Ian Poulter

Exempt status

• PGA TOUR: Top 125 in 2020-21 FedExCup standings (thru 2021-22)

JOINED TOUR

• PGA TOUR: 2004

PGA TOUR Victories (3)

2010 Season

• World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship

2012 Season

• World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions

2017-18 Season

• Houston Open

International Victories (12)

• 2000 Italian Open [Eur]
• 2001 Moroccan Open [Eur]
• 2002 Italian Open [Eur]
• 2003 Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open [Eur]
• 2003 Nordic Open [Eur]
• 2004 Volvo Masters Andalucia [Eur]
• 2006 Madrid Open Masters [Eur]
• 2007 Dunlop Phoenix [Jpn]
• 2009 Barclays Singapore Open [Eur]
• 2010 UBS Hong Kong Open [Eur]
• 2011 Volvo World Match Play Championship [Eur]
• 2011 JBWere Masters [Aus]

Additional Victories (2)

• 1999 Open de Cote d'lvoire
• 2010 Shark Shootout [with Dustin Johnson]

PLAYOFF RECORD

PGA TOUR (1-0)

• 2017-18 Defeated Beau Hossler, Houston Open

National Teams

• 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020 Ryder Cup
• 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2018 World Cup
• 2003, 2005, 2011 Seve Trophy
• 2016 Eurasia Cup

Personal

• Took up the game at age 4 when his father, Terry, a single-digit handicapper, gave him a cut-down 3-wood.
• Is an avid car collector, and along with his 2008 purchase of a Ford GT, he has a Bentley Continental GT, a Ferrari California and has owned a Ferrari, Nissan Skyline and an Aston Martin DB9.

Special Interests

• Cars, all ball sports

Career Highlights

2021 Season

Recorded three top-10s and qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs for the 14th time in the 15th year of the FedExCup era, finishing the season No. 77 in the standings. Made 17 cuts in 21 starts, making more than 16 in a season for the first time since joining the PGA TOUR in 2005. Selected as a captain's pick to compete for Europe at the Ryder Cup, marking his seventh appearance in the event.

• Charles Schwab Challenge: Finished T3 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, his third top-10 in eight starts at the event. Co-led the field in Par-4 Scoring Average (3.79).

2020 Season

Advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs for a fourth consecutive season and 13th overall, finishing the season No. 88 in the FedExCup standings. Failed to qualify for the BMW Championship for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Made the cut in 12 of 13 starts and earned one top-10.

2019 Season

Qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs for the 12th time in 13 seasons since the inception of the FedExCup, advancing to the BMW Championship for the ninth time and finishing No. 41 in the standings. Represented best finish in the FedExCup since 2012 (39th). With six top-10s, collected more than five in a single season for the first time in his career, and made 13 cuts in 16 starts.

• RBC Heritage: Began the final round one stroke back of 54-hole leader Dustin Johnson but posted a 2-over 73 to finish T10 at the RBC Heritage. Made his ninth cut in his ninth start at the event while collecting second consecutive top-10.
• World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship: Played his final nine holes in 4-under to finish with a 68 and a T3 at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. Joined winner Dustin Johnson and Kiradech Aphibarnrat as the only players with four sub-70 scores at Club de Golf Chapultepec.
• THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES: Carded four under-par rounds to finish T10 at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES.

2018 Season

Won for the first time on TOUR since 2012, recording his third career PGA TOUR victory. Advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs for the 11th time in 12 seasons. Finished No. 50 in the FedExCup following his one win and three additional top-10s in 16 made cuts in 20 starts. Earned a spot on the European Team at the Ryder Cup as a captain's pick.

