European Order of Merit champion Lee Westwood has been named the winner of the Golf Writers' Trophy for 2000. The Englishman held off the challenge of the European Solheim Cup team in the annual poll which boiled down to a straight contest between the two after only two other first-place votes were cast by members of the Association of Golf Writers. This is the second time in just three years that Westwood has won this prestigious award.
"I'm very proud to have won again," said the 27-year-old, currently on a two-month break from the game. "It rounds off my season wonderfully and I will be doing my best to retain it." Westwood's first appearance of this year will be his defence of the Dimension Data Pro-am in South Africa on February 14.
Westwood is only the seventh player to have won the Golf Writers' Trophy on more than one occasion. The others were Tony Jacklin in 1969 and 1970 (plus twice as European Ryder Cup captain), Peter Oosterhuis in 1973 and 74, Seve Ballesteros in 1979, 84 and 91, Sandy Lyle in 1980 and 88, Nick Faldo in 1983 and 90 and Bernhard Langer in 1981 and 1993.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
