[airair]

As we all now know, Rickie Fowler -- winless in 2010 -- was voted by the players as PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year. Rory McIlroy, with a win at Quail Hollow and T-3 at two majors, was not. [However, Rory will receive the Golf Digest vote in their February 2011 issue.]

Did Rickie deserve the award? If so, why? Or, should the honor have gone to Rory? If so, why didn't it happen? Could his decision to reject a 2011 PGA TOUR card and instead play the European Tour have been a factor? Was he somehow not considered a "real" rookie -- even though, at 20, he's younger than Rickie -- because of his prior play on the European Tour (and perhaps even the PGA TOUR)?

Let's settle back, kick this around a bit and have some fun. What do you guys think?

I would have thought that Rory McIlroy with his PGA win should have been the rookie of the year.