Rory McIlroy has augmented his trophy cabinet after yet another big accolade to end what has been an astonishing year for the Northern Irishman, by winning the 2014 Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Year title; as of 14th December, McIlroy is the world number one ranked golfer.
The world number one had a slow start to the year, before winning the prestigious BMW Championships at Wentworth Club, Surrey, in May. Then, what followed would be the most astonishing summer, as the 25 year-old won three back-to-back majors; he was victorious in the 143rd Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in July, which was followed up with an amazing victory at the World Golf Championship in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Ohio in early August.
A few days later he won his hat-trick at dramatic final day finish of the US PGA at Valhalla in Kentucky.
By winning the four - time major tournaments he was top of the standings of the Race to Dubai, which he won by a staggering 2 million points more than Swede Henrik Stenson, who was the best Golfer of 2013 and was this year's runner-up.
McIlroy was extremely honoured to win the trophy for a second time in his career; he also won the Race to Dubai award in 2012, thus becoming one of a few privileged multiple winners of the Golfer of the Year award.
In September, McIlroy put an icing on his fantastic year by helping the Team Europe to a second successive Ryder Cup victory against the USA, at the 40th Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, in the heartland of Scotland.
Europe won the 2014 competition to retain the Ryder Cup, defeating the USA by 16½ points to 11½.
It has truly been a magnificent year for McIlroy, he was named Golfer of the month in May, July and August and was unanimously voted as the best player in the world for 2014 also became the youngest multiple winner of this accolade.
The man from Holywood in County Down, also received the Northern Ireland BBC Sports Personality of the Year award on Sunday.
A truly astonishing year!
