Equalled the course record at Wentworth Club at the BMW PGA Championship in 2008 only to see Robert Dinwiddie smash it just hours later. The other highlight of his season was fourth at the Estoril Open de Portugal. Achieved his first European Tour victory in 2002 when he completed one of the most heart-warming maiden triumphs in history when he won The Great North Open at the De Vere Slaley Hall. The victory came only a fortnight after he lost his inspirational mother Pam to cancer. Two days before she died she told him to go and win a tournament for her, so the raw emotion was therefore understandable when he did just that. Almost exactly two years later he was again in the winners’ enclosure after claiming his second title with victory in the Diageo Championship at Gleneagles. Required nine attempts to reach The European Tour through the Qualifying School process. Grew up in Plymouth and achieved scratch handicap at 16. Studied business management at college and toured France and Spain for a year before turning professional in 1989.