Sergio Garcia won more than 70 amateur events in 15 countries before turning pro after The Masters.

The description fits Tiger Woods, but also applies to a teenager who is drawing favorable comparisons. Spain's Sergio Garcia, 19, won his first professional tournament two weeks ago, shooting a final-round 64 to capture the Irish Open. He followed up that performance by tying for second behind winner Colin Montgomerie at Loch Lomond.

It took Woods five pro starts to win his first; it took Garcia six (three each in Europe and the United States). The victory not only gave Garcia a two-year European Tour exemption, but also a spot in this week's British Open at Carnoustie Golf Links.

Only three players won their first European event at a younger age. South African Dale Hayes was 18 when he captured the 1971 Spanish Open. Seve Ballesteros and Paul Way both won at 19.

Garcia had already gained conditional PGA Tour status by surpassing the 150th-place earnings figure on the 1999 money list. In his first event as a pro, Garcia tied for third at the Byron Nelson Classic and earned $144,000. Where he plays his golf -- Europe, U.S. or a combination of both -- could prove to be a tough decision.

Now there is talk that Garcia will make the European Ryder Cup team much sooner than expected. He has moved into the top 10 -- and a guaranteed spot -- in Europe's Ryder Cup standings, but even if he fails to earn one of the top spots, there will be increasing pressure on Mark James to make him a captain's choice.

"As I have already said, just put him out with (Spain's Jose Maria) Olazabal and let him run," said Montgomerie.

"A kid like this is extra special," said U.S. Ryder Cup team captain Ben Crenshaw. "There is no question in my mind he'll be on the European team."

If Garcia does make the team, he would become its youngest player ever, breaking the record held by Nick Faldo, who was 20 when he made his Ryder Cup debut in 1977.

He could also replace his mentor and idol -- Ballesteros -- as a key figure on the team.

"I have to do a lot of things to be like Seve," said Garcia, who graduated from high school in June and did not pass the written part of his driving test until three weeks ago. "You always learn a lot of things from Jose and Seve. I have learned about the short game and how to manage myself on the course. How to focus the bad times and the hard times like Jose did at The Masters.

"These things are helping my game. Seve has told me to always try my hardest and to never give up. I am certainly going to try to do some of the things they have done but I am not going to focus on doing the same as Seve and Jose. I am just going to go out and try to win again.

"If it is this week, great, but if not I'll keep waiting."

Like Woods, Garcia began playing at a young age in Borriol, Spain. His father, Victor, is the pro at Mediterraneio Club de Golf and serves as his son's swing coach. By age 5, Sergio was putting against local club members for Cokes and ice cream. He was the club champion by 12, the European amateur champ at 15. He captured the British Amateur, as well as the Spanish and French amateur titles.

His nickname, "El Niño," came about the time he made the cut in his first European Tour event, at age 14. As an amateur, he played in 15 different countries, winning more than 70 tournaments.

"You saw what Tiger did even before he turned pro, then he just blew everybody's mind the way he played when he became a professional and won everything right off the bat," said Sweden's Jesper Parnevik. "Sergio has the same mind set, that he was just going to come out and beat everyone. He is proving he has the ability to do it."

Could Garcia be a factor this week at Carnoustie? It won't surprise anyone, least of all Garcia.

"I have played a lot of links golf and I love the game," he said. "I think I have all the shots. I have been practicing a lot of low shots with a fade and a draw so I know I can play those shots on links."

Bob Harig, who covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times, writes a column every Tuesday for ESPN Golf Online.