Rory McIlroy named European Tour Golfer of the Year

World number one Rory McIlroy has been voted The 2012 Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Year

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy has been voted The 2012 Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Year to round off a record-breaking season in style.

The 23-year-old won the PGA Championship by eight shots at Kiawah Island in August and capped off a remarkable year by birdieing the final five holes to claim victory at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

Those achievements helped him to amass €5,519,118, breaking a European Tour record for money earned during a single season.

In 15 starts on the European Tour this season, the world number one finished inside the top ten on ten occasions.

The Ulsterman also won four times on the PGA Tour - including back-to-back victories at the FedEx Cup play-offs - to claim the PGA Tour Player of the Year accolade and become only the second person in golf's history to top the PGA and European Tour money lists in the same season.

McIlroy - who was also instrumental in Europe's stunning final-day comeback at the Ryder Cup - was also awarded the Golf Writers' Trophy last week.

The judging panel - comprised of newspaper and magazine journalists and commentators from radio and television - also singled out Ian Poulter, who galvanised the European side at Medinah, and Branden Grace, a four-time winner in his maiden European Tour season, for praise.  

"Everyone who knows me knows how special 2012 was," McIlroy told the European Tour.

"To win the Race to Dubai for the first time was a massive highlight of an amazing season, and I hope it will be the first of many.

"Now, to have been named as the European Tour Golfer of the Year puts the icing on the cake.

"It's a very special honour indeed and I'm delighted to now be a part of that in the history books.

"To be recognised for my achievements is a great thrill and I thank all the members of the panel who voted for me."

Nick Bonfield
Features Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, writing, commissioning and coordinating all features across print and online. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x