Scottie Scheffler maintains PGA Tour Player of the Year recognition, edging out Jon Rahm
Scottie Scheffler Clinches Back-to-Back PGA Tour Player of the Year Title
In a stunning turn of events, Scottie Scheffler has once again been crowned as the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year. This prestigious honor was bestowed upon him by his fellow players, edging out Jon Rahm who recently joined LIV Golf.
Scheffler, currently ranked as the world No. 1 golfer, received an impressive 38% of the vote from players who participated in at least 15 FedEx Cup events during the thrilling 2022-23 season. He now joins an elite group as only the fourth player to achieve consecutive Jack Nicklaus Awards since Tiger Woods accomplished this feat back in 2007.
The American sensation showcased remarkable consistency throughout the season with a scoring average of just 68.63 on the PGA Tour – undoubtedly claiming him two notable victories at The Players Championship and WM Phoenix Open. Notably, he achieved an astonishing record of never missing a cut across all 23 events he competed in.
Adding to his list of achievements, Scheffler tallied an astounding number of top-five finishes (13), securing his position as one of golf’s finest talents and earning an unprecedented $21,014,342 in prize money for his exceptional performances. This feat shattered his previous season record set at $14,046,910.
Reflecting on his outstanding achievement during The Sentry tournament in Hawaii – which marks the first PGA Tour event in 2024 – Scheffler humbly expressed gratitude for being recognized for his unwavering consistency:
“I guess this year they really appreciated my consistency,” said Scheffler during a media interaction before The Sentry. “I played solid golf throughout most part of last year; there were perhaps only one or two starts that were not up to par. Maintaining such high standards for an entire season in this competitive field is no mean feat.”
The year had its fair share of ups and downs for Scheffler, as he narrowly missed adding another major title to his collection despite several strong showings at the prestigious tournaments. His disappointment culminated with a painful defeat alongside Team USA at the Ryder Cup held in October.
On the flip side, world No. 3 Jon Rahm experienced a contrasting journey throughout 2023. The Spanish golfer clinched his second career major victory at Augusta National before playing an instrumental role in Europe’s resounding triumph (16.5 – 11.5) over the United States team during the Ryder Cup hosted in Rome.
Rahm achieved four wins across 20 PGA Tour events, all within the first four months of 2023, and secured an impressive ten top-ten finishes before announcing his departure to LIV Golf in December.
In what has been described as a groundbreaking move, Rahm will reportedly hold an ownership stake in LIV Golf under a lucrative three-year deal worth $300 million according to unnamed sources cited by ESPN.
When questioned whether he would have preferred to have had Rahm’s exceptional year instead, Scottie Scheffler wisely responded:
“I don’t dwell too much on the past or future,” said Scheffler thoughtfully. “I’m immensely proud of my achievements last year – from consistently delivering solid performances throughout various tournaments.”
In addition to Scheffler and Rahm, other notable contenders for the Player of the Year award included Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, and Wyndham Clark – who emerged victorious at the 2023 US Open.