GWENT snooker ace Darren Morgan has completed his clean sweep of Masters titles this year and, in doing so, celebrated the 20th anniversary of his greatest achievement with a second global crown.

Back in 1987, a fresh-faced Morgan took the World Amateur Champ-ionships which provided the opening for his professional career.

Now the 41-year-old from Fleur-de-Lys has won the World Masters Champion-ships in Thailand and dropped just four frames in nine matches throughout the entire tournament.

He beat Thailand's Karnchai Wongian 5-1 in the best-of-nine frame final yesterday.

Morgan, the former World Professional Champion-ships semi-finalist and once ranked eighth on the Main Tour list, could have expected to get a tough examination on Saturday in his semi-final, where he played Indian Geet Sethi, himself an ex-professional.

But, after coming through a close second frame and losing the third, the Welshman ran away to win that match 4-1 and put himself in the final.

Then yesterday he cruised to a 4-0 mid-session interval lead against Wongian with some outstanding snooker. Morgan lost the fifth frame but finished off the tournament with a dazzling break and a frame score of 112-5.

It now completes the set of five Masters crowns for the Gwent man.

This year, he has won the Welsh Individual, European Individual, Home Nations Team and European Team Masters titles.

Meanwhile, on the professional circuit at the Maplin's UK Champion-ships qualifying event, Newbridge's Lee Walker had an early exit by going down 9-6 to Irishman Patrick Wallace.

Neath's Michael White, the 16-year-old who won the World Amateur Champion-ships when only 14, was also a first-round loser.

He went down by 9-5 to Jamie O'Neill, from North-amptonshire.

Newport's Ian Preece, another ex-global amateur king, today begins his quest for a place in the final stages at Telford next month.

Preece takes on Matthew Selt, from Romford, who beat Glasgow's Fraser Patrick in round one by 9-5.