The European Tour Annual Dinner always provides one of the highlights of the BMW PGA Championship week and this year players, past and present, and Tour guests gathered at the Sofitel Heathrow for a celebration of all the drama and excitement from a season on The European Tour.
The top four on The 2009 Race to Dubai, led by Number One Lee Westwood, were among a host of European Tour champions along with administrators, sponsors and promoters from around the world for an evening hosted by Sky Sports presenters Di Stewart and Ewen Murray.
Westwood was presented with two awards during the evening. Robert Karlsson, the 2008 European Number One, was on hand to present the Harry Vardon Trophy to the winner of the inaugural Race to Dubai, while three-time Major Champion Padraig Harrington presented the Players’ Player of the Year award as further recognition of Westwood’s stunning 2009 season.
“It’s been nine years since I was last up here,” said Westwood, who also won the Harry Vardon Trophy in 2000. “There have been some highs and lows since then, some bumps along the road, but this is a huge honour for me today.”
England’s Chris Wood received the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award by the recipient in 2000 and current leader of the Race to Dubai, Ian Poulter.
There were plenty of light-hearted moments as Thomas Levet conducted a brief Q&A session with Westwood, Rory McIlory, Martin Kaymer and Ross Fisher – the top four respectively on The 2009 Race to Dubai – and the guests were treated to a compelling review of the 2009 season, compiled by European Tour Productions.
George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, welcomed the guests, paying tribute to the achievements of the players and expressing everyone’s thanks to all the sponsors and partners of The European Tour, particularly Richard Caring, Chairman of Wentworth Club, for the changes made to the West Course for this week’s BMW PGA Championship, and the Tour’s partners in this week’s flagship event, BMW.
“This is special this week,” said O’Grady. “The European Tour needs strong and committed partners and this week particular week we have two very strong ones and very committed.”
In commending the changes made to the West Course , he singled out Richard Caring for “the vision to take the Rembrandt that is Wentworth and modernise it.”
“It is a brave and expensive undertaking and we are in your debt as together with Ernie Els you have produced a talking point. All the top players, all of whom are here in this room, appreciate what you have done and the backing you give to The European Tour and to golf and for your love and drive for the game.”
He added: “BMW are our strongest and most committed commercial partner for the events they support here in Europe and around the world. BMW is a byword for how things should be done. They look after their customers and clients and, in our case, they look after golf and what golf stands for.
Represented by Tim Abbott, the President of this Championship, we are so fortunate to have BMW as a Partner.”
O’Grady also highlighted the embodiment of the collective ideal of golf bodies around the world to get golf back into the Olympic Games.
Johann Rupert, Chairman of the Southern Africa PGA Tour, the European Tour’s oldest co-sanctioning partner, and Chairman of Richemont, who sponsor the Dunhill Links Championship spoke on behalf of the guests, emphasising his passion for the game of golf.
