Don’t discount Hamilton for SPOTY if Ryder Cup goes way of USA
Published:The last golfer to claim the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award was Sir Nick Faldo way back in 1989, when star-crossed lovers Jason Donavon and Kylie Minogue were battling it out for radio play.
Darren Clarke has twice finished as runner up since the Millenium, where his 2011 Open Championship win earned the jovial Northern Irishman his second silver medal to accompany his 2006 gong.
Fast-forward to 2014 and it’s Clarke’s fresh-faced compatriot and stick-swinging sensation Rory McIlroy who is the overwhelming 1/6 favourite to finally end the golfing drought.
Following a major-less and troubled 2013, Wee-Mac made up for lost time this summer by claiming the British Open and PGA Championship titles in quick succession, catapulting himself to the head of the SPOTY queue.
Therefore, on the eve of the Ryder Cup which many people will see as the icing on Rory’s SPOTY cake, punters may wish to jump on those odds before they hit the floor.
However, not only is the destination of the Ryder Cup far from sealed, but the clouds have gathered over his famed partnership with countryman Graeme McDowell thanks to a spot of legal action.
If McIlroy handles the pressure of carrying Europe to victory at Gleneagles alongside fresh partners, this award may as well be engraved, but if not, and USA do the biz, there’s a certain Formula One star heading towards a possible world championship.
Lewis Hamilton was robbed of the 2008 SPOTY award when he first claimed F1’s drivers’ crown thanks to his triumph being eclipsed by the pedalling achievements of Sir Chris Hoy over in Beijing.
His epic battle with Mercedes ‘teammate’ Nico Rosberg has captured the sporting public’s imagination and the advantage for the Stevenage native – should he win – is that it will be fresher in the minds of the voting public.
F1’s calendar concludes just weeks before the BBC host their annual awards in December.
Hammy is currently a tempting 5/1 shot to do what he does best and overtake the competition, well just McIlroy in this case.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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