In recognition of their unique contribution to Europe's record win in the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills in September, Ireland's three players on the team - Paul McGinley, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke - have jointly won the Professional of the Year award for 2004 from the Irish Golf Writers' Association (IGWA). The trio will receive their accolades at a presentation dinner, sponsored by O2, at Elm Park Golf Club in Dublin on January 13th.
This is the first time since 1990, when Ireland's Dunhill Cup-winning team of David Feherty, Ronan Rafferty and Philip Walton took the professional award, that the prize has been shared.
However, the sheer magnitude of the contribution made by the three Irishmen to Europe's successful defence of the trophy in Michigan was reflected in the voting, which overrode some impressive individual performances, including that of Graeme McDowell, who won the Italian Open on the way to finishing sixth on the Volvo Order of Merit.
Indeed, the proof of the Irish input to the 18½-9½ triumph over the US - the biggest winning margin by a European team in the event - is reflected in the fact the trio contributed more than any other nationality: McGinley, who had performed heroically over the summer to win a place on Bernhard Langer's team, took two-and-a-half points from three; Harrington claimed four points from five, and Clarke won three-and-a-half points from five.
This is McGinley's first time to win a professional award from the IGWA, although he did win the amateur of the year in 1991. For Harrington, it is a fourth award as a professional (he first won the award in 1995), while Clarke, who had previously won the amateur award in 1990, will be collecting his sixth professional award.
In a close vote, Claire Coughlan, who twice defeated the American phenomenon Michelle Wie in the Curtis Cup at Formby in June, edged out Irish champion Deirdre Smith to take the Women's Amateur of the Year award. It is the third time Coughlan, a member of Cork Golf Club, has won, following successes in 1999 and 2003.
Brian McElhinney, from North-West Golf Club, has been voted Men's Amateur of the Year following his success in the Irish Close championship. The Donegal man's triumph in the national championship followed wins in the European strokeplay and the North of Ireland in 2003, which elevated him to the Britain and Ireland Walker Cup squad.
The award for Distinguished Services to golf will be awarded to Cecil Whelan, a founding member of the Links Golfing Society which has raised over €13 million for various charities since its inception in 1966, including €5 million since 2000 alone. The Links was originally founded to give professionals and leading amateurs a golfing outlet over the winter months, and Whelan is approaching the 40th year as its secretary and leading light.
