Peers vote Cantlay Player of the Year
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay, the only player to win more than twice during the 2020-21 super season, was named the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year, it was announced Tuesday.
En route to receiving the Jack Nicklaus Award voted on by his peers, Cantlay won four times, including the last two events of the FedExCup Playoffs. The world No. 4 won the Zozo Championship last fall, the Memorial in June, then the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship to wrap up the FedExCup Playoffs and the $15 million grand prize.
“I think the fact that it’s voted on by my fellow PGA Tour players, I think that means a lot to me and I’m very grateful and excited to be here,” Cantlay said in a call with reporters. “I think it wasn’t something that I necessarily thought was on the radar middle of the year, but then I closed really well and played a lot of really nice golf towards the end.”
The other players on the ballot were world No. 1 and 2021 U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm, No. 3 and reigning British Open champion Collin Morikawa, No. 7 and 2020 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, and No. 11 Harris English.
Cantlay fired a final-round 65 to defeat Rahm and Justin Thomas by one shot to win the Zozo Championship. He defeated Morikawa in a playoff to win the Memorial. He defeated DeChambeau in an epic six-hole playoff to win the BMW Championship. And armed with a two-shot lead in the Tour Championship due to the staggered scoring format, he held off Rahm by one shot.
Cantlay, who has six career PGA Tour titles, made 24 starts and had seven top-10 finishes, including runner-up in the American Express and a tie for third in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
“I have definitely tried to learn how to close golf tournaments and I think getting there and seeing what works and what doesn’t and, you know, being able to only do the things that really help you, I think that was really big for me and I feel like I’m much better at closing golf tournaments than I was maybe a couple years ago,” Cantlay said.
“The ability to stay very present and not get ahead of yourself and really block out all the noise about anything other than the shot that you’re going to hit right now. I think that really helped me at East Lake and I definitely pulled some lessons from tournaments where I didn’t get it done to help me get it done this year.”
Rahm made a compelling case for the award. He won the U.S. Open 15 days after testing positive for the coronavirus at the Memorial. He was told of the result moments after completing his third round with a six-shot lead and was forced to withdraw. With his substantial advantage, he likely would have won instead of Cantlay.
Rahm also tied for the lowest total at the Tour Championship with Kevin Na. But because of the staggered scoring system – he started the tournament four shots out of the lead – he fell one shot
short of Cantlay.
Rahm also led the Tour in several statistical categories, including scoring average (69.3), total driving, official money, top-10s (he had 15, and no one else had 10), birdie average, strokes gained: tee-to green, and strokes gained: total.
In the six major championships, Rahm finished in ties for 23rd, seventh, fifth, eighth and third and won the U.S. Open. He also tied for ninth in The Players.
Cantlay finished in ties for 43rd, 17th, 23rd, 15th and missed two cuts in the six majors. He also didn’t make it to the weekend in The Players.
But the PGA Tour membership gave the nod to Cantlay and his four wins.
Now Cantlay turns his attention to another cup – the Ryder Cup.
Cantlay spent Sunday and Monday at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin with Team USA; all the players except for injured
Brooks Koepka were there. The team played the course overlooking Lake Michigan and discussed various topics with captain Steve Stricker and all five vice captains ahead of next week’s 43rd playing of the Ryder Cup.
“I had never seen the golf course before and so I think it should be a really interesting golf course for match play,” Cantlay said. “I think getting to hang a little bit with the guys and get into that team mindset, because we are so often in an individual mindset, getting together with the guys on the team I think was really cool. I’m looking forward to going back there in a week and competing.
“I’m really excited for that team golf environment. I think we rarely ever get that and that’s what makes these team events so exciting, so I’m really happy to be a part of it and looking forward to how it all plays out.”