Larrazabal acknowledged as Rookie of the Year

Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal has capped a magnificent maiden season on The European Tour by winning the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award. Larrazabal – who succeeds last year’s winner Martin Kaymer of Germany – becomes the fourth Spaniard to receive the award, following José Maria Olazábal in 1986, Sergio Garcia in 1999 and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño in 2005. Like that illustrious trio, Larrazabal also claimed his maiden European Tour title in his first full season on Tour. The Spaniard’s victory in the Open de France ALSTOM in June was made all the more remarkable by the fact that he earned his place in the tournament through the 36-hole pre-qualifying event held in Chantilly the previous week. Despite, in his own words, being "the 150th best player here", the Barcelona-born 25 year old never looked back after compiling an opening round of 65 at Le Golf National in Versailles, before eventually cruising to a four shot win despite a concerted effort on the final day by Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie. Larrazabal said: "Obviously the main reason I won the award was for winning the Open de France ALSTOM, and I’ll never forget that victory. To win such a big tournament the way I did, with guys like Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie chasing me on the last day, was just amazing. "It’s an amazing honour to be named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year, because there are so many great young players on Tour today. If you look at some of the players who have won the award in the past, you get an idea of how big an honour this is. "You only have to look at last year’s winner, Martin Kaymer, to see how successful you can go on to be after winning the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award. Martin is a great example to me because he has had an unbelievable second season, and that is what I have to aim to do in 2009." The €666,660 cheque he collected for winning the Open de France ALSTOM accounted for more than half the €960,858 Larrazabal earned in 2008, which saw him finish in 18th place in The Order of Merit. The other contenders for the award, which was inaugurated in 1960, were Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and the English duo of Robert Dinwiddie and Ross McGowan.The selection panel for the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award is comprised of The European Tour, The Royal & Ancient and the Association of Golf Writers.