Rory McIlroy won three titles in 2015, at the Dubai Desert Classic, the WGC-Cadillac Match Play and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last month.


AFP/London


World number three Rory McIlroy was yesterday named the European Tour Golfer of the year for the third time in the last four seasons.
The Northern Irishman, 26, is only the seventh player in European Tour history to be crowned European number one in consecutive campaigns. He takes the award after winning three times in 2015, at the Dubai Desert Classic, the WGC-Cadillac Match Play and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last month.
The latter prize allowed him to successfully defend his Race to Dubai crown—an honour he also claimed for a third time since 2012. “It is a huge honour for me to be named European Tour Golfer of the Year again,” McIlroy, who missed five weeks of the summer with an ankle injury sustained playing football, told europeantour.com.
“I feel very proud to have won this prestigious award for the third time—it is always special, no matter how often, to be recognised this way. After a good first half to the season, the injury was obviously a setback for me, so to finish the year strongly with my second victory in Dubai—plus picking up The Race to Dubai title again—was very satisfying.
McIlroy was unable to add to his four Major triumphs in 2015, coming closest with a fourth-place finish at the Masters. He then came tied ninth at the US Open before injury prevented him from defending his title at the British Open and he finished 17th at the PGA Championship in August.

Asian No1 Lahiri to spearhead EurAsia Cup challenge
Captain Jeev Milkha Singh yesterday unveiled a line-up featuring Asian Tour number one Anirban Lahiri of India and veteran Thailand star Thongchai Jaidee to shoulder Asia’s hopes in next month’s EurAsia Cup.  
Also qualifying for the Asia team are India’s SSP Chowrasia, Japan’s Shingo Katayama, Malaysia’s Danny Chia, Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand, and Korean duo KT Kim and Byeong Hun An.  Singh also named Malaysian Nicholas Fung, China’s Wu Ashun, Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand and Korean Jeung Hun Wang as his captain’s picks for the second edition of the new Ryder Cup-style matchplay event.
“I believe we have assembled a very strong team capable of defeating Team Europe after the thrilling 10-10 draw in 2014. That will be our mission next month—to win the EurAsia Cup.”
Asia will face a Europe team captained by Darren Clarke and featuring Ryder Cup veterans Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, along with their fellow Englishman Danny Willet and France’s Victor Dubuisson.
Europe and Asia will both be trying to win the EurAsia Cup for the first time after the draw last year in the inaugural edition at Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Malaysia.
The winning team will share prize money of $3.6 million while the runners-up will share $1.2 million.
The European side also includes Englishmen Ross Fisher, Chris Wood, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Andy
Sullivan, Ireland’s Shane Lowry, Bernd
Wiesberger of Austria, Denmark’s
Soren Kjeldsen and Swede Kristoffer Broberg.