It was announced on Tuesday that Rory McIlroy won PGA of America's Player of the Year honors for the second time in three years. He's also a nominee for the Jack Nicklaus Award as the PGA Tour Player of the Year, but will Billy Horschel spoil his chances?
Horschel won the FedEx Cup for the 2013-2014 PGA season after his victory at the TOUR Championship this weekend. The 29-year-old won the BMW Championship the week before to help beat out Chris Kirk, Rory McIlroy, Jim Furyk and Bubba Watson for the Cup. The Jack Nicklaus Award is determined through a vote by PGA Tour members who played in at least 15 events last season, so Horschel has a better chance to win that as opposed to the PGA of America's award.
The PGA Player of the Year honors that is awarded by PGA of America is determined by a point system that incorporates tournament victories, official money and scoring averages. McIlroy led with 140 points prior to being awarded the Vardon Trophy, which gave him an additional 20. McIlroy compiled 70 points for his three victories on tour this year; 50 for his major victories at the British Open and the PGA Championship and; 20 for leading the money list. Bubba Watson finished in second with 62 points, followed by Martin Kaymer (52) and Jimmy Walker (46).
Coincidentally, all of the previously mentioned golfers - McIroy, Horschel, Watson, Kaymer and Walker - have been nominated for the Jack Nicklaus Award. McIlroy won both PGA's award and the Jack Nicklaus Award back in 2012, but Horschel could make a strong case for winning the latter this year. However, since the Jack Nicklaus Award was founded in 1990, only two times (1990 and 1991) has the winner of the PGA Player of the Year also not been awarded the PGA Tour Player of the Year (Nicklaus Award). Tiger Woods leads all golfers with 11 of each award since his rookie year in 1996.
The voters of the Nicklaus Award will also be determining the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, and they will choose between Victor Dubuisson, Chesson Hadley and Brooks Koepka. The Rookie of the Year honors have also been given out since 1990 and some notable winners include John Daly (1991), Vijay Singh (1993), Ernie Els (1994), Tiger Woods (1996) Stewart Cink (1997), Trevor Immelman (2006), Brandt Snedeker (2007), Rickie Fowler (2010), Keegan Bradley (2011) and Jordan Spieth (2013).
The voting for both the Jack Nicklaus Award for the PGA Tour Player of the Year and the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year will conclude on September 25 and the winners will be announced the week of September 28.
