Sergio Garcia has become the youngest winner of the prestigious Golf Writers' Trophy for 43 years. The Spaniard, 20 next Sunday, takes the award after a sensational first season as a professional.
Garcia finished second to world number one Tiger Woods at the United States PGA championship, became the first teenager to play in the Ryder Cup, won the Irish Open and German Masters and partnered José Maria Olazábal and Miguel Angel Jiménez to success in the Alfred Dunhill Cup.
The trophy is given to the person or persons born or resident in Europe who in the preceding 12 months have made the most outstanding contribution to golf.
It was the narrowest of victories. In the poll among members of the Association of Golf Writers, Garcia finished a single vote ahead of both Colin Montgomerie, winner of the European Order of Merit for a staggering seventh successive year, and the Britain and Ireland men's amateur team, who enjoyed their biggest-ever win over the Americans in the Walker Cup.
Remembering that 1999 also saw Paul Lawrie win the Open Championship and Olazábal the Masters, Garcia was understandably delighted when told of the award in Arizona, where he began 2000 by coming fifth in the Williams World Challenge on Sunday.
"I'm very proud to have won this trophy after everything achieved by European golfers last year," he said. "It was a fantastic season for me and now I'm looking forward to trying to make this one even better."
He will be presented with the award at a dinner on the eve of the Open at St Andrews in July. The only person to have received the trophy at a younger age was John Beharrell, just 18 when he became British amateur champion in 1956.
Garcia matched that feat in 1998, but that was merely a stepping stone.
This is how his 1999 went:
April - Garcia is first European amateur for 21 years to survive halfway cut at Masters and first ever to receive silver medal as top amateur (he was 38th). Scores 67 on professional debut in the Peugeot Open de Espana.
May: Shoots 62 in first US Tour round at Byron Nelson Classic in Texas and finishes joint third.
July: Wins Murphy’’s Irish Open, only his sixth pro start, by three strokes with closing 64. Fourth youngest winner in European Tour history. A week later opens Standard Life Loch Lomond with another 62 and finishes joint second to Montgomerie - but a week after that is last at Open Championship after rounds of 89 and 83.
August: Bounces back with second place in US PGA to clinch automatic Ryder Cup place. Recovery from root of tree at 16th hole in final round later named "Shot of the Year."
September: Joint top points-scorer at Ryder Cup with three wins and one half. A week later wins German Masters.
October: Part of first Spanish win at Alfred Dunhill Cup.
November: finishes third on Volvo Order of Merit, named Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year and rises to 12th in world rankings. He began the year 399th!
