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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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