Writers name Donald the best
12/31/2011 07:46:36 AM
Luke Donald capped off a sensational 2011 by being named the Player of the Year by the Golf Writers Association of America.
Although he failed to win a major, the Englishman swept all before him by becoming the world's top-ranked player in May and becoming the first man to win both the PGA Tour and European Tour money lists in the same season.
Donald, 34, captured four titles this year - two on each tour - and finished in the top 10 on 14 occasions from 19 starts.
Donald garnered 88 percent of the votes for the award, ahead of Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, and Americans Webb Simpson and Keegan Bradley.
Taiwan's Yani Tseng was named the female player of the year after recording 12 victories around the world, including two majors, while American veteran Tom Lehman won the senior player of the year.
The trio will be honoured at the Golf Writers Association of America annual awards dinner on April 4 in Augusta, just before the US Masters.