1922 World Straight Pool Championship

Results

Place	Player	Prize
1	Ralph Greenleaf
2	Thomas Hueston

Recap

Published April 13, 2026

Ralph Greenleaf won the 1922 World Straight Pool Championship, defeating Thomas Hueston. At 22 years old, the Monmouth, Illinois native had already established himself as a top player in the sport. This victory was part of Greenleaf’s remarkable 19-championship run between 1919 and 1938.

The 1922 championship took place during straight pool’s peak popularity. Championship matches were contested as challenge matches that could span several days and reach point totals of 1,500 or more. These competitions required endurance, precision, and sustained focus across extended sessions.

Greenleaf turned professional at 17 in 1916 and by 1922 was already demonstrating the talent and competitive drive that would define his career. His dominance during this era was noted by contemporaries and later observers. Straight pool itself was still relatively young, having been invented by Jerome Keough in 1910 as a way to increase the challenge over previous continuous games.

Greenleaf’s 1922 victory represented his emergence as the leading champion of the era. Thomas Hueston was a respected competitor, but Greenleaf’s win demonstrated superior skill at the championship level. This victory was one of many highlights in a career that established the template for pool greatness.

Greenleaf was eventually inducted as one of the first three members of the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 1966, validating his status as one of the sport’s greatest players during the championship matches of the 1920s and beyond.

Sources: World Straight Pool Championship – Wikipedia Ralph Greenleaf – Wikipedia

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