The PGA TOUR has announced the nominees for the 2022-23 Jack Nicklaus Award (Player of the Year) and Arnold Palmer Award (Rookie of the Year), as finalized by members of the PGA TOUR Player Directors and Player Advisory Committee (PAC).
The five nominees for the Jack Nicklaus Award for the 2023 PGA TOUR Player of the Year are (in alphabetical order): Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler. The four nominees for the 2023 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Arnold Palmer Award are: Ludvig Berg, Eric Cole, Nico Ech**Arria and Vincent Norrman.
The Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards will be voted on by PGA TOUR members, and PGA TOUR members who have played at least 15 official FedEx Cup events in the 2022-23 season are eligible to vote. Voting closes Friday, December 15 at 5 p.m. ET. The winner will be announced at the Sentinel in January, the first match of the 2024 Fed Cup season. The PGA Tour will resume its calendar year schedule starting in 2024.
Nominated for Player of the Year (in alphabetical order of last name).
Wyndham Clark, 29
Denver, Colorado
Played 28 tournaments and won 2 at the Wells Fargo Championship (first career PGA Tour title) and the US Open (first career Grand Slam title).
FedEx Cup 3rd place.
Ranked 13th in a single round average (69.).642 strokes).
Eight top-10 finishes and 25 promotions.
Viktor Hovland, 26
Oslo, Norway
Played in 23 tournaments and won the Memorial Golf Tournament, BMW Championship and Tour Championship (3 times).
2023 FedEx Cup Champion.
Ranked 4th in average results in a single round (69.).123 strokes).
He finished in the top 10 nine times and was never stopped by the promotion line.
Rory McIlroy, 34
Holywood, Northern Ireland
Played in 18 tournaments, winning the Ceager Cup and Scottish Open in South Carolina (2 times).
4th place in the FedEx Cup.
Ranked 2nd in terms of average results in a single round (68.).777 strokes).
A total of 13 top 10 finishes and 16 cuts.
Joan Ram, 29 years old
Barica, Spain
Played in 20 tournaments and led the PGA Tour with four victories (Sentinel Race, American Express, Genesis Invitational, and Masters).
The FedEx Cup is ranked 18th.
Ranked 3rd in average results in a single round (69.).037 strokes).
A total of 10 top-10 finishes and 18 cuts.
Scottie Scheffler, 27
Dallas
Played in 23 tournaments, winning the WM Phoenix Open and The Players Championship (2 times).
Sixth place in the FedEx Cup.
Byron Nelson Lowest Grade Point Average Award Winner (68.)629 strokes).
17 times in the top 10 without being eliminated.
Rookie of the Year nominations (in alphabetical order).
Ludwig Aberg, 24
Esslov, Sweden
He joined the PGA Tour in June as the No. 1 PGA Tour Collegiate Ranking and made his professional debut at the RBC Canadian Open.
Played in 13 events (11 professionally) and won the last event of the season, the RSM Classic.
FedEx Cup Fall ranked 53rd.
Ranked 12th in average points in a single round (69.).604 strokes).
In 11 tournaments in which he competed as a professional, he finished in the top 10 4 times and advanced to the finals 10 times.
Eric Cole, 35
Teksta, Florida
Compete in 37 events and finish runner-up in the Palm Beach Classic and the 2023 Zozo Championship.
The FedEx Cup is ranked 43rd.
Ranked 15th in average points in a single round (69.).758 strokes).
A total of 7 times in the top 10 and 27 times to the finals.
Nico Echavarria, 29 years old
Medellin, Colombia
Played in 31 tournaments and won his first PGA Tour title at the Puerto Rico Open.
The FedEx Cup Fall finished 120th.
Ranked 153rd (71.) in a single round average588 strokes).
A total of three times in the top 25 and eight finalists.
Vincent Norman, 25 years old
Sweden
Played 29 tournaments and won his first PGA Tour title at the Barbasso Championship.
The FedEx Cup Fall finished 82nd.
Ranked 81st (70.) in a single round755 strokes).
A total of three times in the top 10 and 17 finalists.