Vardon Trophy

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Award to the PGA Tour's scoring average leader

title: "Vardon Trophy" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["pga-tour", "golf-awards-in-the-united-states", "awards-established-in-1937"] description: "Award to the PGA Tour's scoring average leader" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vardon_Trophy" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Award to the PGA Tour's scoring average leader ::

::callout[type=note] the American PGA Tour golf award ::

The Vardon Trophy was awarded by the PGA of America to the PGA Tour's leader in scoring average. When the award was first given in 1937, it was awarded on the basis of a points system. No award was given from 1942–1946 due to World War II. In 1947, the PGA began awarding it for low scoring average. In 1988, the trophy began going to the golfer with the lowest adjusted scoring average over a minimum of 60 rounds, with no mid-round withdrawals (instituted in 1988). The PGA of America last presented the award in 2022. The trophy was named for the Jersey golfing great Harry Vardon, who died in 1937.

The PGA Tour presents its own Byron Nelson Award annually to the player with the lowest adjusted scoring average for the year. It has a 50-round minimum, and was instituted in 1980.

For both awards, non-medal rounds (such as in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and The International) count towards the minimum number of rounds but are not included in the calculation of the scoring average.

Differences in the eligibility criteria for the awards have resulted in different players winning the awards on six occasions. In 1988, 1993, and 1995, Greg Norman won the Byron Nelson Award but not the Vardon Trophy because he failed to meet the 60 round minimum for the Vardon Trophy (52, 54, and 58 rounds, respectively). This also happened to Tiger Woods in 2006 (55 rounds) In 1987, Dan Pohl won the Vardon Trophy even though David Frost and Paul Azinger both had lower averages; The minimum rounds required also dropped from 80 to 60 at that time.

For the 2019–20 season, the minimum rounds required to be eligible for the trophy was reduced from 60 to 44, due to cancellation of tournaments because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The minimum rounds for the Byron Nelson Award dropped from 50 to 35.

Winners

::data[format=table] | Year | Vardon Trophy | Adjusted Scoring Average (60 round minimum) | Byron Nelson Award | Adjusted Scoring Average (50 round minimum) | Year | Winner | Scoring Average (80 round minimum) | Byron Nelson Award | Scoring Average (50 round minimum) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 2025 | No award | USA Scottie Scheffler | 68.13 | | | | | | | | 2024 | USA Scottie Scheffler | 68.65 | | | | | | | | | 2023 | USA Scottie Scheffler | 68.63 | | | | | | | | | 2022 | NIR Rory McIlroy | 68.67 | NIR Rory McIlroy | 68.67 | | | | | | | 2021 | ESP Jon Rahm | 69.30 | ESP Jon Rahm | 69.30 | | | | | | | 2020 | USA Webb Simpson | 68.98 | USA Webb Simpson | 68.98 | | | | | | | 2019 | NIR Rory McIlroy | 69.06 | NIR Rory McIlroy | 69.06 | | | | | | | 2018 | USA Dustin Johnson | 68.70 | USA Dustin Johnson | 68.70 | | | | | | | 2017 | USA Jordan Spieth | 68.85 | USA Jordan Spieth | 68.85 | | | | | | | 2016 | USA Dustin Johnson | 69.17 | USA Dustin Johnson | 69.17 | | | | | | | 2015 | USA Jordan Spieth | 68.91 | USA Jordan Spieth | 68.91 | | | | | | | 2014 | NIR Rory McIlroy | 68.83 | NIR Rory McIlroy | 68.83 | | | | | | | 2013 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.98 | USA Steve Stricker | 68.95 | | | | | | | 2012 | NIR Rory McIlroy | 68.87 | NIR Rory McIlroy | 68.87 | | | | | | | 2011 | ENG Luke Donald | 68.86 | ENG Luke Donald | 68.86 | | | | | | | 2010 | USA Matt Kuchar | 69.61 | USA Matt Kuchar | 69.61 | | | | | | | 2009 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.05 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.05 | | | | | | | 2008 | ESP Sergio García | 69.12 | ESP Sergio García | 69.12 | | | | | | | 2007 | USA Tiger Woods | 67.79 | USA Tiger Woods | 67.79 | | | | | | | 2006 | USA Jim Furyk | 68.86 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.11 | | | | | | | 2005 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.66 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.66 | | | | | | | 2004 | FJI Vijay Singh | 68.84 | FJI Vijay Singh | 68.84 | | | | | | | 2003 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.41 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.41 | | | | | | | 2002 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.56 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.56 | | | | | | | 2001 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.81 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.81 | | | | | | | 2000 | USA Tiger Woods | 67.79 | USA Tiger Woods | 67.79 | | | | | | | 1999 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.43 | USA Tiger Woods | 68.43 | | | | | | | 1998 | USA David Duval | 69.13 | USA David Duval | 69.13 | | | | | | | 1997 | ZWE Nick Price | 68.98 | ZWE Nick Price | 68.98 | | | | | | | 1996 | USA Tom Lehman | 69.32 | USA Tom Lehman | 69.32 | | | | | | | 1995 | AUS Steve Elkington | 69.92 | AUS Greg Norman | 69.06 | | | | | | | 1994 | AUS Greg Norman | 68.81 | AUS Greg Norman | 68.81 | | | | | | | 1993 | ZWE Nick Price | 69.11 | AUS Greg Norman | 68.90 | | | | | | | 1992 | USA Fred Couples | 69.38 | USA Fred Couples | 69.38 | | | | | | | 1991 | USA Fred Couples | 69.59 | USA Fred Couples | 69.38 | | | | | | | 1990 | AUS Greg Norman | 69.10 | AUS Greg Norman | 69.10 | | | | | | | 1989 | AUS Greg Norman | 69.49 | USA Payne Stewart | 69.485 | | | | | | | 1988 | USA Chip Beck | 69.46 | AUS Greg Norman | 69.38 | | | | | | | 1987 | USA Dan Pohl | 70.25 | ZAF David Frost | 70.09 | | | | | | | 1986 | USA Scott Hoch | 70.08 | USA Scott Hoch | 70.08 | | | | | | | 1985 | USA Don Pooley | 70.36 | USA Don Pooley | 70.36 | | | | | | | 1984 | USA Calvin Peete | 70.56 | USA Calvin Peete | 70.56 | | | | | | | 1983 | USA Raymond Floyd | 70.61 | USA Raymond Floyd | 70.61 | | | | | | | 1982 | USA Tom Kite | 70.21 | USA Tom Kite | 70.21 | | | | | | | 1981 | USA Tom Kite | 69.80 | USA Tom Kite | 69.80 | | | | | | | 1980 | USA Lee Trevino | 69.73 | USA Lee Trevino | 69.73 | | | | | | ::

