England Golf: Conor Gough wins the Performance of the Year award

The European Tour star sent a specially recorded message to the 16-year-old, who won top British and English titles and is currently ranked ninth in the amateur world.

“Congratulations on winning your award, said Fleetwood. “What an amazing year. I’ve been keeping track of your progress and we will be doing that for a long time, I’m sure.

“Winning all these events in one year is something that me and most other people never had the ability to do.

“It was a very, very special year and congratulations, you really deserve it. Good luck in the future, I’ll be watching out.”

Over 400 guests gathered at the Royal Lancaster London for the England Golf Awards, sponsored by adidas Golf, and applauded Gough’s achievements.

The young international from Stoke Park Golf Club in Buckinghamshire is the British Boys’ Champion, the winner of the English Under-16 McGregor Trophy and of the Fairhaven Trophies.

He represented Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup last year, helped England win the Boys’ Home Internationals and GB&I to defeat Continental Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy.

This year he has already followed up with his recent three-shot victory in the Major Champions Invitational in Florida.

“This means a lot,” he said after receiving his award. “I had a very good year last year, I got my first world ranking, started well in Portugal and then the wins came and I’ve carried on this year.”

His ambitions for this year are firstly focussed on his GCSEs.

“I’ve got to get them out of the way and then get back and hopefully win more golf tournaments,” said Gough.

He was up again tough competition for the award. The other contenders were the successful England men’s team; Mitch Waite of Filton, Gloucestershire, who was England’s top male golfer for the year, and Caitlin Whitehead of Carus Green, Cumbria, who won in Europe and Asia Pacific.

The judges felt that Gough’s performances and victories set him apart from the other finalists.