Week by week, event by event, there is no dispute about who the best player is, after all, the leaderboard never lies.

But one question that has crossed the lips of many Tour observers is who is the best player over the year? How do you measure that? Is purely based on the number of tournament wins, do the Majors have more weight than a regular season event? Just how do we define a EuroDov Tour player of the Year?

Well in 2024 the Tour is launching its first ever Player of the Year award and it will be voted on by the players. Who better to decide what constitutes such a lofty award than those who were in the mix the whole season long?

The EuroDov Tour HQ have convened a panel to determine 4 players to be shortlisted for EuroDov Tour Player of the Year and I, EuroDov Reporter, will have the pleasure of presenting the case for each.

So, let’s take a look at player number 3 – Paul Gowens.

Paul Gowens is without question on here on merit alone. His 2024 season saw him finish runner-up in the EuroDov Cup, win the inaugural Matchplay, lift his third Order of Merit Event win at the Lochgelly-Forrester Open and lead his side to glory in the RyDov Cup.

Of course, the narrative for Gowens Snr’s year in 2024 was his return from almost a year on medical exemption, where he underwent gruelling treatment for cancer. With almost a year away from the course 2024 was a year of consolidating his position on Tour and avoiding relegation to Q-School – his own words, no one else’s.

But Gowens Snr. almost made the miraculous return to competition taking the EuroDov Cup down the 54th hole only to lose out by a stroke to David McColgan – another nominee for Player of the Year.

Gowens Snr. would get revenge however, after dispatching Daniel Peck and Graeme Connor in the Matchplay Gowens Snr. faced off against McColgan over the Queens Course at Gleneagles. After 17 holes the pair of them were all-square and Gowens Snr. calmly settled himself for a tense final hole that he won and claimed the Matchplay.

It was quite the weekend for Gowens Snr. after winning the Matchplay on Friday evening, he was ready to go on Sunday afternoon in the Lochgelly-Forrester Open, he played a flawless round of golf and as he stepped on the 18th tee with a 1 shot lead, he expertly plotted his way home to his third Order of Merit win in as many years.

He wasn’t finished with the wins either as he and his side put Team Love to the sword in the RyDov Cup and etching his name on the oldest trophy on Tour.

It was an incredibly season for Gowens Snr. one that was far beyond his wildest ambition but building on his 2022 rookie of the year season, 2024 is warning shot to the field in 2025 of what might be to come.

If you think Gowens Snr. deserves to be crowned the 2024 EuroDov Tour Player of the Year, cast your vote for him before 10th November.