Vardon Trophy

The Vardon Trophy is awarded by the PGA of America to the PGA Tour's leader in scoring average.[1] 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[2]). The trophy is named for the Jersey golfing great Harry Vardon, who died in 1937.

This article is about the American PGA Tour golf award. For the European Tour award, see Harry Vardon Trophy.

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.[3]

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.[4]

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).[5] This also happened to Tiger Woods in 2006 (55 rounds)[4][5] and Steve Stricker in 2013 (51 rounds). In 1989, Payne Stewart failed to qualify for the Vardon Trophy because of his mid-round withdrawal from the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.[6] In 1987, Dan Pohl won the Vardon Trophy even though David Frost and Paul Azinger both had lower averages;[5] Frost and Azinger were not PGA of America members, a requirement for eligibility that was dropped after the 1987 season.[7] 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.[8] The minimum rounds for the Byron Nelson Award dropped from 50 to 35.[9]

Winners
YearWinnerAdjusted Scoring Average
(60 round minimum)		Byron Nelson AwardAdjusted Scoring Average
(50 round minimum)
2020 Webb Simpson68.98 Webb Simpson68.98
2019 Rory McIlroy69.06 Rory McIlroy69.06
2018 Dustin Johnson68.70 Dustin Johnson68.70
2017 Jordan Spieth68.85 Jordan Spieth68.85
2016 Dustin Johnson69.17 Dustin Johnson69.17
2015 Jordan Spieth68.91 Jordan Spieth68.91
2014 Rory McIlroy68.83 Rory McIlroy68.83
2013 Tiger Woods68.98 Steve Stricker68.95
2012 Rory McIlroy68.87 Rory McIlroy68.87
2011 Luke Donald68.86 Luke Donald68.86
2010 Matt Kuchar69.61 Matt Kuchar69.61
2009 Tiger Woods68.05 Tiger Woods68.05
2008 Sergio García69.12 Sergio García69.12
2007 Tiger Woods67.79 Tiger Woods67.79
2006 Jim Furyk68.86 Tiger Woods68.11
2005 Tiger Woods68.66 Tiger Woods68.66
2004 Vijay Singh68.84 Vijay Singh68.84
2003 Tiger Woods68.41 Tiger Woods68.41
2002 Tiger Woods68.56 Tiger Woods68.56
2001 Tiger Woods68.81 Tiger Woods68.81
2000 Tiger Woods67.79 Tiger Woods67.79
1999 Tiger Woods68.43 Tiger Woods68.43
1998 David Duval69.13 David Duval69.13
1997 Nick Price68.98 Nick Price68.98
1996 Tom Lehman69.32 Tom Lehman69.32
1995 Steve Elkington69.92 Greg Norman69.06
1994 Greg Norman68.81 Greg Norman68.81
1993 Nick Price69.11 Greg Norman68.90
1992 Fred Couples69.38 Fred Couples69.38
1991 Fred Couples69.59 Fred Couples69.38
1990 Greg Norman69.10 Greg Norman69.10
1989 Greg Norman69.49 Payne Stewart69.485
1988 Chip Beck69.46 Greg Norman69.38
YearWinnerScoring Average
(80 round minimum)		Byron Nelson AwardScoring Average
(50 round minimum)
1987 Dan Pohl70.25 David Frost70.09
1986 Scott Hoch70.08 Scott Hoch70.08
1985 Don Pooley70.36 Don Pooley70.36
1984 Calvin Peete70.56 Calvin Peete70.56
1983 Raymond Floyd70.61 Raymond Floyd70.61
1982 Tom Kite70.21 Tom Kite70.21
1981 Tom Kite69.80 Tom Kite69.80
1980 Lee Trevino69.73 Lee Trevino69.73
YearWinnerScoring Average
1979 Tom Watson70.27
1978 Tom Watson70.16
1977 Tom Watson70.32
1976 Don January70.56
1975 Bruce Crampton70.57
1974 Lee Trevino70.53
1973 Bruce Crampton70.57
1972 Lee Trevino70.89
1971 Lee Trevino70.27
1970 Lee Trevino70.64
1969 Dave Hill70.34
1968 Billy Casper69.82
1967 Arnold Palmer70.18
1966 Billy Casper70.27
1965 Billy Casper70.85
1964 Arnold Palmer70.01
1963 Billy Casper70.58
1962 Arnold Palmer70.27
1961 Arnold Palmer69.85
1960 Billy Casper69.95
1959 Art Wall70.35
1958 Bob Rosburg70.11
1957 Dow Finsterwald70.30
1956 Cary Middlecoff70.35
1955 Sam Snead69.86
1954 Dutch Harrison70.41
1953 Lloyd Mangrum70.22
1952 Jack Burke, Jr.70.54
1951 Lloyd Mangrum70.05
1950 Sam Snead69.23
1949 Sam Snead69.37
1948 Ben Hogan69.30
1947 Jimmy Demaret69.90
YearWinnerPoints
1941 Ben Hogan494
1940 Ben Hogan423
1939 Byron Nelson473
1938 Sam Snead520
1937 Harry Cooper500

Multiple winners

Sixteen men have won the Vardon Trophy more than once (1937–2020).


Seven men have won the Byron Nelson Award more than once (1980–2020).

References
  1. "PGA Champion Rory McIlroy wins PGA Player of Year and Vardon Trophy". November 12, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  2. Dorman, Larry (October 26, 1995). "Norman's Grip on Trophy Broken by a Technicality". The New York Times. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  3. "2012 HP Byron Nelson Championship Media Guide". p. 75. Archived from the original on March 26, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2013. The Byron Nelson Award
  4. "Tiger passes on Funai ... and Scoring Title". NBC Sports. Associated Press. October 18, 2006. Archived from the original on October 13, 2006. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  5. "Scoring Average". PGA Tour. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  6. Hershey, Steve (August 31, 1989). "Calcavecchia back into swing with player of year honor on line". USA Today. p. C6. Retrieved March 12, 2013. Stewart withdrew Tuesday, citing back problems. He's No. 3 in player of the year standings, although he was disqualified from the Vardon scoring because he pulled out with a bad back at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am...
  7. Rosaforte, Tim (November 14, 1987). "PGA cleans up Vardon's image". The Palm Beach Post. Palm Beach, Florida. p. 3C. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  8. "PGA of America modifies two major awards because of pandemic". ESPN. Associated Press. August 4, 2020.
  9. "McIlroy's Path To Nelson Award Repeat Aided By PGA Change". Barron's. Agence France Presse. July 22, 2020.
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