Japanese golfer beats Swedish phenom to European tour's coveted award
Ryo Hisatsune has been announced as the European tour's best rookie, becoming the first Japanese golfer to win the award named after Sir Henry Cotton.
Ryo Hisatsune has become the first Japanese golfer to be voted the European tour's best rookie.
The 21-year-old had a memorable season on the DP World Tour which saw him earn one of 10 PGA Tour cards on offer for the 2023-2024 campaign.
Other highlights include winning the French Open at Le Golf National by two strokes in September. He also posted as many as eight top-10 finishes.
Hisatsune was officially announced as the winner of the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of The Year on 28 November.
Contenders he beat included the 23-year-old Swedish phenom Ludvig Aberg, who starred at the 2023 Ryder Cup six months after turning professional.
Hisatsune is currently ranked No. 81 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Three years ago, he found himself outside the top 300 having lost his card on the Japan Golf Tour.
He managed to capture one of 10 PGA Tour cards on offer at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
Hisatsune will join Jorge Campillo, Matthieu Pavon, Sami Valimaki, Alexander Bjork, Thorbjorn Olesen, Victor Perez, Ryan Fox and Adrian Meronk in having dual membership for 2023-2024 season.
"I'm so happy," he told the DP World Tour official website. "It's such a surprise."
The award has been won by some star names over the years. Sir Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm are among the recipients of the award.
South Africa's Thriston Lawrence was the 2022 winner.
Ryo Hisatsune, the first Japanese player to win the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award pic.twitter.com/I7EaXwf9R0
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 28, 2023
Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of The Year previous winners:
2022 — Thriston Lawrence
2021 — Matti Schmid
2020 — Sami Valimaki
2019 — Robert MacIntyre
2018 — Shubhankar Sharma
2017 — Jon Rahm
2016 — Wang Jeung-hun
2015 — Byeong Hun An
2014 — Brooks Koepka
2013 — Peter Uihlein
2012 — Ricardo Santos
2011 — Tom Lewis
2010 — Matteo Manassero
2009 — Chris Wood
2008 — Pablo Larrazabal
2007 — Martin Kaymer
2006 — Marc Warren
2005 — Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano
2004 — Scott Drummond
2003 — Peter Lawrie
2002 — Nick Dougherty
2001 — Paul Casey
2000 — Ian Poulter
1999 — Sergio Garcia
1998 — Olivier Edmond
1997 — Scott Henderson
1996 — Thomas Bjorn
1995 — Jarmo Sandelin
1994 — Jonathan Lomas
1993 — Gary Orr
1992 — Jim Payne
1991 — Per-Ulrik Johansson
1990 — Russell Claydon
1989 — Paul Broadhurst
1988 — Colin Montgomerie
1987 — Peter Baker
1986 — Jose María Olazabal
1985 — Paul Thomas
1984 — Philip Parkin
1983 — Grant Turner
1982 — Gordon Brand Jr.
1981 — Jeremy Bennett
1980 — Paul Hoad
1979 — Mike Miller
1978 — Sandy Lyle
1977 — Nick Faldo
1976 — Mark James
1974 — Carl Mason
1973 — Philip Elson
1972 — Sam Torrance
1971 — David Llewellyn
1970 — Stuart Brown
1969 — Peter Oosterhuis
1968 — Bernard Gallacher
1967 — No award
1966 — Robin Liddle
1965 — No award
1964 — No award
1963 — Tony Jacklin
1962 — No award
1961 — Alex Caygill
1960 — Tommy Goodwin
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