2011: Had two runner-up performances among his six top-10 finishes on the European Tour. The first came at the KLM Open. He had four rounds in the 60s but still fell a stroke shy of Simon Dyson at Hilversumsche GC in the Netherlands.

His other second-place showing was at the Iberdrola Open in May. During tough scoring conditions at Pula GC in Mallorca, Spain, he finished at 3-under, three strokes behind winner Darren Clarke.

Was also T3 late in the season at the Portugal Masters. 2010: Finished at 17-under and tied with Jose Manuel Lara at the end of regulation at the Austrian Golf Open but made bogeyed the first extra hole at Diamond CC to give the title to Lara. It was his only top-10 of the campaign. 2009: His only top-10s came in April when he T7 at the Estoril Open de Portugal and in at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December 2008. 2008: Had a strong season, winning 705,374 on the strength of five top-10s, highighted by T4s at the Castello Masters in October and the Open de Espana in May. He also added top 10s at the Maybank Malaysian Open (T6), the Volvo Masters (sixth) and the Open de Andalucia (T8). 2007: Among three European Tour top-10s, his top performance was a T4 at the Singapore Masters in March. 2006: Had a pair of top-five showings early in the European Tour season. Was T4 at the Dunhill Championship, held in December 2005. Shot a final-round 68 to move up the leaderboard.

.Four months later, at the Volvo China Open, he held a one-stroke lead over Prayad Marksaeng and Jeev Milkha Singh going into the final round. Struggled to a 1-over 73 at Honghua International GC in Beijing to finish solo third. 2005: Recorded two runner-up finishes on the European Tour, at the Johnnie Walker Championship and the Linde German Masters.

At the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, he began the day six strokes behind leader Nicolas Colsaerts and shot a 3-under 69, leaving him two strokes behind winner Emanuele Canonica.

In Cologne, Germany, was second again. He opened with a 4-under 68 and then fired three consecutive 67s but fell a stroke short of Retief Goosen at the Gut Larchenhof GC. 2004: Captured his first European Tour title with a three-stroke victory over Ireland's Paul McGinley and Australian Richard Green at the KLM Open at Hilversumche GC in the Netherlands. Often consulted a series of famous quotations to inspire him but ultimately put his victory down to a different token of luck, an 1891 ‘Queen's Shilling' that soldiers were handed when going to war, given to him by his father after losing his Wedgwood China ball-marker the week before going to Holland. “It was pretty lucky for the guy who owned it because he came back, so I guess it was lucky for me,” he said after his victory which helped him to his best season on the European Tour, finishing 26th on the order of merit. 2003: Enjoyed a trio of European Tour top-five finishes—at the Dubai Desert Classic (T3), the Heineken Classic (T4) and the Nissan Irish Open (T4).

Entered the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic tied for the lead with Ernie Els and Alastair Forsyth before shooting a 1-under 71 to lose by three strokes. 2002: Top finish on the European Tour campaign was a T7 at the BMW International Open in Munich. 2001: First European Tour runner-up finish came at the Moroccan Open. Had weekend rounds ofr 68-67 at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam but still fell two strokes back of Ian Poulter. 2000: His lone top-five showing came in his first start of the season, at the weather-shortened Alfred Dunhill Championship, where he T5. 1999: Played primarily on the European Challenge Tour but did make four European Tour starts, making the cut in three. His best performance was a solo 13th at the Moroccan Open.

Had a pair of T5s on the Challenge Tour, at the Rolex Trophy (Bad Ragaz, Switzerland) and the Open des Volcans in France. 1998: Struggled in his 25 European Tour starts, with only 11 made cuts and a top finsih of 10th at the Italian Open. 1997: Earned his European Tour card via his play on the European Challenge Tour.