Once again we come to the end of another year.

It has been a very long season and in a year where I was in attendance at more tournaments, including the four Majors, then I have ever before.

However being present to report on some 35 events there is the benefit of gaining an access you don’t have in trying to cover the event from the comfort of your own home as seems to be very much the norm nowadays among many of my golf reporting colleagues.

That aside here is my best, bad and sad awards for the year 2011.

GOLFER OF THE YEAR

Who else but Luke Donald!

The World No.1 ranked Donald was the most consistent golfer all season and he has been since rewarded with countless ‘Golfer of the Year’ awards on both sides of ‘The Pond’.

Of course, Tiger Woods could have easily won both the PGA and European Tour money list titles in the same season for a good five to six years running had he become a member of the European Tour.

However Donald’s beaten Woods and for that matter every other golfer whether alive or dead to one of the last remaining achievements in the history of the game.

AUSSIE GOLFER OF THE YEAR

Adam Scott only just manages to nudge out fellow Queenslander Jason Day out of the way for this award by the difference in the length of a belly putter compared to the conventional.

The duo finished joint second at Augusta National but it was Scott’s effort in winning the WGC – Bridgestone, and on a Firestone course where boyhood idol Greg Norman captured his last ever PGA Tour event, that put Scott out in front.

We’ve said this before but the only step left now for Scott is Major’s glory.

BEST INTERVIEWER OF THE YEAR

I first came into contact with Rory McIlroy when he was just 14 years of age and the reigning U.S. Open champion has not changed at all.

Sure his time away from the golf course is now managed down to the minute but on a number of occasions this year McIlroy’s been marvelous with his time.

There was walking the course with him during at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Pro-Am and more recently enjoying some 45 minutes of his company over coffee during the World Cup in China.

McIlroy was also very giving of his time in a 45-minute breakfast session during the Dubai World Championship.

The same can be said for fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington who’s always very generous of his time, and during the course of a year that was his poorest ever.

And even Monty gets a special mention.

Monty’s wonderful to speak to Monday to Wednesday but come the start of a tournament the Scot is virtually unplayable.

Maybe Monty’s mellowed but I owe him a big thanks for many stories he’s provided this year from Thursday through to Sunday including the most recent revelation he was taking the Ryder Cup to show off to the troops in Afghanistan.

BEST TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR

The BMW PGA Championship is the flagship event on the European Tour and it’s the same for the media attending the event.

And all credit to Wentworth’s General Manager, Julian Small. 

It’s not just the lunches or the superb facilities or being afforded the courtesy to play golf on the nearby Edinburgh Course or the closeness of car parking but Julian is so very generous of his time and understanding of the needs of the media present.   

It would make a very welcome change if many of the European Tour Tournament Directors took a leaf out of Julian’s book and endeavoured to work more closely with the media.

Special mention also to the BMW International Open in Munich and the BMW Italian Open in Turin.

That’s three BMW sponsored events I’ve highlighted and that says something about the class the German car giant brings to golf.  

SADDEST TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR

The passing of Seve Ballesteros’ was extremely sad.   

Bizarrely, Seve’s death happened during the course of the 2011 Spanish Open and it was the 1995 Spanish Open that was the last of his European Tour victories.

Observing the tears streaming down the face of long-time friend and colleague, Jose Maria Olazabal that afternoon in Madrid was a sight I shall not forget.

There was also the sorrowful scenes on the Madrid practice range the next day of players, officials and caddies lined-up in tribute to Seve.

And to be present in Majorca the next week, and to watch live TV coverage beamed across Spain of Seve’s funeral, was indeed very moving.

WORST TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR

(Yawn) The French Open again wins the award because each and every year there’s friction of some sort.

If it’s not car parking, it’s access, meal tickets and generally a feeling sometimes they really don’t want you in Versailles.

The Omega European Masters also needs to take a look at itself and begin taking the interest of the caddies into consideration.

It’s nonsense to witness the sight each year of players walking out of the Players Lounge with food and drink in their hands for their respective caddy waiting outside.

As well, Golf Australia as organizer of the recent Australian Open needs to take action following the embarrassment caused when American journalists were not allowed in the Lakes Club locker room.

Each is a fully PGA Tour accredited journalist and there is no such barrier in place on the PGA Tour.

But when it comes to the Australian Open entry is denied.

