Wikipedia

Vardon Trophy

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

The Vardon Trophy is 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 trophy is 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.[3]

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.[4]

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).[5] This also happened to Tiger Woods in 2006 (55 rounds)[4][5] 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.[6] In 1987, Dan Pohl won the Vardon Trophy even though David Frost and Paul Azinger both had lower averages;[5] Frost and Azinger were not PGA of America members, a requirement for eligibility that was dropped after the 1987 season.[7] 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.[8] The minimum rounds for the Byron Nelson Award dropped from 50 to 35.[9]

Winners edit

Year Winner Adjusted Scoring Average
(60 round minimum)		 Byron Nelson Award Adjusted Scoring Average
(50 round minimum)
2023   Scottie Scheffler 68.63   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 edit

Sixteen men have won the Vardon Trophy more than once (1937–2020).


Seven men have won the Byron Nelson Award more than once (1980–2020).

References edit

  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. ^ "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
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ a b c "Scoring Average". PGA Tour. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  6. ^ Hershey, Steve (August 31, 1989). "Calcavecchia back into swing with player of year honor on line". USA Today. p. C6. 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...
  7. ^ Rosaforte, Tim (November 14, 1987). "PGA cleans up Vardon's image". The Palm Beach Post. Palm Beach, Florida. p. 3C. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  8. ^ "PGA of America modifies two major awards because of pandemic". ESPN. Associated Press. August 4, 2020.
  9. ^ "McIlroy's Path To Nelson Award Repeat Aided By PGA Change". Barron's. Agence France Presse. July 22, 2020.

External links edit

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