• Ryder Cup: As a captain's pick, won for the fifth time in six Ryder Cup appearances. Guided Europe to a 17.5-10.5 victory over the United States. Went 2-2-0 at Le Golf National in Paris, France, highlighted by a 2-up victory against Dustin Johnson in Singles, which continued his streak of remaining undefeated in Ryder Cup Singles matches.
• World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational: Opened with an 8-under 62 en route to a T10 at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. The 62 matched the tournament record entering the week. Held a share of the 36-hole lead before posting weekend scores of 70-74.
• RBC Heritage: Entered the final round of the RBC Heritage with a one-stroke lead over Si Woo Kim and Luke List before a 4-over 75 led to a T7 result. Week included a stretch of 47 holes without a bogey starting with the 10th hole in round one through No. 2 in the final round.
• Houston Open: Defeated Beau Hossler in a sudden-death playoff to win the Houston Open, his third career PGA TOUR victory and first since the 2012 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions. Beginning the final round tied with PGA TOUR rookie Hossler at 14-under 202, sank a 19-foot, 6-inch birdie on the 72nd hole to match Hossler's 5-under 67 and force sudden death. On the first extra hole, No. 18, made par for the win in his first playoff on the PGA TOUR. Won in his 241st start at the age of 42 years, 2 months, 22 days. Position of T123 was lowest 18-hole position by a winner during the season. Week was highlighted with a 49-hole bogey-free streak (from the 14th hole in round one through No. 8 in the final round). Won in his third start in the Houston Open, becoming the seventh different international winner of the Houston Open (nine wins) and first from England since Paul Casey in 2009. Won for the first time in three attempts on the PGA TOUR when holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead, finishing T3 on both previous occasions.
• World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play: Made it to the quarterfinals of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play before falling to Kevin Kisner. Moved into second place all-time in both matches won (27) and played (41) at the event, trailing only Tiger Woods in those categories (33 wins in 43 matches).

2017 Season

Finished the 2016-17 season with 16 made cuts in 20 starts, with a runner-up finish at THE PLAYERS Championship his best of two top-10 finishes. Finished the season No. 53 in the FedExCup standings, his best showing since finishing No. 39 in 2012.

• BMW Championship: Made the cut in the first three FedExCup Playoffs events, ending his season with a T40 effort at the BMW Championship.
• RBC Canadian Open: Began the final round of the RBC Canadian Open T16 before firing a bogey-free 8-under 64 to finish solo-third at 20-under. Beginning the week No. 71 in the Official World Golf Ranking, required a victory to advance to the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational the following week.
• THE PLAYERS Championship: Finished T2 at THE PLAYERS Championship for his second runner-up at TPC Sawgrass in 14 starts. He played 30 consecutive holes without a bogey before the par-4 No. 12 in the final round. Marked his best finish on the PGA TOUR since a runner-up at the 2013 World Golf Championships-HSBC Championship.

2016 Season

Limited to just 13 starts on the PGA TOUR due to injury, the last being a missed cut at the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational. Missed the Playoffs for the first time since inception of the FedExCup in 2007. Made nine cuts with a T3 at the Puerto Rico Open at Coco Beach being lone top-10. Will play 2016-17 season on a Major Medical Extension, with 10 available events to earn 218 FedExCup points or $347,634 to remain exempt for the remainder of the season. Remains exempt on the European Tour based on his position on the career money list.

• Ryder Cup: Served as Vice Captain for 2016 European Ryder Cup Team.
• Puerto Rico Open at Coco Beach: In his first start at the Puerto Rico Open at Coco Beach, birdied his first three and final three holes in round two, good for a bogey-free 6-under 66. Posted a 4-under 68 in the third round to hold the 54-hole lead. An even-par 72 on Sunday left him one stroke shy of joining the playoff between Steve Marino and eventual-champion Tony Finau. T3 finish was his best showing on the PGA TOUR since finishing T3 at the 2015 Honda Classic.
• Euasia Cup: Won all three matches, including a 4&3 singles result over Danny Chia, for the victorious Europe side in the EURASIA Cup in Kuala Lumpur in January.

2015 Season

Split his time between the PGA TOUR and European Tour. On the PGA TOUR, collected four top-10 finishes in just 16 starts to advance to the FedExCup Playoffs for a ninth consecutive season. Made it through the BMW Championship, the third of four Playoffs events before ending his season at No. 67 in the FedExCup standings.

