Pool Career
The ladies' snooker prize funds were never large enough for Karen to support herself financially. She was forced to work various jobs, including bartending, to enable herself to continue to play snooker. In 1997, she was invited to play in an exhibition tour throughout Australia and New Zealand with her friend, and fellow pro, Julie Kelly. While on that tour, Julie told her about the tour in the US, and that she was going to play. Karen then decided to go also, but only during the snooker off-season.
In June 1998, Karen moved to the United States and began playing pool. She was curious to see how she would do at pool. After winning 10 qualifying events in a row, she was able to enter WPBA pro events.
While in America, Corr and Kelly lived with Kelly's sisters in New Jersey, and then in Boston for a time, before finally settling in northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Karen won her first WPBA Classic Tour title at the 2000 Cuetec Cues Players Championship, in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. She completed that year with two more Classic Tour titles. She also won the All Japan Open 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.
By the end of 1998, Karen was ranked #24. At the end of 1999, she soared through the rankings, all the way to #4. By the end of 2000, she was ranked 2nd in the world, though 2002 proved to be her most successful year to date.
Karen became the first person to win all six Classic Tour events in one year. She won the Silver Medal at the 2001 World Games in nine-ball pool and placed 2nd at the WPA Women's World Nine-ball Championship. Before 2001 ended, Karen found herself at the top, the #1 ranked female player in the world, and remained there for 2 years.
For 2007, she was ranked #5 in Pool & Billiard Magazine's "Fans' Top 20 Favorite Players" poll.
Read more about this topic: Karen Corr
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