JOINED TOUR
PLAYOFF RECORD
PGA TOUR (0-1)
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2013 Lost to Derek Ernst, Wells Fargo Championship
National Teams
Special Interests
- Socializing, cars, keeping fit, food, wine
Career Highlights
2014 Season
Made seven of 11 PGA TOUR cuts, without a top-25 finish. Finished No. 191 in the FedExCup standings. Did not play in minimum 15 events on TOUR so was not exempt to compete in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.
2013 Season
Made 14 of 22 cuts on TOUR, with two top 10s. Finished No. 48 in the final FedExCup standings.
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Wells Fargo Championship: Lost in a playoff at the Wells Fargo Championship when Derek Ernst made a par-4 on the first playoff hole (No. 18). It was his first TOUR playoff in his 16th career start.
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The Honda Classic: Was one of just five players to post a sub-70 score (69) in the final round at The Honda Classic, resulting in a T4 finish with four others. He joined Luke Guthrie as rookies to finish in the top five at PGA National.
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Portugal Masters: On the European Tour in October 2013, began the final round of the Portugal Masters tied for 16th, six shots behind leader Paul Waring. Opened his final round with two birdies and added three more on his front nine to make the turn in 5-under 30. After a bogey-5 stumble on the 10th hole, regained his momentum and added four more birdies over his final eight holes for an 8-under 63 at Oceanico Victoria GC to defeat Justin Walters by a stroke. Victory was his second European Tour title but first since the 2004 KLM Open.
2012 Season
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PGA Championship: At the PGA Championship in August, by virtue of his 98th position in the Official World Golf Ranking, he received an invitation that was only his second major championship start and made the most of his opportunity. After opening 73-74 at Kiawah Island and sitting in a tie for 37th place, he came back with consecutive 68s on the weekend to vault into solo second, his top PGA TOUR performance, eight strokes behind winner Rory McIlroy. His $865,000 payday was easily the largest of his career. He won €200,000 for his 2004 KLM Open title on the European Tour. The performance in South Carolina earned him a return invitation to the PGA Championship in 2013 and an invitation to the 2013 Masters. His only previous major championship experience came in 2003, when he T53 at The Open Championship.
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Alstom Open de France: Added a second fourth-place finish in France in early July at the Alstom Open de France. Began the final round four strokes off Anders Hansen's 54-hole lead. Shot a 3-under 68 Sunday to move up the leaderboard, three behind winner Marcel Siem.
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Open de Andalucia: Finished solo fourth at the Open de Andalucia on the strength of three rounds in the 60s after opening with a 2-under 70 at Aloha GC in Andalucia, Spain.
2011 Season
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Portugal Masters: Was also T3 late in the season at the Portugal Masters.
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Iberdrola Open: 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.
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KLM Open: 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.
2010 Season
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Austrian Golf Open: Finished at 17-under and tied with Jose Manuel Lara at the end of regulation at the Austrian Golf Open but made bogey on the first extra hole at Diamond CC to give the title to Lara. It was his only top-10 of the campaign.
2009 Season
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Alfred Dunhill Championship: Finished T7 at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December 2008.
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Estoril Open de Portugal: His only top-10s came in April when he T7 at the Estoril Open de Portugal.
2008 Season
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Open de Andalucia: Placed T8 at the Open de Andalucia.
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Volvo Masters: Finished sixth at the Volvo Masters.
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Maybank Malaysian Open: He also added top 10 at the Maybank Malaysian Open with a T6.
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Open de Espana: Placed T4 at the Open de Espana in May.
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Castello Masters: Had a strong season, winning €705,374 on the strength of five top-10s, highlighted by a T4 at the Castello Masters in October.
2007 Season
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Singapore Masters: Among three European Tour top-10s, his top performance was a T4 at the Singapore Masters in March.
2006 Season
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Volvo China Open: 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.
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Dunhill Championship: 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.
2005 Season
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Linde German Masters: In Cologne, Germany, was second again at the Linde German Masters. 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.
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Johnnie Walker Championship: 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.
2004 Season
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KLM Open: 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 Season
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The Open Championship: Made his inaugural major championship appearance, playing in The Open Championship, where he T53.
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Dubai Desert Classic: 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.
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Nissan Irish Open: Placed T4 at the Nissan Irish Open.
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Heineken Classic: Finished T4 at the Heineken Classic.
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Dubai Desert Classic: Enjoyed a trio of European Tour top-five finishes– the first at the Dubai Desert Classic with a T3.
2002 Season
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BMW International Open: Top finish on the European Tour campaign was a T7 at the BMW International Open in Munich.
2001 Season
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Moroccan Open: First European Tour runner-up finish came at the Moroccan Open. Had weekend rounds of 68-67 at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam but still fell two strokes back of Ian Poulter.
2000 Season
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Alfred Dunhill Championship: His lone top-five showing came in his first start of the season, at the weather-shortened Alfred Dunhill Championship, where he T5.
1999 Season
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Open des Volcans: Had his second T5 of the year at the Open des Volcans in France.
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Rolex Trophy: Had a pair of T5s on the Challenge Tour, the first at the Rolex Trophy (Bad Ragaz, Switzerland.)
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Moroccan Open: 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.
1998 Season
Struggled in his 25 European Tour starts, with only 11 made cuts.
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Italian Open: Had a top finish of 10th at the Italian Open.
1997 Season
Earned his European Tour card via his play on the European Challenge Tour.
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Team Erhverv Danish Open: Broke through with his first professional victory, at the Team Erhverv Danish Open. Had four under-par rounds in Denmark.
1996 Season
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Hohe Brucke Open: Looking for his first professional title, he had bookend 66s at the Hohe Brucke Open in Austria and enjoyed four sub-par rounds. He still could only T2, falling a stroke short of Paul McGinley.
Amateur Highlights
- Won the Greek Amateur Championship when he finished eight strokes ahead of David Howell.