• ISPS Handa Global Cup: In late-June, played in the Japan Golf Tour's ISPS Handa Global Cup, where four consecutive sub-70 rounds (67-68-68-69) led to a T4 with three other players. Finished two shots out of the Toshinori Muto-Angelo Que playoff.
• Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial: Opened with rounds of 65-67-68 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial to enter the final round one stroke behind leader Kevin Na. Was never able to recover completely from a bogey on the opening hole, going on to post an even-par 70 to T5, two strokes behind champion Chris Kirk. Posted third top-15 finish in four starts at Colonial.
• Masters Tournament: Finished T6 to record his third top 10 in the Masters in the last five years. Was also T10 in 2010 and seventh in 2012. Shot up the leaderboard on the strength of weekend rounds of 67-67 after opening 73-72.
• The Honda Classic: In the weather-forced Monday finish at The Honda Classic, took a three-stroke lead at 9-under into the final round, which began Sunday afternoon and ended Monday morning. Wheels came off the track in the final round, with two double bogeys and a triple bogey, resulting in a 4-over 74 and T3 with Russell Knox and fellow Englishman Paul Casey. Birdied his 71st and 72nd holes to climb back inside the top five. Told media following his round he would spend the ensuing couple of hours driving with his son, who followed in the gallery, explaining the ups and downs of life as a professional golfer.

2014 Season

Made 13 of 17 cuts to go with a pair of top-10s. Finished T23 at the Deutsche Bank Championship, but it was not enough to move on to the third FedExCup Playoffs event, ending his season at No. 78 in the FedExCup standings. Only the third time in eight years of the Playoffs that he has finished outside the top 60.

• Turkish Airlines Open: Made a run at his first victory since the 2012 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions when he finished second at the Turkish Airlines Open in November 2014. Entered the final round tied for second with Marcel Siem and Lee Westwood, a stroke off Wade Ormsby's lead. Shot a 3-over 75 at The Montgomerie Maxx Royal in the third round but recovered on the final day with a bogey-free, 5-under 67. Final birdie of the day in Antalya came at the 13th hole and couldn't make another birdie the rest of the round. His second-round 64 tied him with Victor Dubuisson and Henrik Stenson for low round of the tournament.
• Ryder Cup: At the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland, went 0-1-2 in his four matches in the European team's five-point victory over the U.S. in the biennial event.
• FedEx St. Jude Classic: Posted the low round of the day, a 6-under 64, in the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic to claim a T6, with four others. Opened with rounds of 69-68, before a third-round, 2-over 72 in the third round temporarily broke his stride. Endured numerous weather delays with the rest of the field at TPC Southwind en route to the top-10.
• Franklin Templeton Shootout: Closed the calendar year by teaming with Freddie Jacobson to finish second behind Matt Kuchar and Harris English at the Franklin Templeton Shootout in December.
• Northwestern Mutual World Challenge: In his fourth start at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, experienced an up-and-down week at Sherwood CC. Managed a seventh-place finish in the 18-man field. Rounds of 76-67-73-69 gave him his third top-seven performance in four starts.
• World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions: Making his first start of the season, finished second by three strokes to Dustin Johnson in defense of his World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions title. Trailed Johnson by three strokes entering the final round after opening 71-67-63. Birdied the first two holes in the final round and traded the lead with Johnson throughout the day. A bogey on the par-4 15th hole, coupled with Johnson's eagle-birdie stretch at Nos. 16 and 17, dashed hopes for a repeat victory.

2013 Season

Made 13 of 16 cuts on TOUR, with four top-10s. Finished No. 53 in the final FedExCup standings.

• Deutsche Bank Championship: Entered the Deutsche Bank Championship No. 77 in the FedExCup Playoffs, went on to post four rounds in the 60s at TPC Boston and finished T9. Moved from No. 77 to No. 52 in the standings to advance to the BMW Championship. Previous-best finish in seven overall starts and three made cuts at TPC Boston was T45 in 2010.
• The Open Championship: Made a Sunday charge at The Open Championship, with a 4-under 67, including an eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie stretch on Nos. 9-12 at Muirfield. His T3 finish marked his third top 10 in 13 Open starts (second in 2008 and T9 in 2012).
• World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship: The 2010 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship winner nearly garnered a second title in Marana, Ariz., but settled for fourth-place honors after losing to defending champion Hunter Mahan, 4 and 3, in the semifinals at The GC at Dove Mountain.
• Hyundai Tournament of Champions: Making his second career Hyundai Tournament of Champions start (T6 in 2011), finished the weather-shortened event T9, with rounds of 71-74-69.

