Karlsson wins golfer of month award

Golf: Last week's Dunhill Links Championship winner and current European Tour Order of Merit leader Robert Karlsson has been named the tour's Golfer of the Month for September in recognition of his win at Mercedes-Benz Championship at Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof.

The 39-year-old strengthened his position as Sweden's most prolific winner with his tally of nine titles. Number eight was last month's Mercedes and the tall Swede has won three times in all in Germany - he also won the 1997 BMW International Open plus the 2006 Deutsche Bank Players' Championship of Europe.

At the Mercedes he withstood a strong final day challenge from Italy's Francesco Molinari to uphold a reputation as one of the most accomplished front runners in Europe with seven of his eight victories having come after he led going into the final day.

Before the wins in Germany and last week's in St Andrews, Karlsson had previously registered nine top ten finishes in 2008; including tied eighth at the Masters, tied fourth in the US Open Championship and tied seventh in the British Open.

"Obviously I am delighted to be named as the Golfer of the Month for September on The European Tour," said Karlsson. "It is great to be acknowledged for all the hard work you put in over a season and this award recognises what was a wonderful win for me in the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne.

"I always enjoy playing in Germany not least for the fact that the tournaments there are always very well run and everything about them is very well organised. I have had success in the country in the past too, so it was nice to go there and win again.

"It was also nice to get a win under my belt in 2008, because it would have felt a bit strange not to have won this season as I had been playing so well up to that point."

The €545,811 winner's cheque at the Dunhill also took the Swede €142,425 ahead of this season's two-time major winner Pádraig Harrington in the order of merit race with just four events of the season remaining.

Harrington won the monthly award in July and August for his back-to-back major wins, while Graeme McDowell received the accolade in March for his first win of the season in the Ballentine's Championship. He also went on to win the Scottish open at Loch Lomond.