Scottie Scheffler was named the 2025 PGA Tour Player of the Year on Monday, earning the Jack Nicklaus Award for a fourth consecutive season. Scheffler edged fellow finalists McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, and Ben Griffin in voting conducted by PGA Tour members who competed in at least 15 events during the season. The Tour also announced that South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter, 21, won the Arnold Palmer Award as Rookie of the Year. Potgieter captured the Rocket Classic in a playoff and was the only rookie to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
The world No. 1 ranked Scheffler, 29, became the first player since Tiger Woods to claim the honor four straight times, matching Woods’ run from 1999 to 2003. With four Player of the Year awards, Scheffler now trails only Woods’ 11 all-time wins and moves past Rory McIlroy on the career list.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp praised Scheffler’s sustained excellence while announcing the award results: “On behalf of the PGA Tour, congratulations to Scottie Scheffler on being named PGA Tour Player of the Year and Aldrich Potgieter on earning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors for 2025. Scottie’s consistent level of success has been nothing short of spectacular as he continues to chase history on the PGA TOUR, and we’re excited to see what he will deliver in 2026.”
Scheffler said during a media call: “I think overall the thing that I’m most proud of when I look at the last couple years is just consistency. It’s not very easy to just show up and finish in the top 10 each week. I think that’s something that is very difficult to do, and something I’m very proud of.”
Despite missing the first month of the season because of a hand injury suffered during a holiday cooking accident, Scheffler quickly reasserted himself, winning six times during the 2025 season — including major victories at the PGA Championship and the Open Championship. He also captured the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, successfully defended his title at the Memorial Tournament, won the BMW Championship during the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and added a fall victory at the Procore Championship. His Open Championship triumph at Royal Portrush completed the third leg of the career Grand Slam, leaving only the U.S. Open between Scheffler and the rare feat.
Scheffler finished the season inside the top 25 in all 20 starts, posted 17 top-10 finishes, and led the Tour in multiple statistical categories. He earned the Byron Nelson Award for lowest scoring average (68.131) for the third straight year and became the first golfer since Woods in 2000 to lead the Tour in scoring average across all four rounds in a single season. Scheffler said: “I don’t necessarily need to look at statistics. When I look back at this season, I definitely saw an improvement in my putting inside of 15 feet… It really helped me contend in some events where my ball striking wasn’t in the same spot where it was in 2024.”
Since breaking through in 2022, Scheffler has amassed 19 PGA Tour victories, four major championships, and nearly $100 million in career on-course earnings. He will have a chance in 2026 to join golf’s most exclusive club by completing the career Grand Slam with a win at the U.S. Open.
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