2012 Season

Finished No. 39 in the FedExCup standings to miss making his first career start at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.

• Talsker Masters: After shooting a third-round 64 at the Talsker Masters, looked to be in prime position to successfully defend the title he won there a year earlier. Stumbled on the final day, though, shooting an even-par 72 to fall to Adam Scott by four shots.
• World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions: Overcame a four-stroke deficit in the final round of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions to claim a two-stroke win over four others in Shenzhen, China. His 21-under-par total set the new tournament low score in relation to par and became the third-lowest total by a winner in a World Golf Championships event. In winning the tournament, became just the second player to make his first two PGA TOUR wins a World Golf Championships event, joining Darren Clarke (2000 Accenture Match Play Championship and 2003 Bridgestone Invitational). The win came in his eighth consecutive start in the event, making him the only player to compete in each HSBC Champions since its 2005 inception.
• BMW Masters: Shot a final-round, bogey-free, 7-under 65 at the BMW Masters to finish fourth in Shanghai. Finished five shots behind winner Peter Hanson.
• Ryder Cup: Went 4-0 in leading the European team to its second consecutive Ryder Cup victory. Inspired play all week helped fuel a come-from-behind win for Europe. Defeated Webb Simpson, 2-up, in his singles match.
• PGA Championship: Finished T3 at the PGA Championship to record top-10s in three of his last four major starts (seventh at the Masters and T9 at The Open Championship). Had five consecutive birdies (Nos. 1-5) in the final round, the season's longest birdie streak in a major. PGA Championship start was his 40th in a major. Made his 11th start in the PGA Championship. Previous-best performance at the PGA Championship was T9 in 2006. Was trying to become only the second Englishman to win the PGA Championship (Jim Barnes in 1916 and 1919).
• The Open Championship: A final-round, 3-under 67 led to a T9 finish at the British Open.
• BMW PGA Championship: Played steady golf all week at the BMW PGA Championship in his native England on his way to a T10 at Wentworth Club.
• THE PLAYERS Championship: Opened with a 7-under 65 to share with Martin Laird the first-round lead at THE PLAYERS Championship. The 65 was his lowest score in 28 previous rounds at TPC Sawgrass. Struggled to a 76 in the second round and finished T25 following rounds of 71-73 on the weekend.
• Masters Tournament: Finished a career-best seventh at the Masters Tournament, with rounds of 72-72-70-69. Was one of five players with all four rounds at par or better.
• Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard: Finished third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, seven shots behind winner Tiger Woods. Recorded first top-10 at Bay Hill in seven career starts.

2011 Season

Made 12 of 16 cuts, but only registered one top-10 finish. Had lowest finish in FedExCup (87th) since 2008.

• JBWere Masters: For a second consecutive year, he won a title late in the season. At the JBWere Masters in Melbourne, Australia, he came from two strokes behind on the final day with a 4-under 67 to defeat Marcus Fraser by three strokes.
• UBS Hong Kong Open: He defended his title at the UBS Hong Kong Open. Despite a slow start, where he opened with a 1-over 71 at Hong Kong GC, he rebounded with three consecutive sub-70 rounds to T4.
• Mission Hills World Cup: Joined with Justin Rose to represent England at the Mission Hills World Cup. The duo shot a foursomes 63 Sunday at Mission Hills GC but fell short of the winning U.S. team, settling for a T2.
• Volvo World Match Play Championship: Played on the European Tour in May and defeated Luke Donald in the finals of the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain. He held on for a 2-and-1 victory at Finca Cortesin to deny Donald the chance to move to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the time. Had a scary moment in the championship match. Trying to hit an approach shot from a steep, side-hill lie on the eighth hole, he tumbled down the hill after impact but avoided any serious injury.
• Hyundai Tournament of Champions: Making his first career start at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, carded a final-round, 7-under 66 to finish T6.

