A stylish four under par round of 68 on the opening day of the Alfred Dunhill Championship was a fitting way for Niclas Fasth to celebrate becoming only the second Swede after Robert Karlsson to make 500 appearances on The European Tour.
Since making his debut as a fresh-faced amateur in the 1992 Dubai Desert Classic, Fasth has claimed six European Tour titles, amassed €10,345,995 in earnings, finished in the top ten 57 times and made 291 cuts.
Fasth turned professional in 1993 and enjoyed a stunning maiden campaign on the Challenge Tour, winning three times en route to earning graduation to The European Tour.
The Gothenburg native took time to find his feet on the top tier, however, before eventually achieving his breakthrough victory in the 2000 Madeira Islands Open, where he never looked back after opening with a round of 66.
Two years later, Fasth took his Ryder Cup bow alongside compatriots Pierre Fulke and Jesper Parnevik, as Sam Torrance led his European charges to a 15½-12½ victory over their American counterparts at The Belfry.
It remains a career highlight for Fasth, who subsequently added a brace of victories in 2005 – firstly at the New Zealand Open, where he beat Miles Tunnicliff in a play-off, and five months later he claimed Angel Cabrera as another play-off victim when winning the biggest title of his career in the Players Championship of Europe.
Further victories arrived in 2006, as he achieved a Spanish double with wins in Andalucía and Mallorca, and Fasth followed that up with the best campaign of his career in 2007, finishing fifth in the money list thanks chiefly to his victory in the BMW International Open and eight more top tens.
That win in Germany, by two shots from home hero Bernhard Langer, remains Fasth’s most recent title and, despite some inconsistent seasons in more recent times, the 43 year old claims he still enjoys competing on The European Tour “as much as ever”.
He said: “It’s never felt like a grind, I’ve always enjoyed playing on tour – which is just as well, because I’ve been out here a long time now!
“I started becoming aware of my 500thevent towards the end of last season. When I was told I had reached 495, I started counting them down in my head. It doesn’t really change anything, I suppose, but it’s testament to having played quite well over a long period of time. It’s a very nice milestone to reach, but hopefully there will be a few more before I finish.
“I’ve been lucky enough to win a few times and play in The Ryder Cup, so it’s been an enjoyable ride. The minute I stop enjoying it, it’ll be time to pack up and doing something else. There’s a few other things I want to do with my life, but for now playing golf is still a great way to earn a living.”
Fasth becomes the 31stplayer to reach the landmark of 500 appearances on The European Tour.
