Lee Westwood has won the Asprey and Garrard Golfer of the Year Award for the second time, at the end of an outstanding season in which he ended Colin Montgomerie’’s seven-year reign at the top of the Volvo Order of Merit.
The 27-year-old Worksop golfer, who also received the accolade in 1998, secured the coveted title of European Number One by taking second place behind Canadian Mike Weir in the World Golf Championships-American Express Championship at Valderrama in November.
He repelled the determined challenge of his close friend, Darren Clarke, to win the Volvo Order of Merit with a record 3,125,146 euro (£1,858,602). A panel from the Association of Golf Writers, Radio Five Live and TalkSport met with representatives of the European Tour and Asprey and Garrard at Surrey County Cricket Club’’s splendid ground, The Oval, to discuss a host of contenders in the millennium season.
No fewer than twelve candidates were involved in a lively discussion but in the end the decision was unanimous with Westwood earning the accolade ahead of worthy contenders including Thomas Björn, Michael Campbell, Clarke, Ernie Els and Montgomerie.
Westwood said: “It is a fantastic honour to have been voted Asprey and Garrard Golfer of the Year and caps a wonderful season for me and all those who have helped make it such a success. I always played down the importance of winning the Volvo Order of Merit for the simple reason that I put myself under enough pressure already without adding to it. It was always in the back of my mind, however, that if I achieved my goals then succeeding Colin Montgomerie as the European Number One would be a possibility.
“What makes winning the Volvo Order of Merit all the more satisfying is to have ended Monty's marvellous reign. I know how difficult it was to win this one so it just shows what an outstanding achievement it was for him to have won seven in succession. It is a record I am convinced will not be broken and all credit to him.”
During a remarkable season, Westwood won seven times worldwide, including the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open TPC of Europe, Compaq European Grand Prix, Smurfit European Open, Volvo Scandinavian Masters, Belgacom Open and the Cisco World Match Play Championship on the European Tour International Schedule as well as the Dimension Data Pro-Am on the Southern African Tour.
Westwood emulated the feats of Severiano Ballesteros (1986), Nick Faldo (1992) and Montgomerie (1999) in winning six tournaments in a single season on the European Tour International Schedule.
In the opinion of the panel, it was Westwood’’s incredible consistency as well as his ability to win trophies – he recorded a remarkable stroke average of 69.62, the lowest of the season – which ultimately set him apart from the other highly creditable contenders for the Asprey and Garrard Award.
Clarke was singled out for a special mention following his victory in the WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play, in which he beat Tiger Woods and David Duval on his way to becoming the first European winner of a World Golf Championships event.
Els received praise, too, for finishing runner-up in three of the year’’s four major championships while Campbell’’s five victories, including three on the European Tour’’s International Schedule in 2000, underlined his rise towards the higher echelons of the game.
Reflecting on his season of unparalleled success, Westwood continued: “My success would not have been possible without the invaluable help of my long-term coach Peter Cowen, whose work I have augmented with occasional sessions with Butch Harmon and David Leadbetter.
“Their tips have made my game stronger than it has ever been, yet I am convinced there is plenty more to come and I will continue to strive for improvement. It has been a season of many highs and the occasional low - during the Benson and Hedges International Open at The Belfry I honestly had no idea where the next win was coming from, but thankfully I was able to turn it round quickly.
“But what has been just as satisfying as the six wins in Europe have been my performances in some tournaments when a poor start has severely limited my chances of triumph. The extra cash I have gathered by refusing to give in has had a major influence on me winning the Volvo Order of Merit.
“I would like to thank all my colleagues on the European Tour for being such fantastic opponents and proving just how strong we are as a unit. None more so than my good friend, Darren Clarke, who was the first to congratulate me after it was all decided at Valderrama. He also handed over the £1 he owed me from a bet we struck last August about who would finish higher!
“Finally, I would like to thank all those who not only voted for me, but also supported me throughout the year. Asprey and Garrard Golfer of the Year has a wonderful ring to it... and I hope it is the springboard to further honours.”
The Asprey & Garrard Golfer of the Year Award comprises eleven monthly awards and in 2000 the winners were: Michael Campbell (January), Darren Clarke (February), Roger Chapman (March), Seve Ballesteros (April), Colin Montgomerie (May), Lee Westwood (June), Ernie Els (July), Thomas Björn (August), Eduardo Romero (September), Padraig Harrington (October) and Pierre Fulke (November).
Lee Westwood Year 2000
