GOLF: Scheffler, McIlroy headline nominees for PGA Tour Player of the Year

Scottie Scheffler, who has won two majors among his six titles in 2025, and Rory McIlroy, who secured a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, have been nominated for the Jack Nicklaus Award, which is given to the PGA Tour Player of the Year, the U.S.-based circuit announced.

Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who captured the Tour Championship in August to win the FedExCup and its $10 million prize, and Ben Griffin, a three-time winner in 2025, were the other two nominees for Player of the Year, the PGA Tour said on Wednesday.

World number one Scheffler recorded a PGA Tour-best 17 top-10 finishes in 2025 and did not miss a cut throughout the season. His victories at the PGA Championship and the British Open brought his career major total to four, leaving him one U.S. Open triumph shy of becoming only the seventh golfer to complete a career Grand Slam.

Northern Ireland’s McIlroy claimed three titles in 2025, including the prestigious Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in April, where he won a two-man sudden-death playoff. The victory ended an 11-year major drought on a course where he had previously experienced significant heartbreak.

South African Aldrich Potgieter and Australian Karl Vilips have been nominated for the Arnold Palmer Award, which honors the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, along with Americans Michael Brennan, Steven Fisk, and William Mouw.

Both awards are determined by a vote of PGA Tour members, with eligibility limited to those who have played at least 15 official FedExCup events during the 2025 season. The ballot closes on December 12, and winners will be announced at a later date. -Frank Pingue/Reuters