He had playing rights for the Australasian PGA Tour, but that was it.

As of Monday, the 22-year-old from Bendigo was the 78th ranked golfer in the world after he finished tied for third at the British Masters in England. 

It was his seventh top-10 finish on the European Tour this year and third top-seven finish in his past three events.

“It's been a little purple patch, it's been a long year and we've spent a long time out on the road, so to get results and tick goals off has been rewarding,” Herbert told golf.org.au.

“We've reset goals and found some new things to strive for so that's been the reason we've got the results we have. Since pretty much the start of the year, it's just been trying to get my European Tour card.

“So I've worked harder and harder and stressed about that forever and ever, and finally once I hit that goal, it would have been very easy for me to just relax and maybe just settle a little bit on it.

“But we’ve probably set some 'out-there’ world ranking goals to finish the end of the year by, and we're sort of making a bit of a start on that, but I think that's probably really kept my head in and kept the motivation going these last two weeks.”

From relative obscurity on the world golf scene, Herbert is now one of the most in-form players on the planet and is making a strong case for inclusion in next year's International team for the President's Cup at Royal Melbourne.

On the current President's Cup standings he is the sixth-ranked player for the International side.

The final team won't be announced for another 10 months, but Herbert's stunning 2018 form has ensured International captain Ernie Els takes notice.

Herbert needed to birdie his final hole in round two of the British Masters just to make the cut.

He proceeded to hit a wedge to two feet and drained the birdie putt.

He then produced two great rounds in difficult conditions at the weekend to catapult himself into the top three.

A superb five-under par 67 in the third round put him back in the hunt and when he birdied four of his first six holes in Sunday's final round he was just three shots off the lead.

Bogeys on the 10th, 12th and 13th holes put paid to Herbert's hopes of winning, but he played well down the stretch to clinch third place and a nice cheque for $313,436.63.

The podium finish elevated him to 38th on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai rankings.

He's earned a place in next month’s lucrative European Tour Race to Dubai series where the top 60 players on tour battle over three tournaments in Turkey, South Africa and Dubai.

After a hectic playing and travel schedule in recent months, Herbert will return to Melbourne this week for a well-earned break.

His next event on the European Tour will be the Turkish Open from November 1-4.