For those voting on the coveted Sir Henry Cotton ‘Rookie of the Year’ award it could simply have been the scenario of looking at the statistics and choosing the highest ranked player on the 2012 Race to Dubai.
Staring at the three persons charged with voting for the ‘Rookie of the Year’ was three standout candidates – Portugual’s Ricardo Santos, England’s Matthew Baldwin and Spain’s Jorge Campillo.
But while the all-British voting panel could easily have chosen Baldwin given he made the halfway cut in both the US Open and the Open Championship there was only one true candidate for the award and a vote otherwise would have been a travesty.
Ricardo Santos – 2012 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
Santos had bravely earned his 2012 European Tour card by finishing fourth on the 2011 secondary Challenge Tour contesting 22 events and earning just Eur 2,500 short of Euro 100,000 in 2011.
He returned to Portugal for a first time as a full European Tour member for the May 17th to 20th Maderia Islands Open on the mountainous Santo de Serra course where he had competed as an amateur.
What greater challenge for any Tour player than to try and succeed in a tournament on your ‘home’ course.
This was the near insumoutable expectation facing Ricardo Santos.
Not only was his wife, Rita and young daughter, Victoria present that week but Ricardo seemingly carried the weight of the Portugal nation on his shoulders eager for only a second Portuguese victory in the 40-year history of the European Tour and, in fact, 20 years after the first.
Santos went into the final day four strokes from the lead and with the support of a patriotic home crowd he delivered Portugal the victory it so richly derserved in capturing the title by four shots and shooting a fourth round 63 and what would be the lowest score by a winner on the 2012 Race to Dubai tour.
He also became the first rookie to win in 2012.
There were joyful scenes high on the mountainside course with Santos fulfilling a boyhood dream in winning on Portuguese soil.
Present that afternoon also was his brother, Hugo who had partnered Ricardo in October the year before at the Omega World Cup of Golf at Hainan Island in China.
Bill Elliot, Chairman of the Association of Golf Writers, had one of three votes in deciding who should be awarded the coveted ‘Rookie of the Year’ title. The other votes belonged to representatives of the European Tour and strangely the R & A who are involved in just one recognised ‘Rookie’ counting tournament – The Open.
Ricardo Santos has created history in becoming the first to be born in Portugal.
And if you had any doubts what the award means to his wife, Rita and family then www.golfbytourmiss.com hereunder reproduces an email we received from Rita Santos, Marketing Manager, Oceanico Villamoura Resort wherein she expresses not only the joy of her husband being awarded ‘Rookie of the Year’ but in the bigger picture what such an award will do overall for golf in Portugal.
Dear Bernie,
I was meaning to send you an e-mail, but then they asked us to hold it until today when it was made official and I have no doubt about the power of media!!! Nor of the “weight” of your articles/opinion, so I big “Thank You” from both Ricardo and our family for instigating this award.
Not only this is great for Ricardo but for Portuguese Golf in general, we’re a very small country, undergoing particularly though times so it is always inspiring and motivating to see one of “ours” making it to the highest level, showing you that with hard work and determination your goals can be achieved.
To be able to take the Portuguese flag and Portuguese golf further ahead it is just great for Ricardo and those who have always believed in his talent and kept supporting him, even through tough times.
For taking part in this, a big THANK YOU and Fatiha for all your support!
From your Portuguese friends
THE SANTOS family
Ricardo, Rita & Victoria
Rita SantosMarketing Manager | Oceânico Golf
T +351 289 310 330 F +351 282 310 320
E rita.santos@oceanicogroup.com W www.oceanicogolf.com Edifício Old Course, Apartado 970, Vilamoura, 8126-912. Algarve, Portugal
Let us wish that those voting on future Rookie of the Year awards will take into account more than just results but the impact such an award can deliver not only the individual and his family but to the country he so proudly represents.
Well done, Ricardo.
You so richly deserve the award – 2012 Sir Henry Cotton ‘Rookie of the Year’
