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Three-time Major Champion Brooks Koepka captures PGA Player of the Year Award

By PGA of America
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Three-time Major Champion Brooks Koepka captures PGA Player of the Year Award

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (Sept. 26, 2018) – Three-time major champion Brooks Koepka, who turned professional just six years ago and who overcame a serious wrist injury prior to this season, wrapped up a historic campaign by capturing the 2018 PGA of America Player of the Year Award, presented by the PGA of America for excellence by a PGA TOUR professional.
 
Dustin Johnson, a two-time winner this season, earned his second Vardon Trophy in three years.

MORE: How Koepka won the PGA Championship
 
Koepka, who won a second consecutive U.S. Open Championship in June, powered his way to the PGA Player of the Year award by winning the PGA Championship in August. He collected 126 total points based upon two major championship victories, which guaranteed him 50 bonus points. He also finished fifth in the season money list and ninth in the Vardon Trophy standings for adjusted scoring average.
 
Justin Thomas, the 2017 PGA Player of the Year, finished second overall with 66 points, followed by Johnson with 58 and Fedex Cup Champion Justin Rose with 54.
 
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 2017-18 season began with the Safeway Open on Oct. 5, and conclude Sept. 23, at the TOUR Championship.
 
In the Vardon Trophy race, Johnson finished with a 68.698 adjusted scoring average based upon 77 complete rounds. Rose was runner-up at 68.993, followed by Thomas (69.118), Webb Simpson (69.293) and Rory McIlroy (69.303).

MORE: Full 2018 Ryder Cup coverage
 
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.

2018 PGA Player of the Year Standings
(Final ending 9/23/18)

Player

Victory
Points

Money
Points

Scoring
Points

Bonus
Points

Total
Points

1. Brooks Koepka

60

12

4

50

126

(U.S. Open, PGA Championship)

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Justin Thomas

30

20

16

--

66

(CJ Cup at Nine Bridges, Honda Classic, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational)

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Dustin Johnson

20

18

20

--

58

(Sentry Tournament of Champions, FedEx St. Jude Classic)

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Justin Rose

20

16

18

--

54

(WGC-HSBC Champions, Fort Worth Invitational)

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Bryson DeChambeau

30

14

--

--

44

(The Memorial Tournament, The Northern Trust, Dell Technologies Championship)

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Bubba Watson

30

10

--

--

40

(Genesis Open, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship, Travelers Championship)

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Francesco Molinari

40

--

--

--

40

(Quicken Loans National, Open Championship)

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Webb Simpson

20

4

14

--

38

(The PLAYERS Championship)

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Patrick Reed

30

--

--

--

30

(The Masters)

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Tiger Woods

10

6

8

--

24

(TOUR Championship)

 

 

2018 Vardon Trophy Standings
(Final ending 9/23/18)

Player

Rounds

Adj. Avg.

1. Dustin Johnson

77

68.698

2. Justin Rose

70

68.993

3. Justin Thomas

91

69.118

4. Webb Simpson

95

69.293

5. Rory McIlroy

64

69.303

6. Tommy Fleetwood

73

69.342

7. Tiger Woods

68

69.350

8. Rickie Fowler

74

69.435

9. Brooks Koepka

64

69.444

10. Tony Finau

105

69.520

 

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