He turned professional in 1979, playing in three tournaments during the 1979/1980 season; in the Canadian Open, he lost to Bill Werbeniuk in the last 16, but having won two matches to progress to that stage, he did not win another, as Jim Wych eliminated him from the Canadian Professional Championship 9–2, and his 1980 World Championship campaign ended immediately, with a 4–9 loss to Australian Paddy Morgan.