Lee Walker

Last updated

Lee Walker
Lee Walker PHC 2018-2.jpg
Born (1976-02-11) 11 February 1976 (age 49)
Rhyl, Wales
Sport countryFlag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales
Professional1994–2006, 2007/2008, 2014–2022
Highest ranking 42 (2000/2001)
Best ranking finishSemi-final (x1)

Lee Walker (born 11 February 1976) is a Welsh retired professional snooker player and former World Seniors Champion. He is an official WPBSA coach [1] and is the long-term coach of Mark Williams.

Contents

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]

2021/2022 season

Walker won the 2022 World Seniors Championship at the Crucible Theatre. He recovered from 0–3 down to defeat the defending champion David Lilley in the semi-finals, and then came from 1–3 and 2–4 behind to defeat three-time champion Jimmy White 5–4 in the final. Walker became the 11th different winner of the World Seniors Championship. [4]

2022/2023 season

Walker chose not to enter any tournament in the season, except the invitiational Champion of Champions. After losing his first round match against Mark Selby, he announced that he had already retired from all activities on the main tour, due to business and coaching obligations.

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
2021/
22
2022/
23
Ranking [5] [nb 1] 280 189 79 50 46 42 58 76 81 59 58 [nb 1] [nb 2] [nb 1] 83 [nb 3] 69 [nb 4] 80 [nb 5] 85 [nb 2]
Ranking tournaments
Championship League Tournament Not HeldNon-Ranking Event RR RR A
European Masters [nb 6] LQLQLQNH 1R Not HeldLQLQLQLQLQNRNot HeldLQLQ 1R LQ 1R LQA
British Open LQLQLQ 1R 1R 1R 1R LQLQLQLQTournament Not Held 3R A
Northern Ireland Open Tournament Not Held 2R 1R 2R 1R 1R 1R A
UK Championship LQLQLQLQ 1R 3R LQLQLQLQLQLQLQA 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R WDA
Scottish Open [nb 7] LQLQLQLQ 1R 1R LQLQLQLQNot HeldMRNot Held 1R 1R 2R 1R 2R 1R A
English Open Tournament Not Held 2R 1R 2R QF 1R LQA
World Grand Prix Tournament Not HeldNRDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQ
Shoot Out Tournament Not HeldNon-Ranking 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R A
German Masters [nb 8] NHLQLQ 1R NRTournament Not HeldALQLQLQLQLQLQLQLQA
Welsh Open LQLQLQLQ 3R LQLQLQLQLQLQLQLQA 2R 1R 4R 1R 1R 1R 1R LQA
Players Championship [nb 9] Tournament Not HeldDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQ
Tour Championship Tournament Not HeldDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQ
World Championship LQLQ QF 1R LQLQLQLQLQ 2R LQLQLQALQLQLQLQLQLQLQLQA
Non-ranking tournaments
Champion of Champions Tournament Not HeldAAAAAAAA 1R
The Masters LQLQLQLQLQLQLQLQLQLQAALQAAAAAAAAAA
Championship League Tournament Not HeldAAAAAAA RR AAA
Six-red World Championship Tournament Not Held 2R AAAAAANot HeldA
World Seniors Championship Tournament Not HeldALQAAANHA 1R W 1R
Former ranking tournaments
Dubai Classic [nb 10] LQLQLQTournament Not Held
Malta Grand Prix Non-Ranking EventLQNRTournament Not Held
Thailand Masters [nb 11] LQLQLQLQLQLQLQ 1R NRNot HeldNRTournament Not Held
Irish Masters Non-Ranking EventLQ 1R LQNHTournament Not Held
Northern Ireland Trophy Tournament Not HeldNR 1R Tournament Not Held
Wuxi Classic [nb 12] Tournament Not HeldALQTournament Not Held
Australian Goldfields Open [nb 13] Non-RankingTournament Not HeldALQLQTournament Not Held
Shanghai Masters Tournament Not HeldLQALQLQLQ 1R Non-RankingNot Held
Paul Hunter Classic [nb 14] Tournament Not HeldPro-am EventMinor-Ranking 3R 1R QF NRNot Held
Indian Open Tournament Not HeldLQNHLQLQ 1R Tournament Not Held
China Open [nb 15] Not HeldNRLQLQLQLQNot HeldLQLQWDALQ 2R LQ 1R LQTournament Not Held
Riga Masters [nb 16] Tournament Not HeldMR 1R 1R 1R 1R Not Held
International Championship Tournament Not HeldALQ 2R 1R 1R LQLQNot Held
China Championship Tournament Not HeldNRLQLQLQNot Held
World Open [nb 17] LQLQLQLQLQLQLQLQLQ 3R 1R 2R LQANot Held 1R 3R 1R LQNot Held
WST Pro Series Tournament Not Held RR Not Held
Turkish Masters Tournament Not HeldLQNH
Gibraltar Open Tournament Not HeldMR 3R SF 1R 2R 1R 1R NH
Former non-ranking tournaments
Champions Cup [nb 18] AAA 1R AAAATournament Not Held
Performance Table Legend
LQlost in the qualifying draw#Rlost in the early rounds of the tournament
(WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin)
QFlost in the quarter-finals
SFlost in the semi-finalsFlost in the finalWwon the tournament
DNQdid not qualify for the tournamentAdid not participate in the tournamentWDwithdrew from the tournament
NH / Not Heldmeans an event was not held.
NR / Non-Ranking Eventmeans an event is/was no longer a ranking event.
R / Ranking Eventmeans an event is/was a ranking event.
MR / Minor-Ranking Eventmeans an event is/was a minor-ranking event.
PA / Pro-am Eventmeans an event is/was a pro-am event.
  1. 1 2 3 New players on the Main Tour don't have a ranking
  2. 1 2 He was an amateur
  3. Players qualified through European Tour Order of Merit started the season without prize money ranking points
  4. Players qualified One Year Ranking List started the season without ranking points
  5. Players qualified through Q School started the season without ranking points
  6. The event was called the European Open (1994/1995–1996/1997 and 2001/2002–2003/2004), the Irish Open (1998/1999) and the Malta Cup (2004/2005–2007/2008)
  7. The event was called the International Open (1994/1995–1996/1997) and the Players Championship (2003/2004)
  8. The event was called the German Open (1995/1996–1997/1998)
  9. The event was called the Players Tour Championship Grand Final (2012/2013 and 2014/2015–2015/2016)
  10. The event was called the Thailand Classic (1995/1996) and the Asian Classic (1996/1997)
  11. The event was called the Thailand Open (1995/1996–1996/1997)
  12. The event was called the Jiangsu Classic (2008/2009–2009/2010)
  13. The event was called the Australian Masters (1994/1995-1995/1996)
  14. The event was called the Grand Prix Fürth (2004/2005) and the Fürth German Open (2005/2006–2006/2007)
  15. The event was called the China International (1997/1998–1998/1999)
  16. The event was called the Riga Open (2014/2015–2015/2016)
  17. The event was called the Grand Prix (1994/1995–2000/2001 and 2004/2005–2009/2010) and the LG Cup (2001/2002–2003/2004)
  18. The event was called the Charity Challenge (1994/1995–1998/1999)

