Comes from a serious sporting family: his father was a professional basketball player and his mother played professional tennis. Almost chose tennis over golf, but dedicated himself to the latter and turned professional in 2004. An admirably consistent player, he started on the Alps Tour and progressed to the Challenge Tour, where he won his Tour card in 2006 by finishing 17th on the Rankings. Retained his card in 2007 and 2008 before a successful visit to the Qualifying School in 2009 secured his rights for another year. The ‘School’ beckoned once more towards the close of the 2010 campaign when he stood in 130th position on The Race to Dubai with two events remaining, but conjured up two exceptional finishes – tied eighth in the Castelló Masters Costa Azahar and tied 18th in the Andalucía Valderrama Masters – to earn €78,500 in a fortnight and climb to the safety of 109th. Had less stressful finishes to 2011, when he was 93rd, and 2012, when he took 102nd spot.