Campbell wins European golfer of the year award

0 Comments | AFP, December, 2005

LONDON (AFP) — New Zealander Michael Campbell has won the 2005 European Tour Golfer of the Year award as a result of his victoires in the US Open and the World Match Play Championship.

Campbell, who finished runner-up to Colin Montgomerie in the Order of Merit race, was nevertheless the unanimous choice of a panel of writers and broadcasters here Monday.

Among those considered were Angel Cabrera, Stephen Dodd, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Padraid Harrington, Davis Howell, Paul McGinley and Montgomerie.

But 36-year-old Campbell capped a successful season after a birdie on the final hole of a qualifying tournament to earn a place in the US Open, and he then held off world number one Tiger Woods at Pinehurst to become New Zealand's first major...