Rory McIlroy up for Laureus award

• Rory McIlroy nominated with Hamilton, Ronaldo and Djokovic
• European Ryder Cup winning side up for Team of the Year
• Oliver Wilson recognised for first European Tour win in 228 starts

Rory McIlroy will go head-to-head with Lewis Hamilton again in the Laureus World Sports Awards in 2015, months after the Formula One driver pipped the current world No.1 to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

The pair have been nominated for World Sportsman of the Year along with footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, tennis star Novak Djokovic, Moto GP champion Marc Marquez, and pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie for the ‘Oscars of sports’, which will be held in Shanghai on April 15.

The golfing community reacted with horror as 25-year-old McIlroy missed out on the BBC award despite a stellar 2014, which included winning two majors, reaching world No.1 and being part of Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team.

Ryder Cup team-mates Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter certainly weren’t happy with the public’s decision on the night and took to Twitter to vent their frustrations.

They, and the majority of golf fans, will no doubt be hoping for Rory McIlroy to get revenge on Hamilton and be recognised on the world stage for an award that has previously been won on two occasions by Tiger Woods in 2000 and 2001.

Rory McIlroy has received an award from Laureus before, winning Breakthrough of the Year in 2012, a year after fellow golfer Martin Kaymer.

Elsewhere in the awards ceremony, the European Ryder Cup team has been nominated for Team of the Year, which they also won in 2013 after the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012. They are up against Germany and Real Madrid (football), Mercedes (Formula One), San Antonio Spurs (basketball) and the Swiss Davis Cup team (tennis).

Oliver Wilson has been nominated for Comeback of the Year after winning his first European Tour event in 228 starts. The Englishman was No.792 in the world rankings before his win at Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October 2014 and is now ranked No.190.

Wilson’s competition in the category comes in the shape of Francesco Acerbi and Diego Milito (football), Schalk Burger (rugby), Jo Pavey (athletics) and Pierre Vaultier (snowboarding).

Unlike the BBC award, the Laureus gongs are decided by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 50 of the greatest sportsmen and women of all time.

Rory McIlroy up for World Sportsman of the Year :: Your thoughts

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