Player
Profile
Turned
professional on 21st April 1999 after becoming
the first Amateur Champion to finish low amateur
in the 1999 Masters Tournament. Winner of 21
events as an amateur and also a professional
event – the Catalonian Open – as a 17 year old
amateur. Made the cut in 12 of the 18 European
Tour events he entered before turning professional.
Won the Murphy’s Irish Open on his sixth start
as a professional and became the fourth youngest
winner on The European Tour at 19 years and
176 days. Second behind Tiger Woods in the 1999
US PGA Championship at Medinah when attempting
to be the youngest winner of a Major Championship
for 129 years. Collected three and a half points
out of five in a brilliant Ryder Cup debut at
Brookline before returning to Europe to win
the Linde German Masters and help Spain capture
the Alfred Dunhill Cup. Named the Sir Henry
Cotton Rookie of the Year in 1999.
Engaged Fanny Sunesson as caddie for 2000 but
switched to South African Glenn Murray after
a short-lived liaison. Claimed his third European
Tour title when he came from four strokes behind
with four holes to play to edge ahead of the
defending champion Retief Goosen and win the
Trophée Lancôme in September 2001. Made his
big breakthrough in America in 2001, winning
his first tournament on the US PGA Tour, the
MasterCard Colonial, and followed that with
a second victory by capturing the Buick Classic
a month later, performances which convinced
Sam Torrance to pick him as one of his wild
cards for The 34th Ryder Cup Matches. Won the
first event on the US PGA Tour, the Mercedes
Championships, in January 2002 and added the
Canarias Open de España title in Gran Canaria
in April while finished the year as the only
player to finish in the top ten in all four
Major Championships in 2002.
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