Rory McIlroy Named European Tour "2015 Player of the Year"

Rory McIlroy has been named Golfer of the Year,  receiving the honor for the second straight year and third time since 2012. McIlroy won three times this year on the European Tour,  including a victory at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship that allowed him to successfully defend his Race to Dubai title.

He earned the award over a list of nominees that included Justin Rose, Branden Grace,  Andy Sullivan, Anirban Lahiri and Danny Willett. "It is a huge honor for me to be named European Tour Golfer of the Year again," McIlroy said. "I feel very proud to have won this prestigious award for the third time - it is always special, no matter how often, to be recognized this way." McIlroy got off to a strong start with a convincing victory at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic  in February, and his WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship title counted as a win on both the  PGA Tour and the European Tour. Shortly thereafter, his season was derailed by an ill-timed soccer injury that forced him to miss title defenses at both the Open Championship and the  WGC Bridgestone Invitational match-play. McIlroy returned to action at the PGA Championship, and he closed with three top-12 finishes across the Finals series, successfully holding off Willett and Sullivan at the season's final event. He closed his European Tour campaign with eight top-10 finishes in 12 starts, including three wins. What will McIlroy's performance be in next year's European Tour? Share your comments with the Pro Golf Tour.