Rory McIlroy Beats Koepka To PGA Player Of The Year Award
12th September 2019
The 30-year-old beat out competition from Brooks Koepka, Matt Kuchar and Xander Schauffele for the award, which comes just weeks after his victory in the season-ending PGA Tour Championship
- Rory McIlroy was named the PGA Tour's Player of the Year on Wednesday, winning the prestigious Jack Nicklaus Award for the third time
- Northern Ireland star McIlroy, who was also handed the accolade in 2012 and 2014, came out on top after a vote by fellow tour professionals
- McIlroy meanwhile admitted he had been somewhat surprised to pip PGA Championship winner and world number one Koepka to the award
MIAMI, United States-
Rory McIlroy was named the PGA Tour's Player of the Year on Wednesday, winning
the prestigious Jack Nicklaus Award for the third time.
Northern Ireland star McIlroy, who was also handed the
accolade in 2012 and 2014, came out on top after a vote by fellow tour
professionals.
The 30-year-old beat out competition from Brooks Koepka,
Matt Kuchar and Xander Schauffele for the award, which comes just weeks after
his victory in the season-ending PGA Tour Championship.
McIlroy, who was presented with the award on Wednesday by
golf legend Nicklaus, said he was "at a loss for words" after the
accolade.
"I couldn't be more proud of what I've achieved this
year," McIlroy said.
MUST
READ: Formula One Drivers Remember Fallen Anthoine Hubert At Funeral In France
"I wanted to try and bring my best every single week
that I played and I feel like I did that to the best of my ability.
"The greatest compliment you receive is that your peers
feel like you've done something pretty special and for this award to be voted
on by my fellow players, I'm very humbled and very honored."
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said McIlroy's season was
"a model of consistency punctuated by milestone victories."
"While there are a number of honors one can receive in
this game, PGA TOUR Player of the Year has to be among the most satisfying as
it comes directly from his peers," Monahan said.
McIlroy meanwhile admitted he had been somewhat surprised to
pip PGA Championship winner and world number one Koepka to the award.
"I thought maybe Brooks winning the PGA Championship
this year was going to be the difference-maker, but you know, the other players
thought differently and I'm very honored that they thought enough of my season
to give me this award," McIlroy said.
READ
ALSO: Minnows Djibouti Defy Odds As Rwanda Set African Qualifying Record
McIlroy is only the second player after Tiger Woods to win
the season-long FedEx Cup race multiple times.
As well as the Tour Championship/FedEx Cup crown, his 2019
season also included victories at The Players Championship and the RBC Canadian
Open.
McIlroy also won the Byron Nelson Award for adjusted scoring
average (69.057) for the third time in his career and topped the PGA Tour in
top-10 finishes (14).
Im Sung-Jae of South Korea was named the PGA Tour Rookie of
the Year, lifting the renamed Arnold Palmer Award.