The PGA TOUR today announced nominees for the Jack Nicklaus Award (Player of the Year) and the Arnold Palmer Award (Rookie of the Year) for the 2022-23 season as finalized by the PGA TOUR Player Directors and members of the Player Advisory Council (PAC).
The five nominees for the Jack Nicklaus Award as the 2023 PGA TOUR Player of the Year are (alphabetically) Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler. The four nominees for the Arnold Palmer Award as the 2023 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year are Ludvig Åberg, Eric Cole, Nico Echavarria and Vincent Norrman.
The Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards are determined by a member vote, with PGA TOUR members who played in at least 15 official FedExCup events during the 2022-23 season eligible to vote. The voting will close on Friday, December 15, at 5 p.m. ET. The winners will be announced in January at The Sentry, the first event of the 2024 FedExCup Season as the PGA TOUR returns to a calendar-year schedule.
Player of the Year nominees (alphabetical)
Wyndham Clark, 29
Denver, Colorado
- Entered 28 events with wins (2) at the Wells Fargo Championship (first career PGA TOUR title) and U.S. Open (first career major championship title)
- Finished No. 3 in the FedExCup
- Finished 13th in Scoring Average (69.642)
- Recorded a total of eight top-10s and made 25 cuts
Viktor Hovland, 26
Oslo, Norway
- Entered 23 events with wins (3) at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, BMW Championship and TOUR Championship
- 2023 FedExCup Champion
- Finished fourth in Scoring Average (69.123)
- Recorded a total of nine top-10s and did not miss a cut
Rory McIlroy, 34
Holywood, Northern Ireland
- Entered 18 events with wins (2) at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina and Genesis Scottish Open
- Finished No. 4 in the FedExCup
- Finished second in Scoring Average (68.777)
- Recorded a total of 13 top-10s and made 16 cuts
Jon Rahm, 29
Barrika, Spain
- Entered 20 events and led the TOUR with four wins (The Sentry, The American Express, The Genesis Invitational and Masters Tournament)
- Finished No. 18 in the FedExCup
- Finished third in Scoring Average (69.037)
- Recorded a total of 10 top-10s and made 18 cuts
Scottie Scheffler, 27
Dallas, Texas
- Entered 23 events with wins (2) at the WM Phoenix Open and THE PLAYERS Championship
- Finished sixth in the FedExCup
- Winner of the Byron Nelson Award for low Scoring Average (68.629)
- Recorded a TOUR-best 17 top-10s and did not miss a cut
Rookie of the Year nominees (alphabetical)
Ludvig Åberg, 24
Eslov, Sweden
- Joined the PGA TOUR in June as the No. 1 player in the PGA TOUR University Ranking, making his professional debut at the RBC Canadian Open
- Entered 13 events (11 as a professional) and won The RSM Classic, the final event of the season
- Finished No. 53 in the FedExCup Fall standings
- Finished 12th in Scoring Average (69.604)
- Recorded a total of four top-10s and made 10 cuts in 11 events as a professional
Eric Cole, 35
Tequesta, Florida
- Entered 37 events with runner-up finishes at The Classic in The Palm Beaches and the 2023 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
- Finished No. 43 in the FedExCup
- Finished 15th in Scoring Average (69.758)
- Recorded a total of seven top-10s and made 27 cuts
Nico Echavarria, 29
Medellin, Colombia
- Entered 31 events and earned his first PGA TOUR title at the Puerto Rico Open
- Finished No. 120 in the FedExCup Fall standings
- Finished 153rd in Scoring Average (71.588)
- Recorded a total of three top-25s and made eight cuts
Vincent Norrman, 25
Sweden
- Entered 29 events and earned his first PGA TOUR title at the Barbasol Championship
- Finished No. 82 in the FedExCup Fall standings
- Finished 81st in Scoring Average (70.755)
- Recorded a total of three top-10s and made 17 cuts
