The PGA Tour has officially rolled out its list of nominees for the Jack Nicklaus Award, and once again, Scottie Scheffler is front and center. After a dominant season that saw him win six times in just 20 starts-including major victories at the PGA Championship and The Open-Scheffler is the clear frontrunner to claim Player of the Year honors for a fourth straight time.
If he does, he’ll join some pretty exclusive company. Only Tiger Woods has pulled off four or more consecutive Jack Nicklaus Awards, having won five straight from 1999 to 2003.
Woods, of course, owns 11 of these trophies in total, a record that still looms large over the modern game. But Scheffler’s current run is starting to echo that kind of dominance.
Six wins, two majors, and a steady presence at the top of leaderboards all season long-there’s not much more you can ask of a POY candidate.
But he’s not alone on the ballot.
Rory McIlroy is right there with him, riding the momentum of a three-win campaign that includes victories at The Players and, most notably, the Masters. That win at Augusta completed his career Grand Slam, a milestone that’s eluded some of the game’s all-time greats. For McIlroy, it’s a legacy-defining moment, and it couldn’t have come at a better time in a season where he consistently played elite-level golf.
Ben Griffin also earned his spot among the nominees with three wins of his own and a top-10 finish in the season-long points race. It’s the kind of breakout year that puts a player firmly on the map and signals he’s ready to contend with the best week in and week out.
Then there’s Tommy Fleetwood, who finally broke through for his first PGA Tour win-and he did it in style, capturing the Tour Championship and the FedExCup title. For Fleetwood, long considered one of the most talented players without a win on U.S. soil, this was more than just a trophy.
It was a statement. And it came at the biggest moment of the season.
While the Player of the Year race has a clear favorite, the Rookie of the Year competition-the Arnold Palmer Award-is shaping up to be a much tighter contest.
Michael Brennan made waves early, winning the Bank of Utah Championship in just his third start on Tour. That kind of immediate impact is rare, and it’s exactly the kind of performance that grabs voters’ attention. But he’s not the only rookie who made noise this season.
Steven Fisk picked up a win at the Sandersons Farms Championship, William Mouw took home the ISCO Championship, and Karl Vilips claimed the Puerto Rico Open. Each of them had a moment where they proved they belong on the big stage.
But it’s Aldrich Potgieter who might have the most complete rookie résumé. The South African won the Rocket Classic and was the only rookie to qualify for the playoffs, finishing 56th in the final points standings.
That consistency, paired with a win, gives him a strong case for the award.
Voting for both awards opens Thursday and runs through December 12, with PGA Tour members casting the ballots. The decisions won’t be easy-especially when the field includes multiple major winners, FedExCup champions, and breakthrough rookies-but that’s what makes these awards matter. They’re not just about stats on a page; they’re about who shaped the season and left a lasting mark on the year in golf.