Josh Berhow
September 9, 2021
Collin Morikawa won the Open Championship in 2021.
Getty Images
After the PGA Tour closed the Tour Championship on Sunday in East Lake, it’s now officially awards season, and the tour recently announced the finalists for two of its biggest awards: Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
Patrick Cantlay, Bryson DeChambeau, Harris English, Collin Morikawa and Jon Rahm are finalists for Player of the Year, while Garrick Higgo and Will Zalatoris are finalists for Rookie of the Year.
Cantlay won four times, including twice in the playoffs, after his Tour Championship win last season, and became FedEx Cup champion. DeChambeau, English and Morikawa all won twice last year (DeChambeau’s 2020 US Open win last September counts towards the 2020-21 season). Morikawa, winner of the 2021 Open Championship, was the only one of the three to win a major in 2021. Rahm won the US Open in Torrey Pines once last season, but also led the tour in the scoring average and in the top 10 (15). In 2021, Rahm also made it into the top 10 in all four majors.
As Rookie of the Year, 22-year-old Higgo won the Palmetto Championship in Congaree, one of only eight starts he had on the tour. 25-year-old Zalatrois didn’t have a win, but he recorded eight top 10 finishes and a second place in the 2021 Masters. Zalatoris was a temporary special member last year but has been given full-time Tour status for the next season.
The PGA Tour Player of the Year Award (the Jack Nicklaus Award) and the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Award (the Arnold Palmer Award) are determined by a member vote. Voting ends this Friday and the winners will be announced at a later date.
Dustin Johnson was named Player of the Year last season and Scottie Scheffler was named Rookie of the Year.
Josh Berhow
Josh Berhow is Senior Editor at GOLF.com. Born in Minnesota, he graduated from Minnesota State University in Mankato with a degree in journalism. You can reach him at [email protected]