World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler gained two official PGA Tour tournaments in 2023, whereas Spain’s Jon Rahm gained 4 instances, together with his second main championship on the Masters in April.
Whereas Scheffler remains to be a member of the PGA Tour, Rahm grew to become the newest star to leap to the rival LIV Golf League on Dec. 7, accepting a multiyear contract value greater than $300 million.
That is likely to be one of many explanations for why PGA Tour members on Wednesday voted Scheffler as participant of the yr for 2022-23. He grew to become the primary back-to-back winner of the Jack Nicklaus Award since Tiger Woods was participant of the yr three straight instances from 2005 to 2007.
“I’ve by no means been one to boast about my accomplishments, so sitting in entrance of a microphone, I am not going to sit down there and let you know how nice I’m,” Scheffler mentioned. “That is not likely my factor. However on the finish of the day, like I mentioned, I am pleased with the yr I had. The consistency was one thing that I am very pleased with.”
Scheffler’s honor was introduced Wednesday on the season-opening occasion, the Sentry at Kapalua Resort in Hawaii. The PGA Tour mentioned Scheffler obtained 38% of the vote and was chosen over 4 different finalists: U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy and Rahm.
“I believe it was an in depth race,” Scheffler mentioned. “It may have gone both manner. Yeah, like I mentioned, I am very grateful for the gamers voting for me, and it is extraordinarily particular to have the ability to win this award once more.”
The tour mentioned golfers who competed in at the very least 15 official FedEx Cup tournaments had been eligible to vote for the award. The voting interval was Dec. 1-15.
The earlier season, Scheffler obtained 89% of the vote after capturing 4 tournaments, together with his first main on the Masters.
Regardless of having solely half as many wins as Rahm final season, Scheffler had one of many best statistical seasons in PGA Tour historical past. He gained the WM Phoenix Open for the second time Feb. 12, then captured the Gamers — the so-called “fifth main” — a month later. He had 17 top-10s and 21 top-25s in 23 begins on tour. He did not miss a minimize.
Scheffler led the tour in strokes gained: whole (2.314), off the tee (1.021), strategy (1.194) and tee to inexperienced (2.615). He additionally completed first in scoring common (68.6), which was the bottom on tour since Woods in 2009 (68.05).
Eric Cole, who was the one rookie to qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship, obtained the Arnold Palmer Award because the tour’s rookie of the yr. He had runner-up finishes on the Honda Traditional, dropping to Chris Kirk in a playoff, and the Zozo Championship in Japan.
Cole obtained 51% of the votes, beating out Ludvig Åberg, Nico Echavarria and Vincent Norrman.
Cole, 35, is the oldest PGA Tour rookie of the yr since Todd Hamilton, who was 39 when he gained it in 2004. Cole had six top-five finishes in 2022-23, which was tied for fifth-most on tour. He led the tour with 554 birdies on the season.
Cole’s mom, Laura Baugh, was the 1973 LPGA Rookie of the Yr.
“I believe there is a cool feeling for me profitable this, it being known as the Arnold Palmer Award and having a reference to Mr. Palmer rising up and being round him just a little bit, after which additionally my mother profitable the LPGA Tour Rookie of the Yr precisely 50 years in the past,” Cole mentioned. “It simply appears virtually laborious to imagine. Like I mentioned, it is an enormous honor, and it is one thing I am very pleased with and really honored to win.”
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