'There is no greater accolade than to receive an award from your peers and to receive the Player of the Year award is phenomenal,' the British Open and US PGA champion told a news conference.

'It is an individual game when we're out there competing but you do want and crave the respect of your fellow pros. The fact they have picked me as their Player of the Year, I find it hard to describe.

'I am concerned about their opinions deeply. It compares equally to winning a major championship,' added Harrington, the first European to win the coveted award.

'I can't believe I can actually say something can compare to going out there and winning a major championship but this accolade, no doubt in my mind, is right up there.'

The 37-year-old Dubliner felt fortunate to claim the honour ahead of Tiger Woods, who defied stabbing knee pain to win the US Open at Torrey Pines.

World number one Woods ended his campaign in June in order to have reconstructive knee surgery, having triumphed four times in six starts on the 2008 PGA Tour.

'I'm realistic enough to know Tiger's high standards obviously hurt him in not winning the Player of the Year,' said Harrington.

'The fact Tiger has won it so many times (nine) and has achieved so much, what he did this year was exceptional in the six tournaments he played.

'What he did at the US Open on a broken leg is unheard of. No doubt, he deserved to win Player of the Year.'

Harrington, who won his first major at last year's British Open, also edged out Fiji's Vijay Singh, Colombian Camilo Villegas and American Kenny Perry for the Player of the Year award.

He becomes the fourth non-American to receive the accolade since it started in 1990, emulating Zimbabwe's Nick Price (1993-94), Australian Greg Norman (1995) and Singh (2004).

Harrington had already scooped three other prestigious awards.

Named Player of the Year by the Golf Writers Association of America and Golfer of the Year on the European Tour, he also clinched the Golf Writers' Trophy in Europe for the second consecutive season. -- REUTERS