Recovered from a broken neck in 2006 to win his card through The European Tour Qualifying School - Final Stage a year later, joining fellow Austrian’s Markus Brier and Qualifying School winner, Martin Wiegele, on The European Tour – the first time Austria has had three representatives at this level. Suffered the neck injury when he dived into the sea while holidaying in Italy but the water was not as deep as expected. Spent the next three months in a neck brace with his golfing career on hold. After extensive physiotherapy returned to compete on the Alps Tour and the Challenge Tour in 2007 before securing his card at San Roque. Started playing golf at the age of nine, encouraged by his parents, restaurant owners in Bad Klienkirchhiem in southern Austria. Attended a golf school from the age of 14 and on graduation undertook the obligatory National Service on a sports scholarship, limited his military training to just four weeks.