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Golfing star Jason Day has won Australian sport’s The Don award, two months after claiming his first major title.
Day was honoured at the annual Sport Australia Hall Of Fame awards and induction dinner on Wednesday night in Melbourne.
The night also featured eight inductions into the hall of fame.
Day is the second golfer in three years to win The Don award, which honours the Australian sportsperson who most inspired the nation in the past 12 months.
Adam Scott was the first golfer to win The Don in 2013.
Day won the US PGA title with a record score of 20-under-par.
Two months earlier, the 27-year-old collapsed with an attack of vertigo during the US Open, but recovered to share the lead after the third round and finish fourth.
Day could not attend as he is in the United States for the birth of his second child.
His mother Dening accepted the award on Day’s behalf.
“Such a great year as this, to be able to cap it off with The Don Award, it goes down in my memory as one of the best years that I’ve ever had,” Day said in a video message.
“I’m looking forward to hopefully replicating or improving on years like this and really trying to represent not only myself but represent golf, and golf in Australia and also the Australian nation around the world, the best I possibly can.
“I’d like to congratulate the other 11 nominees – what a fantastic year they’ve had.
“All the way from the Socceroos to Mick Fanning punching a bloody shark in the face, it’s been an amazing year for all the 11 other nominees.”
The original 12 nominations were narrowed to Day, surfers Mick Fanning and Julian Wilson, track cycling legend Anna Meares and NFL convert Jarryd Hayne.
Fanning and Wilson won the spirit of sport award after the dramatic shark attack during their final in South Africa.
Fanning punched the shark as it knocked him off his board and Wilson paddled over to see if he could help.