The practice of denying Australian journalists from entering the locker room to carry out their job, and for that matter the clubhouse, has been a sore point for many years but calls for change continues to fall on deaf ears.

TOO QUICK TO PASS THE BLAME AWARD

We’ve all done something wrong on a golf course like throw a club that we later regret.

I am not condoning John Daly’s actions in ‘walking off’ during the opening round of the Australian Open in Sydney after declaring he’d run out of golf balls.

But the Australian PGA Tour was all too quick to point the finger at Daly when the ridiculous scenario of allowing range balls to land on the course proper should never be allowed to transpire at any tournament.

Daly finds a bunker at the 10th hole on The Lakes course.  He then hits his Srixon to birdie tap-in distance only to be informed by his caddy the Srixon ball he hit was not his but a range ball from the adjoining practice range.

So why does the Australasian Tour continue to allow range balls to find their way onto the golf course proper?

CATCH OF THE YEAR AWARD

One is the world’s best golfer and the other is the women’s world number one ranked tennis player and they met at a boxing match.

It’s understood Caroline Wozinacki could not contain her enthusiasm in letting those close to her know she’d met Rory McIlroy during the course of a World Heavyweight title fight in Hamburg.

A physio who works both with tennis and golf stars revealed Wozinacki was ‘over the moon’ bragging she’d met McIlroy.

And McIlroy has hardly hidden his delight in wooing the Dane to his side.

They seem a great couple and in speaking with ‘Sweet Caroline’ during the Dubai World Championship she seemed to be enjoying being in McIlroy’s company.

How long will it be before McIlroy joins her as golf’s world number one?

HAM OF THE YEAR AWARD

Scotland’s Elliott Saltman served his sentence for what took place during the 2010 Russian Open.

His three-month suspension also led to him eventually failing to hold onto his Tour card so it’s back to the Challenge Tour in 2012.

However Saltman did highlight his year in grabbing an ace on day two of the Madrid Masters with the Scot’s prize his weight in Spanish ham – all 120 kilograms!

WHAT’S THE POINT OF BEING THERE AWARD

What’s the point in expending enormous sums on air fares and hotel accommodation to attend and report on golf tournaments when Tour press officers spend the better part of their time providing information to those not present?

The European Tour, like the PGA Tour, increasingly seems to do little by way of assisting  those journalists who’ve made the effort to be present on the ground.

Of course, press conferences are arranged and you might be granted a few extra questions on a one-to-one situation but when a player is brought in for interview there’s a full transcript of the questions asked by those in attendance appearing on the tour website usually before you’re even get back at your desk.

It’s the same in allowing long audio interviews to be placed on the website.

Then when you attend the three U.S. based Majors the formal media centre interviews go out live on the Golf Channel.

I’m all for ‘new media’ but at what cost?

But there is fewer and fewer journalists attending golf tournaments and the European Tour and PGA Tour has to seriously ask themselves why?

TOYS OUT OF THE PRAM AWARD

Bubba Watson’s antics at the 2011 French Open was one of the poorest performances by a professional all season.

From the time he described the Arc de Triomphe as ‘that arch in the middle of the road’ till he emerged from the scorers’ hut blaming officials and spectators, Watson was a complete embarrassment.

As I wrote at the time Watson, who was born in Bagdad, Florida and who had worn camouflage pants to the U.S. Open a week earlier, needed to get himself to Bagdad, Iraq for an instant reality check.

WORST PLANE TRIP & WORST AIRLINE OF THE YEAR AWARD

When the pilot of our United Airlines had to advise the cabin crew not once, not twice but three times to take a seat during the course of a flight from Washington, and the U.S. Open at Congressional, to Munich for the BMW International Open, you know it’s going to be bumpy.

Mention also once again to Australian national carrier – Qantas.

Never again will I travel with the ‘Flying Kangaroo’. 

Not until they begin to show golfers some respect when it comes to travelling with golf clubs.

Just think the next time you book an overseas holiday as Emirates Airlines allow you 30 kilograms of luggage and golf clubs go free.

Even British Airways will only charge you 30 quid for clubs from Sydney to Edinburgh.  

Fly Qantas to Scotland and the Home of Golf, and given you’ve got a 20 kilogram suitcase and a 15-kilogram golf bag, and you’re staring at upwards of $700 excess luggage.

