England’s John Parry has won The European Tour Race to Dubai Golfer of the Month Award for September following his superb breakthrough victory in the Vivendi Cup in France.
The 23 year old from Harrogate in Yorkshire captured his first European Tour title by two shots from Swede Johan Edfors, so becoming the fourth Challenge Tour graduate from the class of 2009 to win on The 2010 Race to Dubai.
Parry, who receives an engraved alms dish and magnum of Moët & Chandon champagne, started the tournament in 116th position in The Race to Dubai but victory moved him to 66th and a subsequent excellent third place finish in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship propelled him inside the top 60 in 40th place and a certain starting role in the season-ending Dubai World Championship.
The Englishman becomes the fourth member of the talented 2007 GB & I Walker Cup side to win on The European Tour, following in the footsteps of Rhys Davies, David Horsey and Rory McIlroy.
Parry, who earned the September award by a narrow margin from Spain’s Miguel Angel Jiménez – winner of the Omega European Masters at the age of 46 – admitted that his win in the Vivendi Cup had been “career changing”.
He said: “The difference between my last two visits to France was incredible. At the French Open in July I was on the range as first reserve and got a call on Thursday morning to say I was on the tee in 15 minutes! The next time I returned to Paris I won the tournament, so I don’t have to worry about being a reserve again.
“Going into the Vivendi Cup my goal was to finish in the top ten and try to get a start in this week’s Portugal Masters. Winning has given me the freedom to set new goals. I felt I had a chance to win the Dunhill Links going into the back nine on Sunday but is wasn’t to be. However, these performances have done wonders for my confidence.”
Jiménez, who was winning for the third time this season at Crans-sur-Sierre, was a strong contender for the award, as were Martin Kaymer of Germany, who returned to Europe fresh from his victory in the US PGA Championship and completed back-to-back wins in the KLM Open, and Spain’s José Manuel Lara, who captured the Austrain Golf Open presented by Botarin.
