GLORY FOR RORY

Mcllroy has bagged his first big award in what could be a massive week of recognition for the Holywood superstar.

- BRIAN FLANAGAN

The 36-year-old is red hot favourite to win a first BBC Sports Personality of the Year award on Thursday and is also expected to be named RTE Sports Person of the Year on Saturday in Dublin.

Mcllroy and his lifelong coach Michael Bannon were yesterday recognised for their outstanding achievements in the annual Irish Golf Writers’ Association (IGWA) awards.

Members of the IGWA voted Mcllroy the 2025 Men's Professional of the Year after an outstanding season in which he won the Masters Tournament to become the first European and just the sixth man in history to complete the modern career Grand Slam.

The 2025 awards, which are sponsored by Anantara The Marker Dublin, will be presented during a lunch at the five-star hotel in Dublin’s docklands today.

The Down man also won another three tournaments - the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, The Players Championship and the Amgen Irish Open - captured the European Tour's Race to Dubai for the seventh time and played a major role in Europe's Ryder Cup victory.