Larrazabal named top rookie

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 becomes the fourth Spaniard to receive the award, following Jose Maria Olazabal in 1986, Sergio Garcia in 1999 and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in 2005.

The 25-year-old won his first European Tour title in the French Open after earning his place in the tournament through a 36-hole pre-qualifying event.

Larrazabal, who finished 18th on the Order of Merit, said: “Obviously the main reason I won the award was for winning the French Open 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.”