What Is the Jack Nicklaus Award on the PGA Tour? History, Past Champions, and Other Major Details

The PGA Tour is the premier professional golf tour, and every year they award the players with numerous awards. One of the most prestigious honors that a player can receive is the Player of the Year award, which is given annually to the player who is voted by his peers as the best player of the year based on his performance.

The award is named after the legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus, widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time. This award has been won by some of the most dominant and influential players in the history of the game. Let us find out about the other quintessential details about this highly coveted award: that players wait all year to win.

History of the Jack Nicklaus Award

The Jack Nicklaus Award was first presented in 1990, and the inaugural winner was Wayne Levi. The criteria for the award are not strictly defined, but generally, the players consider it based on the nominees’ performance. For instance, the factors that are considered in deciding the nominees are how many cuts they have made, what their scoring average has been, how many top-10 finishes they have had, their performances in the major tournaments, and their overall performance on the tour the entire season.

Also Read: Jon Rahm Joins Rory McIlroy and Co. in the PGA Tour’s ‘Player of the Year’ Race Despite Shocking LIV Golf Rumours

The process of finalizing the Player of the Year nominees involves the PGA Tour player directors and members of the Player Advisory Council (PAC). These individuals play a pivotal role in finalizing the list of contributors for the established award, carefully considering the players’ performances and contributions throughout the season.

And, when it comes to the final decision, the PGA Tour members hold the key to this crucial decision. To be eligible to cast their votes, PGA Tour members must have participated in a minimum of 15 official FеdExCup events during the season. 

Past Winners of the Jack Nicklaus Award

Tiger Woods is the most successful golfer, with a record of 11 times winning the honorable award. This season, Scottie Schеfflеr is aiming to recreate history by becoming the first player to win the award in consecutive years since the 15X major champion achieved the feat with a three-year streak from 2005 to 2007.

The 5X Masters champion also has the longest streak to win the accolade five times in a row, from 1999 to 2004. Other than Woods, Nick Price and Fred Couples are the only golfers who have won the award consecutively. Couples won the award back-to-back in 1991 and 1992. Price then went ahead and won it in 1993 and 1994.

The winners for the last ten years are listed below:

The Jack Nicklaus Award is a tribute to the excellence and achievement of the playwrights, who strive to emulate the lеgеnd himself and also his lеgacy. Who do you think will win this year? Tell us your picks in the comment below! 

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