Justin Pipe (11)
Justin Pipe continued his upward climb through the world rankings in 2012, taking advantage of automatic qualification for the majors with some solid displays to help him rise from 26th last year.
The man they call 'The Force' entered last year's World Championship as the form horse on the floor, with three titles seeing him finish top of the 2011 Players' Championship Order of Merit.
A run to the third round at Alexandra Palace 12 months ago not only saw him win his first games at the World Championship but also enabled him to maintain his momentum.
Fact box
- Date of birth: 09.11.71
- Birthplace: Taunton
- Nickname: The Force
- Major titles: None
- World Championship best: Third round (once)
- Walk-on music: Can You Feel The Force?
He added another floor title in Spain early this year and when he won 'European Tour Event 1' in April, with victories over James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld along the way, a place in the top 16 of the rankings was his - and with it the golden egg of automatic qualification for the majors.
He has since reached two quarter-finals (World Matchplay and World Grand Prix) before picking his way to the semi-finals of the Players Championship on (relatively) home soil in Minehead recently.
Pipe first came onto the radar as a pub qualifier for the 2008 UK Open, where he notched a couple of victories and after joining the tour full-time, he went onto qualify for the 2010 Grand Slam.
A slow, methodical thrower, Pipe used to work as a tree surgeon and is also a former cage fighter.
