The highlight of 2009 arrived on December 21 when, after heavy snowfall had prevented the emergency services from reaching his house, he and his partner Louise’s sister, Victoria, helped deliver Theodore Victor Gane, who weighed a very healthy 9.5lbs. On the golf course, continued his love affair with Kazakhstan en route to finishing 13th in the Challenge Tour Rankings. Having finished tied fifth at the 2008 Kazakhstan Open and never having finished outside the top 25 in his two previous visits to the money-spinning event, he shot a 67 on the final day to take second place behind Edoardo Molinari and earn €44,000. It was the second time he had graduated through the Challenge Tour Rankings – the first was in 2001, when he finished in ninth place. Secured a hat-trick of graduations from the Challenge Tour thanks largely to his tied runner-up finish at the lucrative Madeira Islands Open as well as a sixth place finish in his favourite Kazakhstan. Writes with his right hand, but has played golf left-handed since taking up the game as a 14 year old at Pinner Hill. Played little competitive golf as an amateur, and had a handicap of four when he turned professional aged 18.