Career finals

Non-ranking finals: 2 (1 title)

OutcomeNo.YearChampionshipOpponent in the finalScore
Runner-up1.1998 Merseyside Professional Championship Flag of England.svg Peter Lines 4–5
Winner1. 2022 World Seniors Championship Flag of England.svg Jimmy White 5–4

Pro-am finals: 2 (1 title)

OutcomeNo.YearChampionshipOpponent in the finalScore
Winner1.2008TCC Open Snooker Championship Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Mark Williams 7–5
Runner-up1.2014 Pink Ribbon Flag of England.svg Peter Lines 1–4

Amateur finals: 4

OutcomeNo.YearChampionshipOpponent in the finalScore
Runner-up1.2006 PIOS – Event 3 Flag of Ireland.svg Leo Fernandez 5–6
Runner-up2.2007 PIOS – Event 4 Flag of England.svg Kuldesh Johal 4–6
Runner-up3.2011 IBSF World Snooker Championship Flag of Iran.svg Hossein Vafaei 9–10
Runner-up4.2014 Welsh Amateur Championship Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Jamie Clarke 6–8

References

  1. "Walker Coaches Hong Kong Talent". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 28 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  2. "Lee Walker targeting Crucible after Coral Welsh Open exploits". World Snooker. 18 February 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  3. "Lee Walker". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  4. "Walker Wins World Seniors Crown". World Snooker. 9 May 2022. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  5. "Ranking History". Snooker.org. Retrieved 6 February 2011.