McIlroy named PGA Tour Player of the Year

Thursday, 2 October 2014 01:44 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

REUTERS: Northern Irish world number one Rory McIlroy was named on Wednesday as the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year for a second time after a stellar 2014 campaign highlighted by two major victories. The 25-year-old, who first landed the coveted honour voted upon by his peers in 2012, won consecutive majors this season at the British Open and PGA Championship, sandwiched around his victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. McIlroy was selected Player of the Year over Billy Horschel, Martin Kaymer, Jimmy Walker and Bubba Watson in a vote of his peers.

He also earned the Arnold Palmer Award as the Tour’s leading official money winner ($8,280,096) and claimed the Byron Nelson Award for adjusted scoring average (68.83). McIlroy displayed remarkable consistency, finishing no worse than 25th in any of his 17 tournament appearances and placed outside the top 10 only five times. The Northern Irishman did not have a discernible weakness in his game, ranking 16th in total driving, sixth in greens in regulation and 12th in putting. He also had two runner-up finishes to go with his three victories and finished third in the FedEx Cup standings. American Chesson Hadley, meanwhile, was selected Rookie of the Year. He won the Puerto Rico Open.