In a year of quite unprecedented success for Ireland's professional golfers, Padraig Harrington - whose victory in the Volvo Masters in Montecastillo earlier this month enabled him to finish runner-up on the European Tour Order of Merit - has been voted 'Professional Player of 2001' by the Irish Golf Writers' Association.
Harrington (30), from Dublin, had recorded seven runners-up finishes this season prior to securing his fourth career European Tour win, and the third in Spain, with success in the season-ending Volvo Masters. He finished the season with earnings of €2,090 ,165, with only US Open champion Retief Goosen ahead of him, and also secured his place on the European Ryder Cup team for next year's rescheduled match, finishing second in the qualifying table behind Darren Clarke.
The run of second place finishes started in the Malaysian Open in February and the season also saw Harrington finish runner-up in the Dubai Desert Classic, Portuguese Open, Murphy's Irish Open, Smurfit European Open, BMW International and in the Cisco World Match Play before finally securing a long-awaited victory in Montecastillo, where he sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the final green to edge out Paul McGinley.
In so doing, Harrington became the fourth Irish player to win a tournament on the European Tour in 2001. Des Smyth, at 48, became the oldest winner in the tour's history when winning the Madeira Island Open; Darren Clarke's success in the European Open was one of three wins world-wide, his season also accounting for wins in Japan and South Africa, while Paul McGinley's win in the Wales Open was one of 12 top-10 finishes.
Harrington, competing in South Africa at the moment, and the other three IGWA award winners will be presented with their awards at the 26th Annual Awards Dinner, sponsored by Murphy's, at Royal Dublin Golf Club next Friday evening, December 7th.
Michael Hoey, of Shandon Park, has been selected as 'Men's Amateur Player of the Year 2001' for his achievement in winning the British Amateur championship at Prestwick and for his role in guiding Britain and Ireland to success in the Walker Cup at Sea Island, Georgia, where he secured three points from four matches. He was also beaten in a play-off for the Irish Open amateur strokeplay championship by Ricky McEvoy at Royal Dublin.
The 'Women's Amateur Player of the Year 2001' has been won by Alison Coffey, of Warrenpoint. Coffey successfully defended her Irish women's close championship at The European Club as well as retaining the Ulster and Leinster women's titles and making a successful raid to claim the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews, one of the most prestigious events on the amateur calendar.
Dr David Sheahan, of Grange, will be awarded the 'Distinguished Services to Golf' award. He was Irish close champion in 1961, 1966 and 1970 and won both of his singles in the 1963 Walker Cup match with the United States at Turnberry. He also had the distinction of winning the Jeyes Tournament, a professional event, at Royal Dublin in 1962 and, in more recent times, has been instrumental in developing the highly successful golfing scholarship scheme at UCD.
