McIlroy wins Euro Tour Shot award

RORY McIlroy’s six-iron to the tenth hole on the final day of his runaway US Open victory has been voted by fans the European Tour Shot of the Year for 2011.

The towering tee shot over water came to rest just a few inches from the cup and for most people removed any lingering fear that the young Ulsterman would collapse like he did at The Masters two months earlier.

“I thought that shot was probably the most important in the round because YE Yang had just stuck it in there close,” he said. “To follow that up with mine was pretty cool. I had a big lead, but there was always the chance that if I had hit it in the water or done something silly and YE had made his birdie then it would have put a bit of pressure on me.

“Hopefully I can produce a few more of those in 2012.”

With 30 per cent of the vote McIlroy was an overwhelming winner. Miguel Angel Jimenez had 21 per cent for his 250-yard second shot to the long 17th – again over water – at Valderrama in the Andalucia Masters, while McIlroy also took third for holing his bunker shot on the final hole of his Hong Kong Open win.