The PGA Tour Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year nominees have been announced. Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Wyndham Clark and Rory McIlroy make up the five-player race for the Jack Nicklaus Award, while Ludvig Åberg, Eric Cole, Nico Echavarria and Vincent Norrman are among those vying for the Arnold Palmer Award.
Scheffler was named Player of the Year in 2022 thanks to a season that saw him nab four victories, including the 2022 Masters. The reigning Jack Nicklaus Award winner experienced one of the great statistical seasons ever in 2023 but was only able to raise three trophies this time around -- the WM Phoenix Open, the Players Championship and this weekend's Hero World Challenge.
Scheffler's season was not defined by triumphs, but rather his consistency. From the World Wide Technology Championship in November 2022 to the Scottish Open in July 2023, Scheffler finished no worse than T12 in an 18-tournament stretch. He also claimed the Byron Nelson Award for low scoring average (68.6).
Meanwhile, it was Rahm who led the way in terms of victories (4). The Spaniard claimed the Tournament of Champions, American Express, Genesis Invitational and the Masters all before the calendar flipped to May. He added a runner-up performance at The Open to his sensational season.
"If [Rahm] finished off the year that way, it probably wouldn't even be a discussion," Scheffler said at the Hero World Challenge. "But since it was six, seven months ago, eight months ago, whatever it is, people aren't thinking about it as much, but he was pretty unstoppable to start the year."
For most of 2023, the Player of the Year battle appeared to be a two-man bout, but Hovland made a strong case late. After claiming the Memorial in a playoff, the Norwegian raced through the FedEx Cup Playoffs with a back-nine 28 to surpass Scheffler at the BMW Championship and a dominating performance at the Tour Championship to claim the season-long crown. Hovland also boasts a top 10 at the Masters and a runner-up to Brooks Koepka at the 2023 PGA Championship.
It is Clark, however, who added his name to a major championship trophy. The 29-year-old experienced a breakout season with his first PGA Tour title coming at the Wells Fargo Championship and his first major championship coming at the U.S. Open. Clark recorded eight top 10s and finished third in the FedEx Cup.
Clark clipped McIlroy in the FedEx Cup by a single position as the Northern Irishman finished fourth in his quest for his fourth season-long title. The three-time Player of the Year tacked on a couple victories to his lengthy résumé with those coming at The CJ Cup in South Carolina and the Scottish Open.
McIlroy finished second in scoring average (68.8) thanks to a stellar summer stretch. The 34-year-old connected on 10 straight top 10s from the PGA Championship in May to the end of the season. During this frame, McIlroy finished second to Clark at the U.S. Open and added strong results in the last three majors of the year.
| Jon Rahm | Scottie Scheffler | Viktor Hovland | Wyndham Clark | Rory McIlroy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Events | 20 | 23 | 23 | 28 | 18 |
Wins | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Top 10s | 10 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 13 |
Major wins | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Major top 10s | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Scoring average | 69.0 (3rd) | 68.6 (1st) | 69.1 (4th) | 69.6 (13th) | 68.8 (2nd) |
| Official money | $16.5M | $21.0M | $14.1M | $10.8M | $13.9M |
| Strokes gained | 1.7 (6th) | 2.3 (1st) | 1.7 (8th) | 1.2 (13th) | 2.1 (2nd) |
The Rookie of the Year race is going to be closer than many originally suspected. Cole was the clear frontrunner for much of 2023 as he burst onto the scene with his playoff loss to Chris Kirk at the Honda Classic. The journeyman continued to make in roads on the PGA Tour as he led the PGA Championship after the first day of action and added a top 10 at the Canadian Open.
Cole finished inside the top 50 of the FedEx Cup, securing his place in the signature events in 2024, but he continued to flash in the FedEx Cup Fall. The 35-year-old grabbed four top fives in just five tournament with podium finishes at the Shriners Children's Open, Zozo Championship and RSM Classic.
It was at the final event of the year, the RSM Classic, where Cole's candidacy took a hit as Åberg's ascension to superstardom resulted in a trip to the winner's circle. After joining the PGA Tour in June as the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University ranking, the Swede made 11 professional starts.
Åberg made 10 cuts, recorded four top 10s and ultimately finished 53rd in the FedEx Cup Fall thanks in large part to his win at the RSM Classic. In his small sample size, the 24-year-old ranked 12th in scoring average (69.6).
Like Åberg, both Echavarria and Norrman raised a trophy on the PGA Tour during their rookie campaign. Echavarria claimed the Puerto Rico Open while Norrman won the Barbasol Championship.
| Ludvig Åberg | Eric Cole | Nico Echavarria | Vincent Norrman | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Events | 11 | 37 | 31 | 29 |
Wins | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Top 10s | 4 | 7 | 1 | 3 |
Major wins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Major top 10s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring average | 69.6 (12th) | 69.8 (15th) | 71.6 (153rd) | 70.8 (81st) |
Official money | $3.1M (55th) | $5.5M (31st) | $1.0M (137th) | $1.6M (105th) |
Strokes gained | 1.5 (10th) | 1.1 (16th) | -0.9 (175th) | 0.2 (80th) |
Both awards will be determined by member vote, with PGA Tour members who played in at least 15 official FedEx Cup events during the 2022-23 season eligible to vote. Voting will close on Friday, Dec. 15 with winners announced at The Sentry.
