NEWS

Justin Thomas jumps ahead of Jordan Spieth in race for PGA Player of the Year Award

By PGA of America
Published on
Justin Thomas jumps ahead of Jordan Spieth in race for PGA Player of the Year Award

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (Sept. 5, 2017) – Reigning PGA Champion Justin Thomas  outdueled Open Champion Jordan Spieth this past weekend in the Dell Technologies Championship, grabbing the No. 1 spot in the chase for the 2017 PGA of America Player of the Year, one of the season-ending awards presented by the PGA of America for excellence by a PGA TOUR professional.

Thomas’s fifth victory of the season vaulted him past Spieth atop the season money list and collect 106 total points. Spieth has 88 total points after his second runner-up finish in the past two weeks. Dustin Johnson is next with 68, followed by Hideki Matsuyama with 58.

Johnson and Matsuyama have each won four times this season, while Spieth owns three  victories.

Since 1948, the PGA of America has honored the game’s best players with the PGA Player of the Year Award. It is presented to the top TOUR professional based on a point system for tournament wins, official money standings, and scoring averages. Points for the 2016-17 season began with the Safeway Open on Oct. 16, and conclude Sept. 24, at the TOUR Championship.

In the Vardon Trophy race, Spieth has a 68.800 adjusted scoring average based upon 77 complete rounds. Rickie Fowler is next at 68.945, followed by Thomas (69.315), Matsuyama (69.359); and Johnson (69.427).

Since 1937, the Vardon Trophy, named by the PGA of America in honor of legendary British golfer Harry Vardon, has been presented 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 announced in early October, determined by a vote of the membership.

2017 PGA Player of the Year Standings

(Through 9/4/17)

    Player

    Victory

    Points

    Money

    Points

    Scoring

    Points

    Bonus

    Points

    Total

    Points

  1. Justin Thomas

    70

    20

    16

    --

    106

  (CIMB Classic, SBS Tournament of Champions, SONY Open in Hawaii, PGA Championship,

  Dell Technologies Championship)

  2. Jordan Spieth

    50

    18

    20

    --

    88

  (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Travelers Championship; Open Championship)

  3. Dustin Johnson

    40

    16

    12

    --

    68

  (Genesis Open, WGC-Mexico Championship, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play,

  The Northern Trust)

  4. Hideki Matsuyama

    30

    14

    14

    --

    58

  (WGC-HSBC Champions, Waste Management Phoenix Open, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational)

  T5. Brooks Koepka

    30

    8

    --

    --

    38

  (U.S. Open Championship)

 

 

 

 

 

  T5. Rickie Fowler

    10

    10

    18

    --

    38

  (Honda Classic)

 

 

 

 

 

  7. Sergio Garcia

    30

    --

    6

    --

    36

  (The Masters)

 

 

 

 

 

  8. Jon Rahm

    10

    12

    4

    --

    26

  (Farmers Insurance Open)

 

 

 

 

 

  T9. Si Woo Kim

    20

    --

    --

    --

    20

  (The Players Championship)

 

 

 

 

 

  T9. Marc Leishman

    10

    2

    8

    --

    20

(Arnold Palmer Invitational)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  2017  Vardon Trophy Standings*

  (through 9/4/17)

 

  1. Jordan Spieth

    77

    68.800

  2. Rickie Fowler

    70

    68.945

  3. Justin Thomas

    78

    69.315

  4. Hideki Matsuyama

    75

    69.359

  5. Dustin Johnson

    69

    69.427

  6. Paul Casey

    86

    69.454

  7. Marc Leishman

    82

    69.489

  8. Sergio Garcia

    57

    69.591

  9. Jon Rahm

    82

    69.621

  10. Francesco Molinari

    71

    69.782

 

Points are distributed based upon the following:

A) Tournament victories                                          Points

PGA Championship                                                       30

U.S. Open                                                                      30

Open Championship                                                      30

Masters                                                                         30

The Players Championship                                             20

All other PGA TOUR events, including

World Championship events                                           10

B) Money winnings: PGA Tour official money list

                                                            Points

1st                                                        20

2nd                                                      18

3rd                                                       16

4th                                                       14

5th                                                       12

6th                                                       10

7th                                                       8

8th                                                       6

9th                                                       4

10th                                                     2

 

C) Adjusted scoring average:   min. 60 rounds   

                                                            Points

1st                                                        20

2nd                                                      18

3rd                                                       16

4th                                                       14

5th                                                       12

6th                                                       10

7th                                                       8

8th                                                       6

9th                                                       4

10th                                                     2