Vardon Trophy

This article is about the American PGA Tour golf award. For the European Tour award, see Harry Vardon Trophy.

The Vardon Trophy was awarded by the PGA of America to the PGA Tour's leader in scoring average.[1] When the award was first given in 1937, it was awarded on the basis of a points system. No award was given from 1942–1946 due to World War II. In 1947, the PGA began awarding it for low scoring average. In 1988, the trophy began going to the golfer with the lowest adjusted scoring average over a minimum of 60 rounds, with no mid-round withdrawals (instituted in 1988[2]). The PGA of America last presented the award in 2022.[3] The trophy was named for the Jersey golfing great Harry Vardon, who died in 1937.

The PGA Tour presents its own Byron Nelson Award annually to the player with the lowest adjusted scoring average for the year. It has a 50-round minimum, and was instituted in 1980.[4]

For both awards, non-medal rounds (such as in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and The International) count towards the minimum number of rounds but are not included in the calculation of the scoring average.[5]

Differences in the eligibility criteria for the awards have resulted in different players winning the awards on six occasions. In 1988, 1993, and 1995, Greg Norman won the Byron Nelson Award but not the Vardon Trophy because he failed to meet the 60 round minimum for the Vardon Trophy (52, 54, and 58 rounds, respectively).[6] This also happened to Tiger Woods in 2006 (55 rounds)[5][6] and Steve Stricker in 2013 (51 rounds). In 1989, Payne Stewart failed to qualify for the Vardon Trophy because of his mid-round withdrawal from the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.[7] In 1987, Dan Pohl won the Vardon Trophy even though David Frost and Paul Azinger both had lower averages;[6] Frost and Azinger were not PGA of America members, a requirement for eligibility that was dropped after the 1987 season.[8] The minimum rounds required also dropped from 80 to 60 at that time.

For the 2019–20 season, the minimum rounds required to be eligible for the trophy was reduced from 60 to 44, due to cancellation of tournaments because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] The minimum rounds for the Byron Nelson Award dropped from 50 to 35.[10]

