Lee Walker (born 11 February 1976) is a Welsh former professional snooker player and former World Seniors Champion. He is an official WPBSA coach[1] and is the long term coach to Mark Williams MBE.
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.
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]
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.
^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 European Open (1994/1995–1996/1997 and 2001/2002–2003/2004), the Irish Open (1998/1999) and the 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)
^The event was called the Charity Challenge (1994/1995–1998/1999)
