A rank outsider in this tournament, he took out the top 16 players James Wattana, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Stephen Lee and Stephen Hendry en route to the final before losing 3–9 to World Champion John Higgins.
However he never followed up on this result, although he did reach the last 16 of the same tournament in 2004 with a win 10–7 win over Stephen Lee in the last 32, losing 13–5 to David Gray in the last 16.
His first senior match was in the 1999 Challenge Tour, and officiated his first televised match in the 2001 Regal Scottish Masters, a tie between Stephen Lee and Patrick Wallace.
Stephen King | Robert E. Lee | Stephen Sondheim | Spike Lee | Jerry Lee Lewis | Bruce Lee | Stephen Fry | Stephen Harper | Peggy Lee | Stephen Hawking | Lee Konitz | John Lee Hooker | Christopher Lee | Stephen Stills | Lee | Stephen | Stan Lee | Lee Kuan Yew | Jamie Lee Curtis | Ang Lee | Washington and Lee University | Tim Berners-Lee | Lee Hsien Loong | Stephen Frears | Stephen Crane | Stephen Foster | Lee Strasberg | Stewart Lee | Rickie Lee Jones | Lee Marvin |
The opening night cast included John Aylward, Lillian Garrett-Groag, Gail Grate, Katherine Hiler, Ronald Hippe, Gregory Itzin, Stacy Keach, Ronald William Lawrence, Scott MacDonald, Tuck Milligan, Randy Oglesby, Jeanne Paulson, Stephen Lee Anderson, Michael Hartman, Philip Lehl, Patrick Page, Susan Pellegrino, James Ragland, Jennifer Rohn, Novel Sholars, and Lee Simon, Jr.