Rory McIlroy started 2012 as the crown prince of golf. He ended it as the undisputed king.
The 23-year-old from Holywood, near Belfast, won four times during the year, including his second major at the USPGA Championship, he became the second youngest ever world No 1, won the Money Lists on both sides of the Atlantic and played a leading role in Europe’s successful defence of the Ryder Cup.
McIlroy also impressed with his easy-going manner and integrity coupled with a healthy confidence in his own abilities and a willingness to put in the hard work on the range when things are not quite right
Not since Tiger Woods backed his car into a fire hydrant outside his Florida home in November 2009 unleashing a sex scandal that eventually floored him has golf had a truly dominant golfer at the head of the rankings.
And at such a young age, he can realistically expect to be at or near the top for the next two decades well into the 2030s.
It was not all sweetness and light for McIlroy in 2012. He made a strong start to the year, but in his own words “took my eye off the ball” in the late spring and summer, missing four cuts in five outings, one of those coming at the US Open, where he was defending champion.