Cho Myung-woo, the world's top-ranked three-cushion billiards player, has set a record for the most World Cup titles won by an Asian player.
The 28-year-old, who competes for the Seoul Metropolitan Government team, beat Dick Jaspers of the Netherlands 50-38 in 18 innings in the final of the 2026 Lier Three-Cushion World Cup in Lier, Belgium, on the 7th, Korea time. Jaspers, known as the emperor of billiards, is ranked eighth in the world.
The win, his second over Jaspers in a final following the Ankara event in June, was Cho's third title this season and his sixth World Cup crown overall. That moved him past the five World Cup wins held by the late Lee Sang-cheon, giving him sole possession of the record for the most titles by an Asian player. It was also the first time in 32 years that a Korean player has won a World Cup in Belgium, since Lee's victory in Ghent in 1994.
Cho trailed 26-34 after Jaspers posted a high run of 11 points in the 11th inning. He answered with 11 straight points of his own in the second half of the 14th inning to take a 37-34 lead. He added seven points in the 15th inning and reached 50 in the 18th to close out the match.
Cho has won three World Cups this year, in Bogota, Ankara and Lier. It is the first time since Jaspers in 2008, 18 years ago, that a player has won three or more World Cups in a single year. Cho will next compete in the 78th World Three-Cushion Championship, a five-day event that opens in Blois, France, on the 23rd. He has finished on the podium three years running, including a title in 2024.
