updated 7:36 p.m. ET June 12, 2009

LONDON - Nick Faldo can add another title to his six majors — “Sir.”

Faldo will be given a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday for his services to golf, the only athlete to be given one of Britain’s highest honors on the monarch’s birthday list this year.

“I was delighted to hear the news that I will be receiving a knighthood and am more than a little bit humbled to have been afforded this great honor,” Faldo said. “It has come as a real surprise, and the reaction from my children, family and friends has made this a very special moment for me.”

Faldo, only the second professional golfer to receive a knighthood following Sir Henry Cotton in 1988, won his first professional title in 1977 and added 46 more wins worldwide — including three Masters and three British Opens.

The 51-year-old golfer has since made a series of entrepreneurial moves, designing golf courses all over the world and working as a television commentator. He captained the European Ryder Cup team that lost to the United States at Valhalla last year.

“I’ve been playing golf at the highest level for some 35 years or more now,” Faldo said. “It has always been my intention to do my utmost to develop this game both in Britain and abroad.”

He received a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1987.

A total of 984 people received honors on this year’s list. In descending order, the main honors are knighthoods, Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and MBE.

Other sports personalities to be honored included a CBE to Peter King, the chief executive of the British Cycling Federation, and MBEs to Charlotte Edwards, captain of England’s World Cup-winning women’s cricket team, and former Olympic badminton silver medalist Gail Emms.

Knights are addressed as “Sir” or “Dame,” while recipients of CBEs, OBEs and MBEs have no title but can put the letters after their names.

The honors are bestowed twice a year by the monarch, but recipients are selected by committees of civil servants from nominations made by the government and the public.

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