Scottie Scheffler maintains PGA Tour Player of the Year title against Jon Rahm
Scottie Scheffler secures back-to-back PGA Tour Player of the Year honors, maintaining his supremacy over new LIV Golf signee Jon Rahm Voted by fellow players, Scheffler's exceptional performance and consistency continue to earn him the prestigious title
Scottie Scheffler was once again named the PGA Tour's Player of the Year, receiving the honor from his fellow players. He earned 38% of the vote from players who competed in at least 15 FedEx Cup events during the 2022-23 season, making him the fourth player to achieve back-to-back Jack Nicklaus Awards and the first since Tiger Woods in 2007. This victory comes despite competition from LIV Golf's Jon Rahm.
The American golfer achieved the lowest scoring average (68.63) on the PGA Tour, winning two tournaments at The Players Championship and the WM Phoenix Open. He had 17 top-10 finishes and never missed a cut in 23 events. Scheffler's impressive 13 top-five finishes led to him earning a record-breaking $21,014,342 in prize money, surpassing his previous season's record of $14,046,910.
"Reporters were told by Scheffler on Wednesday, on the eve of The Sentry in Hawaii, the first PGA Tour event of 2024, that he believed his consistency was finally recognized this year. He reflected, "I think I only had one or two starts that were not great, but overall, I played a lot of really solid golf throughout the entire year. It's very challenging to maintain that level of play for an entire season.""
Scheffler celebrates triumph at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in March 2023.
Scheffler's year was a mix of highs and lows as he was unable to secure a major victory despite strong performances. The disappointment continued as he experienced a painful defeat with Team USA at the Ryder Cup in October, following his 2022 Masters title win.
Following his defeat to Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg of Team Europe, Scottie Scheffler of Team United States received emotional support from his wife, Meredith Scheffler, during the Saturday morning foursomes matches of the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club on September 30, 2023 in Rome, Italy.
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USAs Scottie Scheffler in tears after record Ryder Cup loss, as Europe extend dominance
Rahm, ranked world No. 3, achieved his second career major victory at Augusta National in April and played a key role in Europe's 16.5-11.5 triumph in Rome. He secured four wins in 20 PGA Tour events within the first four months of 2023 and notched ten top-10 finishes before his transition to LIV Golf was revealed in December.
Rahm is set to receive an ownership stake in a new LIV Golf team as part of a $300 million reported deal over three years, as per ESPN and unnamed sources. When asked about Rahm's year, Scheffler simply stated that he does not dwell on the past or future.
"Im very proud of the body of work that I put in, the consistency that I put in last year Im very proud of," Scheffler added.
Rahm was an integral part of Europe's victory at the Ryder Cup.
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Scheffler and Rahm, along with Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, and 2023 US Open champion Wyndham Clark, were all nominated for the Player of the Year award. Eric Cole, 35, won the Arnold Palmer Award for PGA Tour Rookie of the Year through voting, in recognition of his two runner-up finishes and seven top-10s during his debut season on the tour.
Starting 2023 as the 383rd ranked player in the world, the American has now climbed to the 43rd spot. Cole is only the second-oldest player to win the Rookie of the Year award, with Todd Hamilton achieving the honor at 39 years old in 2004.
