Clifford Charles Devlin Thorburn CM (born January 16, 1948) is a Canadian retired professional snooker player. Nicknamed "The Grinder" because of his slow, determined style of play, he won the World Snooker Championship in 1980, defeating Alex Higgins 18–16 in the final to become the first world champion in the sport's modern era from outside the United Kingdom.
Thorburn was runner-up in two other World Championships, losing 21–25 to John Spencer in the 1977 final and 6–18 to Steve Davis in the 1983 final. One of his most celebrated moments came during his second-round encounter with Terry Griffiths in 1983, when he became the first player to compile a maximum break in a World Championship match. He was the second player, after Davis, to make a televised 147 break in professional competition.
Masters Snooker 1986 _Retired Snooker | Masters Snooker 1985 _Retired Snooker | Masters Snooker 1983 _Retired Snooker | World Snooker Championship 1979-1980 _Retired Snooker |