Golf is the big winner in the Fowler/McIlroy rookie debate

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Get used to seeing Rickie Fowler's Crayola wardrobe for years to come -- and bask in his radiant coolness.

He's the new essence of cool.

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The hair. The tweets. The double-dog dares with BFF Bubba Watson. The Twitter pictures of ice cream cones and sushi. The Razor. The BMX bikes. The Crayola clothing colors in his closet. The head-to-toe Oklahoma State orange every Sunday.

And the game. That birdie run at the Ryder Cup in singles. The conviction that he did the right thing by laying up at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The runner-up finish at The Memorial.

Rickie Fowler doesn't cross generations like Fred Couples. Not yet anyway. But he is hip. And cool. Heck, Justin Timberlake would take him over Justin Bieber any old day. So would we. Classic rock hands down.

Then there's that talent. No, he didn't win a tournament this year. His official 2010 line reads: two seconds, a third, seven total top 10s, 10 top-25s and some impressive play at the Ryder Cup. But he did go straight from an impressive collegiate and amateur career to the big time and from nowhere to 26th in the world rankings. And -- admit it -- he had our attention everywhere he played.

At 21 -- he turns 22 next Monday -- he's the second-youngest player to win Rookie of the Year honors, which is voted on by the players. Tiger Woods, at 20, was the first.

But does he deserve the Rookie of the Year? Does a combination of cool, serious talent and being a major blip on everyone's HD golf screen, but no wins in his first full calendar year on the PGA TOUR translate to that honor?

It appears to be open to a bit of interpretation and, of course, opinion.

Lee Westwood, for one, didn't think Fowler should have gotten the rookie honor. He thought it should go to Rory McIlroy, who just happened to blitz his way to a final-round 62 to win the Quail Hollow Championship and finish with a share of third at both the British Open and PGA Championships. He felt McIlroy didn't win, in part, because he has chosen to play the European Tour next year. And the world No. 1 offered his thoughts on Twitter, noting as he started: "Sorry, 140 letters are not going to be enough for this rant!"

He wasn't alone.

Fowler and McIlroy were, indeed, the two players up for the annual honor, given to someone in his first full rookie season on TOUR -- no matter what his age or experience level on any other tour. And its a vote of the players, which means everything from personalities to results to friendships come into play when they mark their ballots.

While we don't know the vote totals, we presume the vote was close. And that there were no ballot issues or hanging chads.

Just differences of opinions.

McIlroy was, indeed, a rookie on the TOUR. But, a year younger than Fowler, he had already played three seasons on the European Tour, won an event and, he was in the top 10 in world by the time he bowed in over here.

That hasn't stopped other players with serious experience on other major tours -- Carlos Franco in 1999, Vijay Singh in 1993 and Ernie Els in 1994 for example -- from winning the honor. But should it?

Should a player who has been a pro for years qualify for rookie honors on any other major tour? Should a Dustin Johnson or Bubba Watson, for example, decide to play the European Tour, be considered for ROY on that tour? With all due respect, we think not.

A rookie, in this humble opinion, is a fresh face. A newly-minted TOUR pro, whether he's straight from high school, college or a 40-year-old who just decided to turn professional. He's someone who has taken his game to the next level, whether it's from the Walker Cup to the Ryder Cup or from a year on the Nationwide or Hooters or E-Tour to the PGA TOUR or European Tour.

He's Fowler.

Not that we don't love McIlroy. He's a massive talent. He's funny. He's open, honest, exciting to watch and follows his heart. It doesn't get much better than that.

But even he didn't expect to get the honor.

"I really didn't want it. I'm not really a rookie," he said. "When I joined the TOUR I was in the top 10 in the World Ranking and Rickie has had an unbelievable season ... Rickie was just out of college, played the Walker Cup and that's what a rookie should be."

McIlroy didn't even win the European Rookie of the Year award in his first season over there -- 2008. That honor went to Spaniard Pablo Lazzarabal, who is currently ranked 356th in the world.

No one said life was fair. Or voters are always right.

There's no question, in a season of fresh faces, Fowler and McIlroy stood out. They were the two choices for the rookie honor. And Westwood isn't wrong. Given the past histories, his decision to vote to McIlroy was right. And it was his opinion.

But the bottom line is, when the ballots were counted, Fowler won.

If Fowler had won in Phoenix, this might have been a moot point. If McIlroy had won a major, again, it might have been moot. But ifs are just that.

Not that anyone is asking, but perhaps this kerfuffle will cause players to take another look at the honor. Maybe they want to define it a bit differently. Maybe they don't.

It's their choice, not ours.

Until then, we suggest you celebrate both Fowler's season and McIlroy's. It doesn't matter who won what. Or who's cooler. They both made us stand up and cheer. They're both massive talents and majors-in-waiting.

Neither one is going anywhere -- except up the ladder in the world rankings and, just maybe, into the battle for Player of the Year. Right now, on different tours.

Melanie Hauser is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM and can be reached at melaniehauser@gmail.com. Her views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.