D.O.B. 12 Jul 1971
Lives Liverpool
Turned Pro 1990
Best Ranking Performance Runner-up - International Open 1996. Won UKPTC3 in 2012
Highest Tournament Break 143 - World Championship (Qrd) 2003
After 22 years of trying, Rod Lawler won a professional tournament for the first time at UKPTC3 in 2012. He beat Marco Fu 4-2 in the final in Gloucester.
Lawler dropped off the main tour at the end of the 2011/12 season, but bounced straight back by coming through Q School in May 2012. He kept his long stint on the tour going by beating Joe Delaney 4-0 in the last round of the third and final event.
Liverpool's Lawler lost 4-3 to Ian Burns in the final round of the first event but bounced back successfully. "It was very tough to pick myself up after losing in the first event," said Lawler. "Before the third one I went home for a couple of days to practise with John Whitty and if it wasn't for him I don't think I would have made it through.
"If I had dropped off the tour I would have had to get a real job! Even now I will have to look for part time work. I'm under no illusions about my place in the game as it is much tougher than it has ever been before. But I still really enjoy the competitive side of it which is why I want to keep playing."
And he made a cracking start to the 2012/13 season by qualifying for the final stages of the Wuxi Classic in China.
Lawler reached the final of the International Open in 1996, beating Stephen Hendry 5-2 in the second round and winning six matches in all before John Higgins ended his title dream with a 9-3 victory.
He claimed two notable scalps in the 1995 World Championship, defeating 1985 champion Dennis Taylor 10-5 in the final qualifying round and then shocking 1991 winner John Parrott 10-6 in the first round proper at Sheffield.
