He enjoyed a resurgence in form during the 1984–85 season. He reached the final of the Grand Prix, where he lost to Dennis Taylor 2–10. In the semi-final, Thorburn had defeated the reigning world champion Steve Davis 9–7. He also reached the final of the Classic in January 1985, where he met Thorne, with the latter winning five frames in a row to win 13–8 after the pair had been tied at 8–8. Thorburn was again runner-up in the 1986 Classic, this time losing to Jimmy White in the final 12–13. Thorburn fluked a pot on the in the deciding frame, to leave White requiring from Thorburn in order to win. White potted the brown and , then laid a snooker on the . Thorburn failed to hit the pink, which gave White the penalty points he needed, and White then potted the pink and black to win the title.