This week Irish golfing ace Rory McIlroy was snubbed as the PGA Tour rookie of the year, but the up-and-comer simply shrugged it off. The 21 year old said he has never considered himself a rookie.

It's not as if he hasn't had a string of successes to point to. McIlroy, who turned pro in Europe in 2008, won the Quail Hollow Championship against one of the strongest fields of the year.

He also tied a major championship record at Saint Andrews this year with a 63 when he tied for third at the British Open - and he tied for third at the PGA Championship.

"It's fine," McIlroy told the press at the weekend. "Look, I really didn't want it. I'm not a rookie."

The PGA Tour considers McIlroy a rookie because it was his first full year on tour, which is why he was on the ballot. The tour does not reveal how many players voted or the results.

McIlroy may have been snubbed because other players don't consider him a true rookie, or because he announced last month that he would not take up U.S. membership for next year. "It might be a little of both," McIlroy told the press.