STONEHAM golfer Richard Bland was a leading contender for the Sir Henry Cotton European Tour Rookie of the Year award won by Liverpool's Nick Dougherty.

Through his higher position in the order of merit, Dougherty beat off challenges from Bland, who lost a play-off in the Murphy's Irish Open, and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, who was a teammate in last year's Walker Cup win and captured the Volvo Scandinavian Masters in only his fourth professional start.