Warren wins rookie honours

Scotland’s Marc Warren has been named the European Tour’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year after a season in which he won the EnterCard Scandinavian Masters.

Winner of last year’s Challenge Tour, Warren will end this season in Barbados partnering Colin Montgomerie as Scotland try to win the World Cup for the first time.

The 25-year-old becomes the 11th Scot to receive the accolade and the second in three years following Scott Drummond in 2004. Going into this week’s Volvo Masters he was 40th on the Order of Merit with earnings of almost £400,000 (€596,000).

“Just looking at some of the names on the list – major champions like Tony Jacklin, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle and Jose Maria Olazabal – makes me realise that I am in illustrious company,” said Warren.

“Most of the past winners have won loads of tournaments and played in Ryder Cups. That is what I want to achieve in the future.

“I am delighted – it was definitely a massive goal for me at the start of the year. A number of great players have not managed to win it and I feel this is a great honour.

“I would have been kicking myself if I hadn’t given myself a proper shot at winning this award and I feel relieved to get the nod because it goes to a vote and anything can happen.”

Warren’s main rivals for the award were England’s Ross Fisher, who is 66th on the money list, and Spain’s Alejandro Canizares, who won the Imperial Collection Russian Open on only his fourth European Tour start in August.