Player
Profile
One
of the most consistent performers on Tour, as
he proved by finishing runner-up to Retief Goosen
for the second successive season in the Volvo
Order of Merit. Had an opportunity to edge out
Goosen after capturing the dunhill links championship
at St Andrews, but missed out at the Volvo Masters
Andalucia, which he had won the previous year.
Ended a run of nine second place finishes since
his debut win in 1996 – seven of them in 11
months between April 1999 and March 2000 – when
he won the Brazil Sao Paulo 500 Years Open in
2000. Added the BBVA Open Turespaña Comunidad
de Madrid later that year. Completed an accountancy
degree before turning professional. Played in
the winning Walker Cup side against the USA
at Royal Porthcawl in 1995. Won the World Cup
of Golf alongside Paul McGinley in 1997, the
first Irish team to win since 1958.
Made his Ryder Cup debut in 1999 after finishing
second in the last two events of the qualifying
period to make team in tenth place. Qualified
for The 34th Ryder Cup Matches and delivered
two points out of four. Coached by Bob Torrance.
Believes that swing adjustments have added yards
to his game. Undertakes a strict fitness regime
and insists that he is now ‘fitter than ever’.
Launched his 2003 campaign in style with a victory
in the BMW Asian Open in Taiwan, before going
to the United States and winning the Target
World Challenge in California playing with tournament
host Tiger Woods in the last two rounds and
beating the World Number One by two shots.
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