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Rory McIlroy wins '14 Vardon Trophy, PGA of America Player of Year Award

By The PGA of America
Published on
Rory McIlroy wins '14 Vardon Trophy, PGA of America Player of Year Award

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Rory McIlroy, who won the Open Championship and PGA Championship in a three-week span, captured his second PGA of America Player of the Year Award and Vardon Trophy in three years. The season-ending awards are presented by the PGA of America for excellence by a PGA Tour professional.

McIlroy added a victory in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational between his Open and PGA Championship triumphs, and finished No. 1 on the money list. To earn a second Vardon Trophy, McIlroy posted an adjusted scoring average of 68.82 through 66 complete rounds. He edged Sergio Garcia (68.95), who completed 61 rounds.

Overall, McIlroy collected 160 Player of the Year points, based upon 70 points for his three victories; 50 bonus points for garnering two major titles; 20 points for leading the money list and 20 for winning the Vardon Trophy. Masters Champion Bubba Watson was a distant second in the Player of the Year standings with 62 total points; followed by U.S. Open Champion Martin Kaymer with 52; and triple-event winner Jimmy Walker with 46.

The PGA of America has honored the game’s best players with the PGA Player of the Year Award since 1948. The award is presented to the top Tour professional based on a point system for tournament wins, official money standings, and scoring averages. Points for the 2013-14 season began with the Frys.com Open on Oct. 13, and concluded with the Tour Championship, which ended Sept. 14.

Since 1937, the Vardon Trophy, named by the PGA of America in honor of legendary British golfer Harry Vardon, is awarded annually to the touring professional with the lowest adjusted scoring average. It is based on a minimum of 60 rounds, with no incomplete rounds, in events co-sponsored or designated by the PGA Tour. The adjusted score is computed from the average score of the field at each event.

The PGA Tour also recognizes its annual Player of the Year, with the winner determined by a vote of the membership. The voting period commences after the conclusion of the Tour Championship. The PGA Tour Player of the Year, who receives the Jack Nicklaus Trophy, will be announced prior to the start of the 2014-15 season.