The Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has named Irish golfer Graeme McDowell the hot favorite to win the nation's premiere broadcaster RTE's Sports Personality of the Year.

McDowell, 31, is also in the running to win the equivalent BBC award and is currently just 2/7 in a list of nine contenders for the prestigious accolade.

The RTE Sports Awards will be announced live next Wednesday night, but already McDowell's odds suggest he has it in the bag.