Sam Walker

Fully exempt into the 2012 Open Championship by shooting 68-65 in International final qualifying at Sunningdale.
Captured his third Challenge Tour title, four years after collecting his first at the Scottish Challenge, when he prevailed in a playoff at the Scottish Hydro Challenge. That victory banished the memories of a disappointing 2009 campaign, when he struggled to adjust to life back on the Challenge Tour after losing his European Tour card in 2008. His 2007 European Tour season was a bit of an all-or-nothing affair, missing 18 cuts from 31 events but finishing in the top 25 nine times when he did feature at the weekend. Best performance came near his Birmingham base when he finished in a tie for fourth in The Quinn Direct British Masters at The Belfry â?? his best European Tour performance to date, helping him to a career-best 80th on the money list. Comes from a strong sporting family, with his brother Josh playing for Manchester United reserves for five years and his cousin Tom Whitehouse a fellow Challenge Tour Member. Father Tim was a Conference footballer, but it was his uncle Bob who introduced him to golf at the age of six. Turned professional at the beginning of 2000, and made gradual progression through the MasterCard Tour and the Challenge Tour to earn promotion to The European Tour, before a tied sixth finish in the 2011 Apulia San Domenico Grand Final meant he clinched a return to The European Tour in 2012.

2012 Challenge Tour results
Event Pos. Earnings R1-R2-R3-R4=Total To Par
Scottish Hydro Challenge 1 â?¬ 35,200.00 64-67-70=201 -12
St Omer Open presented Cut - 73-78=151 +9
Fred Olsen Challenge de España 50 � 618.67 71-67-71-70=279 -5
Telenet Trophy 46 â?¬ 736.00 69-71-74-71=285 +1
Madeira Islands Open 53 â?¬ 1,671.43 69-72-74-70=285 -3