Notebook: European rookie of year is American for second straight year

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The Americans have cornered the market when it comes to rookie of the year on the European Tour.

 

The tour announced Tuesday that Brooks Koepka won the Sir Henry Cotton award as Europe's top rookie. Koepka finished at No. 8 in the Race to Dubai, helped immensely by his victory in the Turkish Airlines Open. He also had four other top-10s, including the U.S. Open.

 

Koepka won the award over Tyrell Hatton of England.

 

Peter Uihlein was European Tour rookie of the year last season. Uihlein and Koepka often traveled together and are roommates when both are home in Florida.

 

''I've worked so hard this year, and to see the results is fun,'' Koepka said. ''To cap the year off with a win in Turkey has made this year special, and it's a goal I've been working for since I was able to come out on tour, and that was the goal starting the year.

 

''To win rookie of the year, you look at all the guys who have won it, especially last year – Pete Uihlein – so at least we can keep it in the house.''

 

ROAD TO ST. ANDREWS: The Australian Open already has the top two players in the world in Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott. It also marks the start of British Open qualifying, with the leading three players from the top 10 on Sunday exempt into St. Andrews.

 

Only six players at The Australian Golf Club already are exempt to the British Open – McIlroy and Scott, Jordan Spieth, John Senden, Geoff Ogilvy and U.S. Amateur champion Yang Gunn of South Korea.

 

The Australian Open is the first of 14 tournaments in nine countries on five continents that comprise the Open Qualifying Series, offering a total of 44 spots.

 

DIVOTS: The LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals said Tuesday that Shirley Englehorn of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Donna White of West Palm Beach, Florida, will be inducted into its Hall of Fame next year. ... Tiger Woods has lost more world ranking points this year (341.927) than all but two players – Rory McIlroy (565.132) and Bubba Watson (390.961) have earned. ... Americans have 26 players in the top 50 in the world, up from 22 at this time last year.

 

STAT OF THE WEEK: For the first time, the LPGA Tour had three players top $2 million in earnings for the season.

 

FINAL WORD: ''I always say just have fun. That's a big key, I think, to having a long career.'' – Lydia Ko, who already has five LPGA Tour wins at age 17.