Donald wins Player of Year; Bradley named top Rookie

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Luke Donald won two TOUR events en route to winning PGA TOUR Player of the Year honors in 2011.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Luke Donald was named the PGA TOUR Player of the Year and Keegan Bradley took PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year honors for the 2011 season, the TOUR announced Tuesday.

Both awards are voted on by the TOUR's membership.

"On behalf of the PGA TOUR, my congratulations to Luke and Keegan for their award-winning accomplishments in 2011," PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem said. "Both players had significant and impressive performances throughout the course of the year, and the member vote reflects the respect their peers have for them."

LUKE DONALD - PGA TOUR Player of the Year

Donald

Donald, who turned 34 on Dec. 7, is the first player from England to be voted Player of the Year since the award's inception in 1990.

Donald won the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship and the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic in 2011. He never trailed in any of his six matches at the Accenture Match Play Championship, including a 3&2 finals victory over Martin Kaymer.

"That's a great honor to cap off what has obviously been an amazing year for me," Donald said after the announcement was made.

Finchem said Donald was "clearly the best player this year."

Donald's win in his final start of the year at the Children's Miracle Network Classic clinched the money title with $6,683,214, earning him the Arnold Palmer Award. He also wrapped up the Byron Nelson Trophy and Vardon Award for lowest adjusted scoring average (68.86).

Currently No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Donald led the PGA TOUR with 14 top-10 finishes in 19 starts with runner-up finishes the RBC Heritage (playoff) and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational (T2). For the second consecutive year, Donald finished third in the season-long FedExCup competition, posting top-five finishes in three of the four PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup events.

Donald, who will receive the Jack Nicklaus Trophy as Player of the Year, was selected over Keegan Bradley, Bill Haas, Webb Simpson and Nick Watney.

KEEGAN BRADLEY -- PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year

Bradley

Bradley, 25, earned playoff victories at the HP Byron Nelson Championship and the PGA Championship, becoming the first rookie since Todd Hamilton (2004) to win twice. With his PGA Championship playoff victory over Jason Dufner at Atlanta Athletic Club, Bradley became the first player since Ben Curtis (2003) to win a major championship in his first major start.

"I'm thrilled to win the Rookie of the Year," Bradley said Tuesday after the announcement was made, adding, "it's an award you can only win one time, that you only get one chance to win. It's a huge honor."

On the season, the Vermont native totaled four top 10s in 29 starts and finished 20th on the final FedExCup points list. Bradley became just the fourth rookie to play his way into Playoff finale, the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, since the inception of the FedExCup, joining Brandt Snedeker (2007), Andres Romero (2008) and Marc Leishman (2009).

Other players nominated for PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year were Chris Kirk, Charl Schwartzel, Scott Stallings, Brendan Steele and Jhonattan Vegas.