Lee Walker
Lee Walker (born 11 February 1976) is a Welsh professional snooker player. He is an official WPBSA coach.[1]
![]() Walker at the 2018 Paul Hunter Classic | |
Born | 11 February 1976 |
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Sport country | ![]() |
Professional | 1994–2006, 2007/2008, 2014– |
Highest ranking | 42 (2000/2001) |
Current ranking | 122 (as of 1 February 2021) |
Career winnings | £352,168 |
Highest break | 140: 2004 European Open 2011 Q School Event 3 |
Century breaks | 55 |
Best ranking finish | Semi-final (2018 Gibraltar Open) |
Career
After turning professional in 1994 at the age of 18, Walker reached the quarter-finals of the World Championship in 1997, with victories over Dave Harold 10–7 and Alan McManus 13–10, before he lost 13–8 to Alain Robidoux. This was the first time he had reached the latter stages of a ranking tournament, and he also reached the last 16 of the same tournament in 2004 with a 10–7 win over Stephen Lee before losing 13–5 to David Gray. He dropped off the Main Tour after the 2005–2006 season, but returned a year later after a strong campaign on the Pontin's International Open Series, from which the top 8 finishers gain Main Tour places. However he dropped off again at the end of the season.
Walker did however return to the tour in 2014 as he won a 2-year tour card by reaching the semi final stage of the second event of the 2014 Q School.
2016/2017 season
In 2016–17, he had one of his most impressive seasons to date, the highlight being his run in his home tournament, the Welsh Open. He defeated Rhys Clark, and former world champions Neil Robertson and Graeme Dott before losing in the fourth round to Zhou Yuelong.[2]
2017/2018 season
In the 2017–18 season, Walker had his best run in a ranking event to date, reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 Gibraltar Open where he was defeated 4–2 by eventual runner-up Cao Yupeng.[3]
Performance and rankings timeline
Tournament | 1994/ 95 |
1995/ 96 |
1996/ 97 |
1997/ 98 |
1998/ 99 |
1999/ 00 |
2000/ 01 |
2001/ 02 |
2002/ 03 |
2003/ 04 |
2004/ 05 |
2005/ 06 |
2007/ 08 |
2012/ 13 |
2014/ 15 |
2015/ 16 |
2016/ 17 |
2017/ 18 |
2018/ 19 |
2019/ 20 |
2020/ 21 | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ranking[4][nb 1] | [nb 2] | 280 | 189 | 79 | 50 | 46 | 42 | 58 | 76 | 81 | 59 | 58 | [nb 2] | [nb 3] | [nb 2] | 83 | [nb 4] | 69 | [nb 5] | 80 | [nb 6] | ||||||||||||||||||
Ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
European Masters[nb 7] | LQ | LQ | LQ | NH | 1R | Not Held | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | NR | Tournament Not Held | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | 1R | |||||||||||||||||||||
English Open | Tournament Not Held | 2R | 1R | 2R | QF | 1R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship League | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | RR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Ireland Open | Tournament Not Held | 2R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UK Championship | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | 3R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | ||||||||||||||||||
Scottish Open[nb 8] | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | Tournament Not Held | MR | Not Held | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 2R | |||||||||||||||||||||
World Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | NR | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German Masters[nb 9] | NH | LQ | LQ | 1R | NR | Tournament Not Held | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shoot-Out | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Welsh Open | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | 3R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | 2R | 1R | 4R | 1R | 1R | 1R | |||||||||||||||||||
Players Championship[nb 10] | Tournament Not Held | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gibraltar Open | Tournament Not Held | MR | 3R | SF | 1R | 2R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
WST Pro Series | Tournament Not Held | RR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tour Championship | Tournament Not Held | DNQ | DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Championship | LQ | LQ | QF | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | 2R | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||
Non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Seniors Championship | Tournament Not Held | A | LQ | A | A | A | NH | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Masters | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | A | LQ | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||
Variant format tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Six-red World Championship | Tournament Not Held | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Former ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dubai Classic[nb 11] | LQ | LQ | LQ | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Malta Grand Prix | Non-Ranking Event | LQ | NR | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thailand Masters[nb 12] | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | NR | Tournament Not Held | NR | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
