating an 8-point gap over Tayfun, who was in second place.
As the match progressed, the tension soared. Eddy Merckx scored a series of 6, earning 18 points, surpassing both Myung Woo and Tayfun to take the lead. However, Myung Woo responded with a remarkable 18-point shot of his own, regaining the lead. Tayfun also made a move to close in on Merckx and Myung Woo’s scores.
In the final round, while Merckx and Tayfun both failed to deliver strong shots, Cho Myung Woo delivered a series of 3, scoring 9 additional points. This performance allowed him to overtake and win with a total score of 85. The final standings were Eddy Merckx in second place with 69 points, Tasdemir Tayfun in third with 61 points, and Glenn Hofman in fourth with 25 points.
With this victory, Cho Myung Woo secured the title of World 3 Cushion Survival 2024 champion and received the top prize of $40,000. Eddy Merckx, as the runner-up, earned $25,000, Tasdemir Tayfun in third place received $15,000, and Glenn Hofman took home $10,000.
