Johnson PGA Tour player of the year
MAMARONECK, New York—another week, another big trophy for Dustin Johnson, this one without any cash. One week after he captured the Fedex Cup and its $15 million prize, Johnson was voted Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour player of the year for the second time in the last five years. He also won the Jack Nicklaus Award, which comes with a bronze of Nicklaus famously raising his putter, in 2016.
Johnson joins Tiger Woods, Rory Mcilroy, Nick Price and Fred Couples as the only players to win the award multiple times since it began in 1990.
Johnson was on the ballot with Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, PGA champion Collin Morikawa and Webb Simpson. The tour historically does not release the tally of players who voted. It was the second straight year the award went to someone who did not win a major during the season. In this year of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was only one major.
The PGA Tour has not had a repeat winner of
the Jack Nicklaus Award since Tiger Woods in 2007.
Thomas won the PGA of America’s award that is based on points—10 for every PGA Tour victory, along with up to 20 points depending on where the player finished on money list and the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average.
Thomas won three times. Johnson won three times including the Tour Championship, which did not count for the PGA of America because Johnson started with a two-shot lead. Xander Schauffele had the lowest score at the Tour Championship, though he played the final round trying to make up a five-shot deficit, while Johnson played the final four holes trying to protect a two-shot lead.
Scottie Scheffler won the Arnold Palmer Award as rookie of the year on a ballot that included Viktor Hovland, Harry Higgs and Maverick Mcnealy. Hovland was the only other viable candidate from winning the Puerto Rico Open. Scheffler didn’t win, but he had seven top 10s, including a tie for fourth in the PGA Championship, and he finished No. 5 in the Fedex Cup.