Recorded a golfing first when his mother caddied for him at the 2000 Masters Tournament, but after the highs of playing Augusta National came the lows of working in a cake factory in Hartlepool as he struggled to make ends meet over the winter months, having earned his first card at the Qualifying School. However, he regained his playing rights in 2004 via the Challenge Tour and has never looked back, becoming one of the Tour’s most consistent performers. Won his maiden title at the Open de France ALSTOM in 2007, a season which yielded €1,209,673 in prize money to banish memories of the cake factory. Also had the honour of leading the US PGA Championship after the first round that year at Southern Hills and won twice on his Vivendi Seve Trophy debut to help Great Britain and Ireland triumph. During an impressive amateur career he played in the victorious Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup side of 1999 and also won the Amateur Championship in the same year.