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PGA TOUR Player of the Year 2019: Breaking down the four candidates

By Brandon Raper

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 25: Brooks Koepka of the United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland look on from the eighth tee during the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on August 25, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 25: Brooks Koepka of the United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland look on from the eighth tee during the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on August 25, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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PGA TOUR Player of the Year 2019 Rory McIlroy Brooks Koepka
PGA TOUR Player of the Year 2019: Breaking down the qualifications of the top four players (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

The PGA TOUR Player of the Year award has four finalists, but it really only needs two.

Another PGA TOUR season is in the books, with Rory McIlroy winning the Tour Championship, and along with it, his second FedEx Cup title. There’s only one title left to win, and it won’t be decided on the golf course. Well, technically it won’t. The PGA TOUR Player of the Year award has four finalists, with voting to close on September 6th, 2019.

The PGA of America has already handed out its own player of the year award, and it went to Brooks Koepka. Dating back to 1948, this award is given on a points-based system, not unlike that of the FedEx Cup or the Official World Golf Ranking. Koepka made waves with victories in some of the biggest events of the year, edging out McIlroy by just six points in the final tally to bring home one more win…but more on that later.

The PGA TOUR has handed out its top player award each year since 1990. Looking at that history, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which someone other than Koepka win. Only twice in history has the TOUR Player of the Year not gone to the same person who won the PGA of America award. In 1990, Wayne Levi beat out Nick Faldo for the PGA TOUR award, and in 1991, Fred Couples took down Corey Pavin.

Levi won the last four of his 12 PGA TOUR titles in 1990, with Nick Faldo winning just twice. Of course, those two wins came at the Masters and the Open Championship, so let’s not pretend that Faldo wasn’t equally – perhaps more? – deserving of that honor. In 1991, Pavin won twice, but he also racked up six top-three finishes and ten total top-tens. Couples also won twice, but had a stronger major season and was, frankly, more popular. Couples finished third on the money list (Pavin was first), but he edged Pavin for the season scoring average title. Call it a split decision, which seems more than fair.

Once the Tiger Woods era began in 1997, things got even less competitive, save for the few times players stood up and made an impact in the majors. Mark O’Meara won both awards in 1998, his Masters year. Vijay Singh won nine times in calendar 2004, including a PGA Championship victory that knocked Woods out of the No. 1 spot in the world ranking.

Padraig Harrington won the final two majors of 2008, with Woods out after destroying his knee at Torrey Pines en route to winning the U.S. Open. Jim Furyk, Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy won Player of the Year honors in 2010, ’11 and ’12 respectively. Woods returned to glory in 2013, only to succumb to injury yet again, giving rise to the new generation of superstars like Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas and, of course, Brooks Koepka.

The final four contenders for this year’s PGA TOUR Player of the Year are Xander Schauffele, Matt Kuchar, Koepka and McIlroy. While it seems like a clear two-horse race, let’s take a look at the qualifications each brings to the table before deciding on a final champion.

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