Identified as a talent to nurture at an early age and spent his time in Military Service on a golf scholarship.

Could be considered a late developer - he was 27 before he turned professional and 37 before he won his first title - but undoubtedly one of the top sportsmen in a country not renowned for its golf.

Provided one of Austria’s sporting highlights in June 2006 when he became the first Austrian golfer to win on The European Tour.

To heighten the pleasure, he chose the BA-CA Golf Open presented by Telekom Austria, at his home club of Fontana Golf Club in Vienna to do it, on the tournament’s return to the Tour for the first time in a decade. That victory continued his own personal love affair with the event, having won it twice before, in 2002 and 2004 when it formed part of the Challenge Tour schedule.

Took his game up another level when he won for the first time outside his own country by capturing the 2007 Volvo China Open in Shanghai.

Received congratulations from the Austrian Prime Minister after his win in China.

Won his first Legends Tour title in 2021 at the Farmfoods European Senior Masters at Forest of Arden.