Even in the refined world of golf, where birdies are celebrated in hushed tones, everyone secretly craves a pat on the back—because even a pro enjoys a little ‘fore’ of appreciation! PGA Tour recently announced the nominees for the upcoming Jack Nicklaus Award (Player of the Year) and the Arnold Palmer Award (Rookie of the Year), and the news has the golfing silo abuzz. Amid all the bustle, confusion over how the Player of the Year is determined has surfaced, and we have reached the scene with the rescue.

With this year’s top players—Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Scottie Scheffler—being nominated for the awards, fans are rooting for their favorites. Here’s all you need to know about how the extraordinary contributors of the year will be celebrated. 

Player of the Year Award – Who determines the nominations, and who votes?

As the golf world roars with speculation, the process of selection and determination has already kick-started. The first step in the fold is the nomination of candidates for the Player of the Year award. The list of nominees is typically determined by PGA Tour directors and members of the Player Advisory Council (PAC). These entities play a big role in evaluating players’ performances throughout the season and selecting those whose contributions to the game have stood out the most in comparison to their peers. 

Now, to be eligible to vote for the Player of the Year award, PGA Tour members ought to have participated in a minimum of 15 official FedEx Cup events during the season—it’s a definite criterion to make sure that the voters have a substantial level of engagement and firsthand experience with the players’ performances on the course. 

What are the steps that follow?

Voting is the final step. The eligible PGA Tour members cast their votes while keeping some key pointers in mind, like the nominees’ performances across different aspects of the game. Some bits about the player’s play affect the voting process, like the number of cuts made, scoring average, top-10 finishes, performances in major tournaments, and overall contributions to the tour throughout the season.

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At the end of the voting period, winners are given their due stage. The announcement is typically made at a designated event, and this time around it is all set to take place at ‘The Sentry’ in January 2024. The nominees for this year’s awards have everyone buzzing with excitement. As we all hold our breath till the results, who are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments below. 

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