Wykes turned professional in 1991 and achieved a career highest ranking of 56 in 1999, twice reaching the final qualifying round of the World Championship.

He enjoyed victories over top players such as Paul Hunter, Joe Johnson, Neal Foulds and Willie Thorne, and in 1999 reached the last 16 of the UK Championship in his home town, Bournemouth, where Stephen Hendry made a 147 on the way to beating him 9–3.

He returned to action in 2010, defeating David Taylor and Les Dodd to get through to the first qualifying round, where he lost 6–10 to James Wattana.

Wykes came back in 2013, the last year when non-tour professionals could enter the World Championship, following a victory in the local Dorset Open tournament and a family discussion: "It has always been a dream of mine to play at the Crucible.

Wykes then entered Q School and came close to regaining his tour place in Event 2, where he went all the way to the quarter-finals, only to be whitewashed by Alexander Ursenbacher.