Karlsson is October's Top Golfer

Robert Karlsson has won The European Tour Golfer of the Month Award for October after becoming the first Swede to win the Harry Vardon Trophy. Karlsson, who also won the award for September, sealed his place in history as The European Tour Number One at the end of an outstanding month during which he won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after a play-off and finished joint third in the Portugal Masters. Karlsson’s win at St Andrews was his second victory in consecutive appearances following his triumph in the Mercedes-Benz Championship the previous month and put him in pole position in the race to be Number One. Karlsson then cemented his place at the top with his impressive performance at Oceânico Victoria Golf Club in Portugal two weeks later and was crowned Number One at the end of the Volvo Masters. His two victories, allied to top tens in three of the Major Championships and 12 top ten finishes in total through the season, helped the 39 year old win €2,732,747. He also took his victory tally on The European Tour to nine, strengthening his position as Sweden’s most prolific champion. “This is by far my greatest achievement in golf – I never thought I would be in this position so it’s just incredible,” said Karlsson after finishing European Number One. “The Order of Merit is based over the whole season and the last three events before the Volvo Masters – where I finished first, first and third – were so important. I went from fifth or sixth on the Order of Merit to the top and managed to stay there.“I would say the last three and a half years, since I played well at the end of 2005, I've obviously taken it up to a new level and now I have won the Order of Merit and it's fantastic.” The award was voted for by a panel of golfing journalists from newspapers, magazines, television and radio who considered all the outstanding performances of an exceptional month for European Tour Members who recorded 12 victories around the world. Spaniards Alvaro Quiros and Sergio Garcia won the Portugal Masters and the CASTELLÓ MASTERS Costa Azahar respectively while Søren Kjeldsen won the last Volvo Masters at Club de Golf Valderrama. There were also wins around the world for Thomas Aiken, Arjun Atwal, Retief Goosen, Zach Johnson, James Kamte, Doug McGuigan and Liang Wen-chong along with Bernhard Langer, who made history by becoming the first European to win the Champions Tour Money List. The 2004 Ryder Cup Captain won three times in his rookie season in amassing US$2,035,073. Renton Laidlaw of The Golf Channel said: “We all acknowledge Bernhard Langer’s wonderful achievement in winning the Champions Tour Money List and the fact that no fewer than 12 European Tour Members won around the world in October, but Robert Karlsson brought for him a truly great season to a wonderful conclusion by finishing Number One on The European Tour Order of Merit following his victory in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and third place finish in the Portugal Masters. Robert is a very good ambassador for The European Tour, and a very good player who has enjoyed a stellar season.” The Golfer of the Month Award winners in 2008 were: Germany’s Martin Kaymer (January), Mark Brown of New Zealand (February), Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland (March), Trevor Immelman of South Africa (April), Spaniards Sergio Garcia (May) and Pablo Larrazabal (June), Ireland’s Padraig Harrington (July and August) and Sweden’s Robert Karlsson (September and October). All monthly winners will be amongst the players considered by the panel for The European Tour Golfer of the Year.