Ryder Cup honoured at awards ceremony

The overwhelming success of The 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles was recognised at a major awards ceremony in Glasgow on Thursday night.

The 40th staging of the biennial contest between Europe and the United States was – together with the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games – named as the joint winner of the Sporting Event of the Year in the annual Scottish Sports Awards presented by the Sunday Mail and sportscotland.

Ryder Cup Director Richard Hills and Ryder Cup Operations Director Antonia Beggs accepted the award alongside David Grevemberg, the Chief Executive Officer for the Commonwealth Games, who picked up the accolade on behalf of the Glasgow showpiece.

The Ryder Cup was not the only time that golf was in the spotlight during the evening, however, with the Young Sports Personality of the Year award going to Blairgowrie’s Bradley Neil, who followed up his victory in this year’s Amateur Championship by being part of Europe’s Junior Ryder Cup team at his home course in September.

The evening at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow – hosted by Sky Sports News presenter Jim White – celebrated all that was momentous about Scottish sport in 2014, from the high profile events such as The Ryder Cup and the Commonwealth Games, through to grass roots highlights such as the School Sport Award and the Local Club of the Year Award.

Other Commonwealth Games winners on the night were boxer Charlie Flynn, who won lightweight gold at the Commonwealth Games and who was the recipient of the Sunday Mail Editor’s Award; athlete Lynsey Sharp who battled illness to take silver in the 800 metres and whose bravery was rewarded with the Inspirational Performance award; and swimmer Ross Murdoch who was named Scottish Sports Personality of the Year following his gold medal win in the 200 metres breaststroke and his bronze in the 100m breaststroke.