British Open | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Irish Masters | Non-Ranking Event | LQ | 1R | LQ | NH | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Ireland Trophy | Tournament Not Held | NR | 1R | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wuxi Classic[nb 13] | Tournament Not Held | A | LQ | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Australian Goldfields Open[nb 14] | NR | Tournament Not Held | A | LQ | LQ | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shanghai Masters | Tournament Not Held | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | Non-Rank. | NH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Paul Hunter Classic[nb 15] | Tournament Not Held | Pro-am Event | Minor-Ranking | 3R | 1R | QF | NR | NH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indian Open | Tournament Not Held | LQ | NH | LQ | LQ | 1R | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
China Open[nb 16] | Tournament Not Held | NR | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | Not Held | LQ | LQ | WD | A | LQ | 2R | LQ | 1R | LQ | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Riga Masters[nb 17] | Tournament Not Held | MR | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | NH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International Championship | Tournament Not Held | A | LQ | 2R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | NH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
China Championship | Tournament Not Held | NR | LQ | LQ | LQ | NH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Open[nb 18] | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | 3R | 1R | 2R | LQ | A | Not Held | 1R | 3R | 1R | LQ | NH | |||||||||||||||||||
Former non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Charity Challenge | A | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | Tournament Not Held |
Performance Table Legend | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
LQ | lost in the qualifying draw | #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) |
QF | lost in the quarter-finals |
SF | lost in the semi-finals | F | lost in the final | W | won the tournament |
DNQ | did not qualify for the tournament | A | did not participate in the tournament | WD | withdrew from the tournament |
NH / Not Held | means an event was not held. | |||
NR / Non-Ranking Event | means an event is/was no longer a ranking event. | |||
R / Ranking Event | means an event is/was a ranking event. | |||
RV / Ranking & Variant Format Event | means an event is/was a ranking & variant format event. | |||
MR / Minor-Ranking Event | means an event is/was a minor-ranking event. | |||
PA / Pro-am Event | means an event is/was a pro-am event. | |||
VF / Variant Format Event | means an event is/was a variant format event. |
- From the 2010/2011 season it shows the ranking at the beginning of the season.
- New players on the Main Tour don't have a ranking.
- He was an amateur.
- Players qualified through European Tour Order of Merit started the season without prize money ranking points.
- Players qualified One Year Ranking List started the season without ranking points.
- Players qualified through Q School started the season without ranking points.
- The event was called the Irish Open (1998/1999) and Malta Cup (2004/2005–2007/2008)
- The event was called the International Open (1994/1995–1996/1997) and the Players Championship (2003/2004)
- The event was called the German Open (1995/1996–1997/1998)
- The event was called the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals (2012/2013) and the Players Championship Grand Final (2013/2014–2015/2016)
- The event was called the Thailand Classic (1995/1996) and the Asian Classic (1996/1997)
- The event was called the Thailand Open (1995/1996–1996/1997)
- The event was called the Jiangsu Classic (2008/2009–2009/2010)
- The event was called the Australian Masters (1994/1995-1995/1996)
- The event was called the Grand Prix Fürth (2004/2005) and the Fürth German Open (2005/2006–2006/2007)
- The event was called the China International (1997/1998–1998/1999)
- The event was called the Riga Open (2014/2015–2015/2016)
- The event was called the Grand Prix (1994/1995–2000/2001 and 2004/2005–2009/2010), the LG Cup (2001/2002–2003/2004) and the Haikou World Open (2011/2012–2013/2014)
Career finals
Non-ranking finals: 1 (1 runner-up)
Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
Runner-up | 1. | 1998 | Merseyside Professional Championship | ![]() |
4–5 |
Pro-am finals: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)
Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
Winner | 1. | 2008 | TCC Open Snooker Championship | ![]() |
7–5 |
Runner-up | 1. | 2014 | Pink Ribbon | ![]() |
1–4 |
Amateur finals: 4 (4 runners-up)
Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
Runner-up | 1. | 2006 | PIOS – Event 3 | ![]() |
5–6 |
Runner-up | 2. | 2007 | PIOS – Event 4 | ![]() |
4–6 |
Runner-up | 3. | 2011 | IBSF World Snooker Championship | ![]() |
9–10 |
Runner-up | 4. | 2014 | Welsh Amateur Championship | ![]() |
6–8 |
References
- "Walker Coaches Hong Kong Talent". World Snooker. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- "Lee Walker targeting Crucible after Coral Welsh Open exploits". World Snooker. 18 February 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
- "Lee Walker". Snooker Database. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- "Ranking History". Snooker.org. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
External links
![]() |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lee Walker. |
- Lee Walker at worldsnooker.com
- Profile at globalsnooker.co.uk