The Portuguese golfer Ricardo Santos, winner of the 2012 Madeira Islands Open, won the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award, given to the best rookie on the European Tour. Santos is the first Portuguese ever to win the award, launched in 1960.
Born in Faro in 1982, Santos said: “It’s an honour to become the first Portuguese player to win the Rookie of the Year award. (…) It’s been an amazing season, and to end it by winning the award is more than I could have dreamed of.”
George O’Grady, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “We congratulate Ricardo on an outstanding season capped by becoming the first Portuguese winner of the very prestigious Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award. I’m sure Ricardo would have been a very popular choice with Sir Henry himself, as he had a great affinity with Portugal after designing the Championship Course at Penina Golf & Resort.”