2010 Season

Made 15 starts on the PGA TOUR, highlighted by a win at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. Member of victorious European Ryder Cup squad.

• The Shark Shootout: Returned to the U.S. in mid-December and teamed with Dustin Johnson to win the Shark Shootout in Naples, Fla. The duo shot a final-round 59 in the scramble format to defeat the team of Darren Clarke-Graeme McDowell by two strokes.
• Dubai World Championship: Looked like he would make it two European Tour wins in a row when he had a birdie putt to win on the 72nd hole at the Dubai World Championship. Just missed that bid to fall into a playoff with Robert Karlsson. He parred the second playoff hole to Karlsson's birdie. Finished fourth in the Race to Dubai, that tour's season-long points competition.
• UBS Hong Kong Open: At the UBS Hong Kong Open, he flirted with a 59 in the second round at the par-70 Hong Kong GC before settling for a 10-under 60. Parlayed that play into victory, where he edged Matteo Manassero and Simon Dyson by a stroke. In his second-round 60, he had to hole out from the fairway on No. 18 for the 59 but landed his approach shot pin high, 6 feet to the right.
• Barclays Singapore Open: In mid-November, in defense of his Barclays Singapore Open, he stumbled to a final-round 73 to T6. Posted a second-round 63 to climb into contention.
• Ryder Cup: Tallied 3-1-0 record for winning European Ryder Cup team, with a 8-3-0 career record in the biennial event.
• PGA Championship: Withdrew from the PGA Championship after 54 holes due to a back injury.
• Masters Tournament: Held the second-round co-lead with Lee Westwood before finishing T10 at the Masters. In six trips to the Masters, Poulter has never finished worse than T33. His first- and second-round 68s matched his best round at Augusta National (third round, 2009).
• World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship: In first start of the season, posted a 4-and-2 victory over fellow Englishman Paul Casey to win the Accenture Match Play Championship, becoming the first player from England to win a World Golf Championships event. It was his first PGA TOUR victory in his 103rd start. He was 2-up after the morning 18 holes and moved to 4-up after two holes in the afternoon. Jumped from No. 11 to No. 5 on the Official World Golf Ranking, his highest career ranking. In his six individual matches, defeated players from six countries (United States, Australia, India, Thailand, Spain and England). Played only 114 holes all week–only Tiger Woods with 112 holes in 2003 played fewer. Improved his Accenture Match Play record to 18-7. Was so dominant on the weekend that he trailed for only one hole over the final 50 holes of the tournament.

2009 Season

Recorded 12 top-25 finishes in 17 starts, including a season-best runner-up finish at THE PLAYERS.

• Barclays Singapore Open: Edged China's Liang Wen-Chong by one shot to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the Barclays Singapore Open in early November. Parred the 18th hole to secure his first win since the 2007 Dunlop Phoenix in Japan and first on the European Tour since the 2006 Madrid Masters.
• THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola: Just missed out on advancing to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, finishing 31st on the FedExCup points list.
• The Barclays: Finished T9 at The Barclays, joining Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker and Robert Allenby as the only players finishing in the top-20 to avoid a double bogey all week.
• Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial: Shot 12-under 268 for an eighth-place finish at the Crowne Plaza Invitational where he played the back nine bogey-free and 11-under for the week.
• THE PLAYERS Championship: Recorded the third runner-up finish of his PGA TOUR career at THE PLAYERS Championship, finishing four strokes behind champion Henrik Stenson.
• Quail Hollow Championship: Finished T5 at the Quail Hollow Championship, three strokes behind champion Sean O'Hair.
• World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship: Finished T9 after a third-round, 2-and-1 loss to Sean O'Hair at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

2008 Season

Recorded seven top-25 finishes and made 12 of 15 cuts.

• Ryder Cup: Had the best individual Ryder Cup record in Europe's loss at Valhalla, finishing 4-1-0. Only loss came in Friday Foursomes.
• The Open Championship: Only top-10 finish of the season came in his 11th start, where a 1-under 69 on the final day propelled him to a runner-up effort at the British Open, four strokes behind champion Padraig Harrington. It represented his best effort in 23 major championship appearances.

