'A complete joke' - Ian Poulter leads attack on Sports Personality of the Year after Lewis Hamilton beats Rory McIlroy

Golf stars have blasted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award after Rory McIlroy was beaten to the honour by Lewis Hamilton.

The Northern Ireland golfer had been favourite after winning back-to-back Majors — The Open and the USPGA — playing a key role in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory at Gleneagles and ending 2014 as world No1.

However, last night’s public poll resulted in an emphatic triumph for new Formula One world champion Hamilton, who polled 209,920 votes — 86,000 more than runner-up McIlroy.

That led to criticism from the world of golf with McIlroy’s supporters pointing out that the Formula One season was a two-horse race between Hamilton and Mercedes colleague Nico Rosberg.

Ian Poulter wrote on Twitter: “Absolutely ridiculous that @McIlroyRory has not won Sports Personality 2014. Huge respect to @LewisHamilton but come on.

“@BBCSPOTY has turned into a complete joke. It’s such a great shame. Huge congrats to @LewisHamilton, but he had 1 person to beat all year.”

Another of McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammates, Lee Westwood, also weighed in as he tweeted: “Technology of the year goes to the silver and red dodgem!!! Just have to win all 4 next year @McIlroyRory!”

Former world No1 Luke Donald tweeted: “Lot of angry people on my timeline... Unfortunately as long as SPOTY continues to be a public vote then this will continue to happen!”

Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, named Coach of the Year at the ceremony in Glasgow, said he was “very disappointed” McIlroy lost out to Hamilton.

“I don’t think that a golfer can have a better year than Rory did,” said McGinley. “Lewis Hamilton had a good year, too, but it would be difficult for any golfer to do better than Rory. I don’t know what the issues are but I don’t want to take away from Lewis Hamilton.”

McIlroy played down the controversy on Twitter, saying: “Thanks to all who voted for me! Congrats to all the candidates and especially @LewisHamilton, thoroughly deserved and a worthy winner!”

However, even Hamilton admitted that he was surprised by the scale of his victory with the Englishman picking up a third of the votes.

Hamilton said: “I’m so proud and honoured to be among so much British sporting talent. A massive thank you to all the people that called in, I really was not expecting it — because dude [McIlroy], you had such an incredible year.”

In third place was English distance runner Jo Pavey, who claimed 99,913 of the total 620,932 votes.