::data[format=table]

YearWinnerScoring Average
1979USA Tom Watson70.27
1978USA Tom Watson70.16
1977USA Tom Watson70.32
1976USA Don January70.56
1975AUS Bruce Crampton70.57
1974USA Lee Trevino70.53
1973AUS Bruce Crampton70.57
1972USA Lee Trevino70.89
1971USA Lee Trevino70.27
1970USA Lee Trevino70.64
1969USA Dave Hill70.34
1968USA Billy Casper69.82
1967USA Arnold Palmer70.18
1966USA Billy Casper70.27
1965USA Billy Casper70.85
1964USA Arnold Palmer70.01
1963USA Billy Casper70.58
1962USA Arnold Palmer70.27
1961USA Arnold Palmer69.85
1960USA Billy Casper69.95
1959USA Art Wall Jr.70.35
1958USA Bob Rosburg70.11
1957USA Dow Finsterwald70.30
1956USA Cary Middlecoff70.35
1955USA Sam Snead69.86
1954USA Dutch Harrison70.41
1953USA Lloyd Mangrum70.22
1952USA Jack Burke Jr.70.54
1951USA Lloyd Mangrum70.05
1950USA Sam Snead69.23
1949USA Sam Snead69.37
1948USA Ben Hogan69.30
1947USA Jimmy Demaret69.90
::

::data[format=table]

YearWinnerPoints
1941USA Ben Hogan494
1940USA Ben Hogan423
1939USA Byron Nelson473
1938USA Sam Snead520
1937USA Harry Cooper500
::

Multiple winners

Sixteen men have won the Vardon Trophy more than once (1937–2022).

Seven men have won the Byron Nelson Award more than once (1980–2025).

References

References

  1. (November 12, 2012). "PGA Champion Rory McIlroy wins PGA Player of Year and Vardon Trophy".
  2. Dorman, Larry. (October 26, 1995). "Norman's Grip on Trophy Broken by a Technicality". The New York Times.
  3. Ferguson, Doug. (August 27, 2024). "Xander Schauffele has the points for PGA player of the year. But the award no longer exists". Associated Press News.
  4. "2012 HP Byron Nelson Championship Media Guide".
  5. (October 18, 2006). "Tiger passes on Funai ... and Scoring Title". NBC Sports.
  6. "Scoring Average". PGA Tour.
  7. Hershey, Steve. (August 31, 1989). "Calcavecchia back into swing with player of year honor on line". USA Today.
  8. Rosaforte, Tim. (November 14, 1987). "PGA cleans up Vardon's image". The Palm Beach Post.
  9. (August 4, 2020). "PGA of America modifies two major awards because of pandemic". ESPN.
  10. (July 22, 2020). "McIlroy's Path To Nelson Award Repeat Aided By PGA Change". [[Barron's (newspaper).

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

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