With the European Tour’s Final Series now under way and the end of the Race to Dubai edging towards an exciting finale, there’s another battle going on a little further down the Rankings.
A group of promising young stars are competing to be named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year, with the honour going to the rookie who finishes highest in the final Race to Dubai Rankings on November 20.
It’s tight at the top of the list of contenders, with just seven places separating the four leading rookies. Korea’s Soomin Lee is currently the player to catch in 34th place, followed by his compatriot Jeunghun Wang (37), South African Brandon Stone (40) and Li Haotong (41) of China.
Who will be named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year? Let’s take a closer look at the records of the leading contenders.
SOOMIN LEE
22 events
1 win
3 top tens
73rd average finish
72.25 stroke average
34th in the Race to Dubai
Lee went wire-to-wire at the Shenzhen International to claim his first European Tour title at Genzon Golf Club in April.
Lee, Stone, Alexander Levy, Lee Slattery, Joost Luiten and Scott Hend all had a chance to take the crown, with just one shot separating the six players as the weather-delayed event came down to a day five shootout.
A birdie on the 16th followed by an eagle on the next helped the South Korean to sign for a closing 71 and get to 16 under for a two-shot win over Luiten and Stone.
JEUNGHUN WANG
18 events
2 wins
3 top tens
66th average finish
72.29 stroke average
37th in the Race to Dubai
Wang was the centre of attention in May with back-to-back wins at the Trophée Hassan II and AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
The Korean became the youngest winner on the European Tour since Matteo Manassero at the 2012 Barclays Singapore Open when he holed three remarkable putts on the 18th green, first in regulation play and then in each of the two extra holes, to see off Nacho Elvira in a play-off on a dramatic final day at the Trophée Hassan II.
Just seven days later he became the first Korean player to record multiple victories in the same European Tour season when he came out on top in a final day battle with Siddikur Rahman to claim the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
BRANDON STONE
21 events
1 win
6 top tens
56th average finish
71.33 stroke average
40th in the Race to Dubai
Stone made the step up from the Challenge Tour this season and immediately laid down a marker, winning the BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni in January.
The local favourite claimed an emotional first win after an incredible final day and was in tears on the 18th green as he finished his round.
That reaction came after he established a two-shot third round lead and then moved five shots clear, before being pegged back and eventually finishing 14 under to beat countryman Christiaan Bezuidenhout by two shots.
LI HAOTONG
14 events
1 win
1 top ten
55th average finish
71.15 stroke average
41st in the Race to Dubai
Li Haotong beat his best previous European Tour performance of second in the 2015 Shenzhen International by taking the Volvo China Open title, to the delight of the home fans. He fired a closing bogey-free 64 to become the second consecutive Chinese winner of the tournament, following Wu Ashun.
Li began the day two shots behind Felipe Aguilar but with a large home gallery cheering on his every shot, he reeled in the Chilean and held a share of the lead as he stood on the 17th tee.
Li birdied the penultimate hole to get to 22 under and when Aguilar - playing in the group behind - put his tee-shot on the 16th into the water, a par up the last was enough to give Li a three-shot victory.
