The Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award is named after the English three-time Open Champion. A flamboyant character, he won The Open in 1934, 1937, and 1948. Between 1930 and 1952 he played in 13 Open Championships and only once finished outside the top 10, and that was when he came tied 13th.
In the first of his Open wins, at Royal St George’s, he went round in a then-record 65 in the second round, which brought about the Dunlop 65 ball. Aged 80, in 1987, he accepted a knighthood, but he died on December 22 before the award was officially announced in the 1980 New Year's Day Honours list.
Sir Henry had originally determined the winner of the Rookie of the Year. But now it is adjudicated by a panel comprising DP World Tour Executives and members of the DP World Tour’s Tournament Committee.
The award was first presented in 1960, and so predates the start of the tour in 1972, but the tour nevertheless counts the awards before 1972 as being Tour awards. Before the European Tour existed, the award was for the best rookie on the British PGA circuit. The first winner received £100, the equivalent of £3,040 in modern-day prices.
It was not until 1986 that someone other than an Englishman, Scot or Welshman won. That year a Spaniard won. The next time a non-Brit won was in 1991, when the winner came from Sweden, as did the next non-British winner, in 1996. This century has seen 13 different nationalities win the award.
If you enjoyed this quiz, try out some of other ones such as:
Can You Name Those Golfers Who Have Most DP World Tour Wins?
Can You Name The Top Ten On The DP World Career Money List?
Can You Name The Top Ten On The PGA Tour Money List?
-
Report: Kevin Kisner Set For 2025 Lead Golf Analyst Role At NBC SportsThe four-time PGA Tour winner, who stepped into the role on several occasions in 2024, is expected to take on the task on a more regular basis
-
Golf’s Little Joys: 11 'Small' Things I Love About The GameClearly, shooting a great score is pleasing, but it doesn’t happen every day. These 11 more subtle things about the game of golf always bring a smile to my face
-
Quiz! Can You Name Which Countries Have The Most Golf Courses?Golf is now played in 206 countries, but can you name the 10 countries with the most golf courses?
-
Quiz! Can You Name Every US Course To Have Hosted The Ryder Cup?Since 1927, 22 different courses in the USA have played host to the Ryder Cup. No course has held it more than once. Can you name all the venues?
-
Quiz! Can You Name Every British And Irish Winner Of A Men’s Major Since The Second World War?Since 1945, 16 men from Britain and Ireland have won major titles, claiming a total of 28 majors between them. How many of those 16 men can you name?
-
Quiz! Can You Name Every Masters Winner Of The 1980s And 1990s?14 men shared the 20 Masters victories on offer through the 1980s and 1990s. How many of them can you name? One man won three over the period…
-
Quiz! Can You Name Every Player From Australia Or New Zealand To Have Won A Men's Major?14 men from either Australia or New Zealand have won a men’s major title. The first was secured in 1947, the most recent in 2022. Can you name them all?
-
Quiz! Can You Name Every Player To Win On Either The PGA Tour Or European/DP World Tour As An Amateur Since 1945?11 men have achieved the feat between 1945 and 2024. A number went on to enjoy significant success in the professional game. Can you name them all?
-
Quiz! Can You Name Every Player To Have Won A Men’s Major With A "Z" In Their Name?There are 12, can you get them all? With wins between 1935 and 2022 there are some famous figures, but there’s one very tricky one in there!
-
Quiz! Can You Name All The Major Winners Who Are Playing On The LIV Golf Circuit?Can you name all those players in LIV Golf who had previously won a Major?
