By Rob Hodgetts Golf editor

Davis climbed to ninth in Europe

But the 29-year-old knows he cannot afford to rest on his laurels as he chases a first tournament win in four years and a lucrative berth in the world's top 50.

And he is desperate to keep up his good form so he has not wasted his best golf in a non-Ryder Cup year.

The Hertfordshire-based player improved his previous best European finish by 20 places in a year which saw him land two runners-up spots and nine other top-10 finishes.

He crept to tied sixth at the Open behind the implosions of Thomas Bjorn and the heroics of Ben Curtis.

Curtis clinches Open

And he achieved his goal of making the Great Britain and Ireland Seve Trophy team.

But Davis was more proud of making the cut at the US Open after taking himself off to America to qualify.

I've always been a bit erratic with my scoring but this year's been very consistent Brian Davis

However, he is still looking to build on his maiden European Tour victory at the Spanish Open in 2000, the same year he made England's World Cup and Alfred Dunhill Cup teams.

"For me this was a breakthrough year, though some people said maybe I should have broken through a few years ago," Davis told this website.

"My goal at the start was to win which I didn't do. But that aside, it's the best season I've ever had. I've achieved a hell of a lot and created a great base for next year.

"It's not really frustrating. I was playing well but when people won they did something special.

"When I was second in Madeira, Bradley Dredge shot 60 in the third round. And Freddie Jacobson chipped in twice in the last round of the Portuguese Open.

"But that's just something that happens."

Davis, who married former England goalkeeper Ray Clemence's daughter Julie in 2002, put his surge up the rankings down to his partnership with coach Peter Mitchell, himself a former Tour pro.

"I linked up with Peter in August 2002 and it started working straight away," said Davis, who was critically ill with chickenpox in 1998.

If you're going to progress into one of the best players in the world the Ryder Cup's a great stepping stone Brian Davis

"We worked purely on my game to start with but now it's a bit more mental - a few words and then I go and play.

"I've always been a bit erratic with my scoring but this year's been very consistent."

Davis is ranked 60th in the world, and is targeting an explosive start to 2004 to guarantee invites to the year's big-money tournaments.

And that, in turn, means Ryder Cup points.

"I'll keep the same mentality and my goals will be the same as this year - I want to win that first tournament," he said.

"We're also expecting a baby in April, which could add a little bit of pressure to the season - or take some off and put things into perspective.

"But if you're going to progress into one of the best players in the world the Ryder Cup's a great stepping stone.

"If you could win 15 majors and be number one on the Order of Merit for seven years but you'll never experience in one week what you would in the Ryder Cup.

"It's an exciting year."