2007 Season

Had five top-10s and eight top-25s as he earned more than $1 million for a second consecutive season.

• BMW Championship: Ended season with a T10 at the BMW Championship, his fifth top-10 of the season.
• The Barclays: Fourth top-10 came in August at The Barclays, a T9, his second top-10 finish in two starts at Westchester CC. Moved up 14 spots in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup standings from 73rd to 59th.
• EDS Byron Nelson Championship: Best finish of the year came in April at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship, finishing T3.

2006 Season

Recorded four top-10s in 15 starts, made 13 cuts and earned more than $1.5 million.

• Volvo Masters: Finished T9 at the Volvo Masters the last European Tour event of the season. Finished ninth on the European Tour order of merit.
• World Golf Championships-American Express Championship: Finished T2 at the World Golf Championships-American Express Championship in London, his first top-10 at the event.
• Banco Madrid Valle Romano Open: Won the Banco Madrid Valle Romano Open de Madrid Golf Masters on the European Tour by five strokes in September.
• PGA Championship: Recorded his first top-10 in a major championship with a T9 at the PGA Championship.
• U.S. Open Championship: Finished T12 at the U.S. Open.
• Barclays Classic: In June, added a T9 at the Barclays Classic.
• Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Finished T7 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for first top-10 in eighth start.

2005 Season

Did not win on European Tour for the first season since joining the tour in 2000. Played in a career-high 20 TOUR events with two top-10s.

• World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship: Semifinalist at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship where he fell to eventual champion David Toms, 3 and 2. Defeated Jim Furyk, Stuart Appleby, Rory Sabbatini and Nick O'Hern before losing to Toms. Lost in 20 holes to Retief Goosen in consolation match to finish fourth and earn $450,000.
• Bob Hope Chrysler Classic: Playing in his third event of the season, posted a T8 at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

2004 Season

Joined the TOUR as a Special Temporary Member the week of August 4.

• Volvo Masters: At the European Tour's season-ending Volvo Masters, defeated Sergio Garcia in a playoff and finished ninth in European Tour's order of merit.
• Ryder Cup: Member of victorious European Ryder Cup squad and posted a 1-1 record in Ryder Cup debut.
• World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship: In first TOUR start, finished T5 at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, losing to Stephen Leaney, 1-up, in the fourth round. In first three rounds, defeated Chris Riley, Duffy Waldorf and John Huston.

2003 Season

Victorious twice in Europe, at the Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open and the Nordic Open, and finished career-best fifth in the order of merit.

2002 Season

• Open Telecom Italia: Captured the 59th Italian Open Telecom Italia, opening with a 61 and edging Paul Lawrie by two strokes in the 54-hole event.
• Lancome Trophy: Was T5 in mid-October at the Lancome Trophy.
• BMW International Open: Assumed a share of the 36-hole lead at the BMW International Open and ultimately settled for a T4.
• Victor Chandler British Masters: Battled Justin Rose all week at the Victor Chandler British Masters but eventually came up a stroke short, finishing second to Rose. Shot four rounds in the 60s (68-67-67-68).

2001 Season

• World Golf Championships-EMC World Cup: Represented England for the first time in World Cup competition, pairing with Paul Casey to lead England to a solo-fifth at the Taiheiyo Club in Gotemba City, Japan.
• Moroccan Open: Capped successful sophomore campaign with victory at the Moroccan Open in his third European Tour start of the season. Held a four-shot lead through 54 holes and coasted to a two-stroke win over David Lynn after a final-round 70.

2000 Season

His first year culminated in winning the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award, thanks to a victory in the Italian Open in October. Had four rounds in the 60s to defeat Gordon Brand, Jr. by a shot. He ultimately finished finishing 31st on the order of merit.

1999 Season

Had two other top-10s, at the Is Molas Challenge (T7) and the Rolex Trophy (T9).

• Open de Cote d'Ivoire: Played the European Challenge Tour, with a win at the Open de Cote d'Ivoire. Despite a final-round 73 at Ivoire GC, he beat Sebastien Delagrange by two strokes.