Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy have both added a Laureus Award to the Major titles they won last year.
The two European Tour members were honoured at the Laureus World Sports Awards in London when McIlroy was voted the 'Breakthrough of the Year' Award winner and Clarke won the 'Comeback of the Year' title.
Tennis ace Novak Djokovic beat a stellar group in winning the 'World Sportsman of the Year' Award and Kenya's 5,000 and 10,000 metre world champion Vivian Cheruiyot edged out golf's dynamic Yani Tseng to claim the 'World Sportswoman of the Year' Award.
McIlroy, 22, claimed his award after capturing his first Major title with a dazzling eight-shot victory in the US Open Championship at Congressional. He was the youngest winner of the US Open since Bobby Jones in 1923.
His 43 year old compatriot, Clarke, won the comeback award after his fairytale victory in The Open Championship at Royal St George's - also his first Major title.
Clarke received his award from Laureus Academy member Gary Player during the ceremony at Central Hall Westminster while McIlroy was unable to attend in person as he prepared for this week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
The recognition follows on from the successes last year in Abu Dhabi when Martin Kaymer collected the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award and the victorious European Ryder Cup Team captured the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award.
Clarke said of his maiden Major victory: "It was a long time getting there. I tried, and I tried, and I tried, but sport is a funny thing. You battle on and I think my turn came around. It was one of those weeks when things went my way."
Clarke went on: "I've had a tough time in my personal life but I've been lucky because sport gives us opportunities to battle on and to shine through. But I've come through the other side and it just goes to show that through turmoil you can get there in the end. I did get there, and I feel very fortunate."
McIlroy said: “It’s a great honour for me to win the Breakthrough Award. I know I was up against a few extraordinary sports people, so for me to come out on top and win this Award is a huge honour. I’d also just like to pay tribute to Laureus and all the great work that they do around the world through sport and for people that are not as fortunate as us.
“It was an interesting year to say the least, from the Masters, where I had a great chance to win my first Major going into the final round with a four shot lead and obviously things didn’t quite work out the way I’d hoped, to come back a couple of months later to win the US Open.
“I suppose you prove a lot of things to yourself and some things to some other people as well. It was a great year to win my first Major and to get into the top three in the world rankings was a great achievement for me. I think 2012 is going to be a really exciting year. I’d love to back up my US Open win with another Major this year and hopefully try and get to Number One in the world.”
Laureus World Sports Academy Member Gary Player, one of only five men to win golf’s Grand Slam, said: “I am extremely pleased for both Rory and Darren, they certainly deserve their Awards and it is also a wonderful tribute to golf in Northern Ireland. They achieved what they did in such dramatic fashion, especially Rory. He came back from the disappointment of the Masters, where he had a four stroke lead but shot a final round 80. An experienced golfer would do well to cope with that psychological blow, but Rory, only 22, went out in the next Major, the US Open, and won by eight shots. That just says everything about that young man. He is going to be around a long time and win a lot of Major Championships.
“Darren has had a rough time with the death of his wife and I think he must have had the whole of Britain and Ireland and probably most of the world willing for him to win. It’s not easy leading from the front to win a Major, but he did it and it was certainly one of the most emotional sporting moments of the year. I would not be surprised to see him win another Major in the next couple of years.”
The Laureus World Sports Awards are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners are chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 47 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time.
Among the other award winners were double amputee Oscar Pistorius, who won the disability award. The South African 400-meter specialist known as 'The Blade Runner' won a silver medal in the relay at the able-bodied World Athletic Championships last year in South Korea, and had also been nominated for the 'Breakthrough' category won by McIlroy.
English football great Bobby Charlton was given the lifetime achievement award 54 years to the day after surviving the Munich air disaster that killed eight team-mates of his Manchester United team.
The 74 year old Charlton was unable to personally receive the award. Laureus officials said he fell ill on Sunday and returned to Manchester on Monday for unspecified minor surgery.
United manager Alex Ferguson accepted the award on Charlton's behalf. He said Charlton was fine but "very annoyed" at not being able to attend the ceremony.
ALL THE WINNERS AND NOMINEES:
(Winners names in bold type):
World Sportsman of the Year:
Novak Djokovic- Usain Bolt, Lionel Messi, Dirk Nowitzki, Sebastian Vettel, Cadel Evans
World Sportswoman of the Year:
Vivian Cheruiyot- Maria Höfl-Riesch, Carmelita Jeter, Petra Kvitova, Homare Sawa, Yani Tseng
World Sports Team of the Year
FC Barcelona- All Blacks, Dallas Mavericks, England Cricket Team, Japan Women's Football Team, Red Bull F1 team
World Breakthrough of the Year:
Rory McIlroy- Yohan Blake, Petra Kvitova, Li Na, Oscar Pistorius, Mo Farah
World Comeback of the Year:
Darren Clarke- Eric Abidal, Crusaders, Sergio Garcia, Liu Xiang, Queensland Reds
World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability:
Oscar Pistorius- Daniel Dias, Terezinha Guilhermina, , Esther Vergeer, David Weir, Irek Zaripov
World Action Sportsperson of the Year:
Kelly Slater- Jamie Bestwick, Philip Köster, Carissa Moore, Travis Rice, Shaun White