Winners

Year Winner Adjusted Scoring Average
(60 round minimum)		 Byron Nelson Award Adjusted Scoring Average
(50 round minimum)
2024 No award Scottie Scheffler 68.65
2023 Scottie Scheffler 68.63
2022 Rory McIlroy 68.67 Rory McIlroy 68.67
2021 Jon Rahm 69.30 Jon Rahm 69.30
2020 Webb Simpson 68.98 Webb Simpson 68.98
2019 Rory McIlroy 69.06 Rory McIlroy 69.06
2018 Dustin Johnson 68.70 Dustin Johnson 68.70
2017 Jordan Spieth 68.85 Jordan Spieth 68.85
2016 Dustin Johnson 69.17 Dustin Johnson 69.17
2015 Jordan Spieth 68.91 Jordan Spieth 68.91
2014 Rory McIlroy 68.83 Rory McIlroy 68.83
2013 Tiger Woods 68.98 Steve Stricker 68.95
2012 Rory McIlroy 68.87 Rory McIlroy 68.87
2011 Luke Donald 68.86 Luke Donald 68.86
2010 Matt Kuchar 69.61 Matt Kuchar 69.61
2009 Tiger Woods 68.05 Tiger Woods 68.05
2008 Sergio García 69.12 Sergio García 69.12
2007 Tiger Woods 67.79 Tiger Woods 67.79
2006 Jim Furyk 68.86 Tiger Woods 68.11
2005 Tiger Woods 68.66 Tiger Woods 68.66
2004 Vijay Singh 68.84 Vijay Singh 68.84
2003 Tiger Woods 68.41 Tiger Woods 68.41
2002 Tiger Woods 68.56 Tiger Woods 68.56
2001 Tiger Woods 68.81 Tiger Woods 68.81
2000 Tiger Woods 67.79 Tiger Woods 67.79
1999 Tiger Woods 68.43 Tiger Woods 68.43
1998 David Duval 69.13 David Duval 69.13
1997 Nick Price 68.98 Nick Price 68.98
1996 Tom Lehman 69.32 Tom Lehman 69.32
1995 Steve Elkington 69.92 Greg Norman 69.06
1994 Greg Norman 68.81 Greg Norman 68.81
1993 Nick Price 69.11 Greg Norman 68.90
1992 Fred Couples 69.38 Fred Couples 69.38
1991 Fred Couples 69.59 Fred Couples 69.38
1990 Greg Norman 69.10 Greg Norman 69.10
1989 Greg Norman 69.49 Payne Stewart 69.485
1988 Chip Beck 69.46 Greg Norman 69.38
Year Winner Scoring Average
(80 round minimum)		 Byron Nelson Award Scoring Average
(50 round minimum)
1987 Dan Pohl 70.25 David Frost 70.09
1986 Scott Hoch 70.08 Scott Hoch 70.08
1985 Don Pooley 70.36 Don Pooley 70.36
1984 Calvin Peete 70.56 Calvin Peete 70.56
1983 Raymond Floyd 70.61 Raymond Floyd 70.61
1982 Tom Kite 70.21 Tom Kite 70.21
1981 Tom Kite 69.80 Tom Kite 69.80
1980 Lee Trevino 69.73 Lee Trevino 69.73
Year Winner Scoring Average
1979 Tom Watson 70.27
1978 Tom Watson 70.16
1977 Tom Watson 70.32
1976 Don January 70.56
1975 Bruce Crampton 70.57
1974 Lee Trevino 70.53
1973 Bruce Crampton 70.57
1972 Lee Trevino 70.89
1971 Lee Trevino 70.27
1970 Lee Trevino 70.64
1969 Dave Hill 70.34
1968 Billy Casper 69.82
1967 Arnold Palmer 70.18
1966 Billy Casper 70.27
1965 Billy Casper 70.85
1964 Arnold Palmer 70.01
1963 Billy Casper 70.58
1962 Arnold Palmer 70.27
1961 Arnold Palmer 69.85
1960 Billy Casper 69.95
1959 Art Wall Jr. 70.35
1958 Bob Rosburg 70.11
1957 Dow Finsterwald 70.30
1956 Cary Middlecoff 70.35
1955 Sam Snead 69.86
1954 Dutch Harrison 70.41
1953 Lloyd Mangrum 70.22
1952 Jack Burke Jr. 70.54
1951 Lloyd Mangrum 70.05
1950 Sam Snead 69.23
1949 Sam Snead 69.37
1948 Ben Hogan 69.30
1947 Jimmy Demaret 69.90
Year Winner Points
1941 Ben Hogan 494
1940 Ben Hogan 423
1939 Byron Nelson 473
1938 Sam Snead 520
1937 Harry Cooper 500

Multiple winners

Sixteen men have won the Vardon Trophy more than once (1937–2022).


Seven men have won the Byron Nelson Award more than once (1980–2023).

References

  1. ^ "PGA Champion Rory McIlroy wins PGA Player of Year and Vardon Trophy". November 12, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  2. ^ Dorman, Larry (October 26, 1995). "Norman's Grip on Trophy Broken by a Technicality". The New York Times. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  3. ^ Ferguson, Doug (August 27, 2024). "Xander Schauffele has the points for PGA player of the year. But the award no longer exists". Associated Press News.
  4. ^ "2012 HP Byron Nelson Championship Media Guide". p. 75. Archived from the original on March 26, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2013. The Byron Nelson Award
  5. ^ a b "Tiger passes on Funai ... and Scoring Title". NBC Sports. Associated Press. October 18, 2006. Archived from the original on October 13, 2006. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c "Scoring Average". PGA Tour. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  7. ^ Hershey, Steve (August 31, 1989). "Calcavecchia back into swing with player of year honor on line". USA Today. p. C6. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2013. Stewart withdrew Tuesday, citing back problems. He's No. 3 in player of the year standings, although he was disqualified from the Vardon scoring because he pulled out with a bad back at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am...
  8. ^ Rosaforte, Tim (November 14, 1987). "PGA cleans up Vardon's image". The Palm Beach Post. Palm Beach, Florida. p. 3C. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  9. ^ "PGA of America modifies two major awards because of pandemic". ESPN. Associated Press. August 4, 2020.
  10. ^ "McIlroy's Path To Nelson Award Repeat Aided By PGA Change". Barron's. Agence France Presse. July 22, 2020.
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