BET OF THE YEAR AWARD

After losing 100 quid to Lee Westwood on the outcome of the Ashes Series last summer it was good to get half of that back on the outcome on the Rugby World Cup.

Westwood bet me England would go further than Australia.

But I have to say after he twisted my elbow for five Royal Bank of Scotland 20 Pound notes earlier at his very first event in 2011, I’ve yet to see a 50 Pound Bank of England note from the World No. 2.

And this was despite the fact I spent a week covering Westwood’s stunning seven shot success in the Asian Tour’s season-ending Thailand Golf Championship.

BEST WATERING HOLE OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Doha Rugby Club lies in the heart of the Qatar capital. 

Naturally,  it’s an Arab country where you just don’t walk into a supermarket or local bottle shop to buy a two dozen pack of ale.

So when it comes to Commercial Bank Qatar Masters week stepping into the Doha Rugby Club is like finding an oasis in the desert.

The club is usually jam-packed with expats and thanks to our hosts for the week, Dave and June Murphy, who are club members, we usually find our way to the club one or two times a week.

It’s not that you have to let your hair down but when alcohol is so prevalent at most other ‘Tour’ stops, a pint just seems to taste that much better knowing when you walk outside how difficult and how expensive it can be.

Besides it’s a get opportunity for me to proudly don my North Sydney Bears Rugby League jersey.

BLUNDER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Steve Williams doesn’t need me to remind him his ‘racist’ remarks at a caddy presentation function in Shanghai were out-of-bounds.

But by way of some background the caddy awards commenced at the inaugural HSBC Champions event in 2006 and initially the media were carefully kept away from the function with the hosting of a dinner in another area of the on-course hotel.

Then if we did attend, as was the case in recent years, it was on the proviso of anything you heard was clearl ‘off the record’.

As it turned out only three or four of the some dozen international journos present in Shanghai attended the function but upon hearing Williams remarks the question they now faced ‘was what are we to do?’

It’s understood Doug Ferguson from Associated Press was not interested in the running the story whereas thosse UK based scribes deliberated to near 3am the next day before collectively deciding they should run with the story.

And why shouldn’t they?

In a world where information is instantaneous there was at least a dozen people at the caddy function, and for that matter not journalists, who recorded everything Williams said.

I’ve since learnt, given I missed the event for the first time ever due to a family bereavement, there was worst things said that night and they were not reported.

QUOTE OF THE YEAR AWARD

I quizzed triple Ryder Cup winning Paul McGinley during 2011 to compare newly-appointed 2012 European Ryder Cup captain, Jose Maria Olazabal with hapless 2008 losing captain, Nick Faldo.

“I’ve been out on Tour for 20 years and I can’t believe you asked me such a loaded question like that, and I can’t believe you tried it on me,” said McGinley laughing.

Also there was this comment from triple Major winning, Ernie Els.

“As long as it’s legal, I’ll keep cheating like the rest of them”.

Els was giving out a lot of stick earlier in the year maintaining belly putters were against the rules.

However the South African certainly had a change of tune when he used one of the putters to put himself in contention during the Frys.com Open.

…. AND THEY WILL BE MISSED

It’s been a sad year among the golf ranks with the passing of the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Scotland-born coach Adam Hunter and just recently fellow Scot Ramsay McMaster.

McMaster suffered a stroke only days after Christmas and was aged just 49.

The golf writer’s lost dear colleagues in Tom Ramsay, Scotland’s Dougie Lowe and Alan Booth.

Dougie was a very close friend who lived in Helensburgh, Scotland but just loved journeying to Australia so much.  His funeral in March, 2010 was a great celebration of the life a truly unique individual.

Alan was one of nature’s gentlemen who had retired some years ago.

However he always strived to keep in contact with colleagues even despite the sadness he endured in losing his wife.

I remember the time Alan used to work for the R & A during Open Championship week.  He was employed to type out ‘quick quotes’ from the players.

Tom Lehman had signed for a very poor round at one Open and when asked to provide a comment on his effort he simply said:  “I played absolute crap!”

Alan was standing by and then went back to his typewriter with Lehman’s quotes soon appearing in the trays and with the American reported as saying:  “I just played terrible today”.

His gentle nature will be also missed.

But moreso in 2011, it will be the year my own dear mum, Joan passed away. 

Returning home to Sydney for Christmas just was not the same!

Here’s to a better 2012.