Career Highlights

2017 Season

• World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational: After earning a spot in the field for winning the 2017 Dimension Data Pro-Am on the Sunshine Tour, made his 16th World Golf Championships appearance and 600th start on the European Tour at the Bridgestone Invitational. One of four players in the 2017 field who played in the first WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 1999 (Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson).
• Dimension Data Pro-Am: Became the fourth person to win both the Dimension Data Pro-Am and The Open Championship when he claimed the 2017 Dimension Data Pro-Am by one stroke. Unlike Nick Price, Darren Clarke and Louis Oosthuizen, the other players to win both, he won his major championship first. Held off the challenge of Justin Hicks of the United States, local player Chris Swanepoel, and England's Chris Lloyd after rounds on each of the courses at Fancourt Hotel and Golf Estate, and then the final round on Montagu. Was bogey-free in final-round 5-under 67.
• Dimension Data Pro-Am: Became the fourth person to win both the Dimension Data Pro-Am and The Open Championship when he claimed the 2017 Dimension Data Pro-Am by one stroke. Unlike Nick Price, Darren Clarke and Louis Oosthuizen, the other players to win both, he won his major championship first. Held off the challenge of Justin Hicks of the United States, local player Chris Swanepoel, and England's Chris Lloyd after rounds on each of the courses at Fancourt Hotel and Golf Estate, and then the final round on Montagu. Was bogey-free in final-round 5-under 67.

2013 Season

Made seven PGA TOUR starts, including all three World Golf Championships events. Was T27 at the Bridgestone Invitational. Also played in all four major championships, making the cut in all but the PGA Championship. Was T38 at the Masters, T32 at the U.S. Open and T26 at The Open Championship.

• Omega European Masters: Added a 12th-place showing in early September at the Omega European Masters.
• Volvo Golf Champions: Shot four under-par rounds at the European Tour's Volvo Golf Champions in mid-January to T7 in South Africa.

2012 Season

• Nedbank Golf Challenge: Stumbled to a final-round 74 at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in December, a day after shooting a 75, to drop into a solo sixth at Gary Player CC in Sun City, South Africa.
• Omega European Masters: Came back at the Omega European Masters and contended again, shooting four sub-par rounds at Crans-sur-Sierre to T2 with three other players, four shots short of Richie Ramsay.
• The Gleneagles Hotel: Won his second tournament of the year, rolling to a four-shot win over Brett Rumford. He took a one-shot lead over Romain Wattel into the final round, fired a five-birdie, one-bogey 69 at The Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland for his eighth career European Tour title.
• BMW PGA Championship: At Wentworth Club and the BMW PGA Championship, his final-round 66 was the best score of the day and vaulted him up the leaderboard into a T2 with Justin Rose, four strokes short of winner Luke Donald.
• Volvo World Match Play Champiolnship: Made a run at a second title in May in Spain. Finished T3 at the Volvo World Match Play Champiolnship, losing his semifinal match to eventual champion Nicolas Colsaerts.
• Commercialbank Qatar Masters: Won on the European Tour for the second consecutive season, capturing the weather-shortened Commercialbank Qatar Masters at Doha GC in early February. Opened with a 69 then watched as heavy winds wreaked havoc on play the rest of the week. Improved his score every day in the 54-hole event and finished with 67-65 to defeat Jason Day and Peter Hanson by four strokes. It was his second Qatar Masters title, coming 13 years after his first win there.
• Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship: Shot a final-round 72 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship to T8.

2011 Season

• Iberdrola Open: He also added T5 at the Iberdrola Open midway through the season.
• Open de Espana: He also added a T5 at the Open de Espana midway through the season.
• Dubai World Championship: At the Dubai World Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in mid-December, he contended all week before finally settling on a second-place position behind Alvaro Quiros at the European Tour's season-ending event. A second-round 73 hurt his chances at garnering a second victory during the campaign.
• Open de Andalucia de Golf: Won on the European Tour for the first time in nine years when he captured the Open de Andalucia de Golf. He began with rounds of 66-67-65 to take a one-shot lead into the final round. He added a final-round 70 to defeat Johan Edfors by a stroke.

2010 Season

• BMW PGA Championship: Second T6 came at the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour.
• Open de Espana: Had a pair of T6s in May, the first at the Open de Espana.

2009 Season

• The Open Championship: Recorded the first double eagle in The Open Championship since Gary Evans in 2004 when he holed a 213-yard 4-iron at the par-5 seventh hole in the final round at Turnberry. It was the sixth double eagle in The Open Championship since 1982. He posted a final-round 68 and finished T47. Best European Tour finish in was a T3 at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

2008 Season

• Portugal Masters: Best finish was a second at the Portugal Masters, three behind winner Alvaro Quiros of Spain.

2007 Season

• Mercedes-Benz Championship: Also had a T9 at the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne, Germany, for his only other top-10 of the season.
• Alfred Dunhill Links Championship: On the strength of a third-round 64 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, he moved into contention before settling on a T4 following a final-round 71.

2006 Season

• BMW Asian Open: At the BMW Asian Open at Tomson Shanghai Pudong GC in China, was T8.
• Volvo China Open: His only top-10s came in back-to-back starts in Asia. Was T10 at the Volvo China Open when he shot a final-round 67.

2005 Season

Had a pair of close calls six months apart.

• Madrid Open: Was second again in October, at the Madrid Open. He opened with rounds of 68-66-66 at the Club de Campo then shot a final-round 64 but fell three strokes short of Raphael Jacquelin, who held a seven-stroke lead when the day began.
• Estoril Open de Portugal: First runner-up finish came at the Estoril Open de Portugal, when he entered the final round with a one-stroke lead is Lisbon on the strength of a 5-under 66 in the third round. He shot a 1-under 70 Sunday but fell a stroke back of Paul Broadhurst.

