Played in the 1997 Walker Cup and finished tied fourth at The 1998 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, winning the Silver Medal for Low Amateur, and turning professional the next day.

Missed the cut in his first 21 events but started to make real career strides after his second visit to Qualifying School in 2000.

Earned his first DP World Tour title at the 2022 Dunhill Championship in South Africa, the country of his birth and his second success followed five months later at the British Masters.

Won twice in the 2007 season, including the season-ending Volvo Masters as he won the Order of Merit that year.

Made his Ryder Cup debut in 2008 at Valhalla as an automatic qualifier.

Claimed his first two PGA TOUR titles in 2010 in the space of a month at the Memorial Tournament and AT&T National. His third title followed at the 2011 BMW Championship.

His first World Golf Championships crown came at the 2012 WGC-Cadillac Championship and a year later he won his maiden Major title at Merion at the U.S. Open, finishing two strokes ahead of Jason Day and Phil Mickelson.

After missing out in 2010, he returned to Ryder Cup action in 2012 as he formed part of the European team which orchestrated the Miracle at Medinah. It was the first of four consecutive Ryder Cup appearances through to 2018.

Four worldwide victories followed before he won the Gold Medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, as golf was played at the event for the first time in 102 years. Was named an MBE in the New Year Honours list following his Olympics success.

Claimed back-to-back victories for the first time in his career as he won a second WGC title at the HSBC Champions in 2017 and his first Rolex Series event the following week at the Turkish Airlines Open. 

In September 2018, he finished runner-up in consecutive FedEx Cup play-offs events as he won the season-long FedEx Cup and also moved to World Number One for the first time. He then successfully defended a title for the first time in his career as he won again in Turkey on the DP World Tour.

Overtook Sir Nick Faldo as the most decorated Englishman in the history of the PGA TOUR with his tenth victory at the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open.

Ended a four-year winless run as he triumphed at the 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, earning his 11th PGA TOUR title. Later that year he received a Captain’s Pick for Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup side as he helped Europe regain the Cup at Marco Simone.