2004 Season

• Masters Tournament: Only made cut in five PGA TOUR starts was a T37 at the Masters.
• Mallorca Classic: Best finish in a disappointing season was a T11 at the Mallorca Classic in his second-to-last start of the campaign.

2003 Season

• Masters Tournament: He was T15 at the Masters Tournament.
• BellSouth Classic: Had his first top-10 PGA TOUR finish in a non-major, placing T9 at the BellSouth Classic outside Atlanta.
• Benson and Hedges International Open: Contended all week at The Belfry, site of the Benson and Hedges International Open. Began the final round seven strokes back but shot a Sunday 69 to T3.
• Dunhill Championship: Was a runner-up once and finished third on the European Tour. Rallied on the weekend with rounds of 67-65 at the Dunhill Championship in Johannesburg, South Africa. The final-round 65 was enough to get him into a playoff with Mark Foster, Anders Hansen, Trevor Immelman, Doug McGuigan and Bradford Vaughan, a playoff Foster won.

2002 Season

• U.S. Open Championship: Top PGA TOUR finish was a T30 at the U.S. Open, where he shot four consecutive rounds of 73 at Bethpage State Park.
• Italian Open: Added one more runner-up finish late in the year, at the Italian Open. In the weather-shortened event, his 17-under 199 was two strokes back of winner Ian Poulter at Olgiata GC.
• European Open: Was T2 at the European Open, falling a stroke short of winner Michael Campbell at The K Club.
• Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open: A year after finishing a disappointing second at the Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open, he came back to win, defeating John Bickerton by five shots.

2001 Season

Made six PGA TOUR starts, with his top performance a T17 at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

• Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open: Finished second at the Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open, losing in a playoff to Paul McGinley (it also included Daren Lee) in the weather-shortened 36-hole event.
• Alfred Dunhill Links Championship: Won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship late in the season on the strength of a 63-68 weekend. Edged Ernie Els by a stroke.

2000 Season

• World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship: Played in eight official PGA TOUR events, with his top finish a a T5 at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.
• Smurfit European Open: Added a T8 at the Smurfit European Open.
• Dubai Desert Classic: Best European Tour finish was a T4 at the Dubai Desert Classic. Was nine strokes back when he began the final round after shooting a third-round 75 at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club. Closecd with a 4-under 68. Was T5 at the Victor Chandler British Masters.
• Mercedes Championships: Was also T8 at the Mercedes Championships.

1999 Season

The Open Championship victory qualified him for his first PGA TOUR event in America, the PGA Championship, where he T34. Also played in his first World Golf Championships event, the NEC Invitational in Akron, where he was tied for the lead at the halfway point before stumbling on the weekend to T21.

• Ryder Cup: Made Ryder Cup debut at The Country Club outside Boston, hitting the opening tee shot and claiming 3½ points.
• Qatar Masters: Won the Qatar Masters in February at Doha GC. Was the only player in the field with four rounds in the 60s (68-65-67-68) as he coasted to a tournament-record, seven-stroke win over Soren Kjeldsen and Phillip Price.
• The Open Championship: Was a two-time European Tour winner, with his biggest win coming in a major. Defeated Jean Van de Velde and Justin Leonard in a four-hole playoff to win The Open Championship, his first and only major championship. Came from 10 strokes behind—the largest comeback in major championship history—with a final-round 67 to win at Carnoustie, just an hour from his home. Birdied the last two holes of the four-hole playoff.

1998 Season

Enjoyed a pair of top-10s during the European Tour season.

• German Open: Placed seventh at the German Open.
• Deutsche Bank - SAP Open: Was 10th at the Deutsche Bank - SAP Open.

1997 Season

Had two European tour top-10s.

• Lancome Trophy: Posted a T8 at the Lancome Trophy in Paris.
• Irish Open: Had a T7 at the Irish Open at Druids Glen GC.

1996 Season

• Benson and Hedges International Open: Was also T6 at the Benson and Hedges International Open.
• Volvo PGA Championship: Was a runner up at the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth Club, tying with Nick Faldo, two strokes behind winner Costantino Rocca. His second-round 65 tied him for low round of the tournament.
• Catalan Open: Earned his first title at the 36-hole Catalan Open in Tarragona, Spain. Held off Fernando Roca by a stroke at Bonmont GC.

1995 Season

• European Open: Lone top-10 in 23 starts came in his second-to-last event of the European Tour campaign, a T9 at the European Open at the K Club in Dublin, Ireland.

1994 Season

• Honda Open: His only other top-10 was a T5 at the Honda Open in Germany, five strokes behind winner Robert Allenby.
• Turespana Open: His best showing of the year came in his sixth start, at the Turespana Open. He stumbled in the opening round, with a 2-over 74 then was 15-under the rest of the way to T4.

1993 Season

• The Open Championship: Had a slow start to his season, making only one cut in five starts and didn't record a top-10 finish until July, at The Open Championship. Shot three of his four rounds in the 60s at Royal St. Georges, including a final-round 65 to T6, seven shots shy of Greg Norman. It was also his first major championship appearance.
• GA European Open: Added a T6 late in the season, at the GA European Open at east Sussex National.

1992 Season

Played his first full season on the European Tour, with two top-10 finishes.

• Irish Open: He was T6 at the Irish Open, five strokes behind winner Nick Faldo.
• Volvo Open Di Firenze: The first was a T9 at the Volvo Open Di Firenze.

1991 Season

• Clydesdale Bank Northern Open: Made his professional debut, at the European Challenge Tour's Clydesdale Bank Northern Open, where he T28.