Most Times Named Player of the Year on PGA Tour
Being named Player of the Year multiple times over one's PGA Tour career is not really rare, but some great names failed to earn multiple POTY Awards. Sam Snead and Lee Trevino, for example, won only one each. But Tiger Woods won a whopping 11 Player of the Year Awards on the PGA Tour, far and away the most by any golfer.
The first "official" Player of the Year Award for PGA Tour players was created by the PGA of America in 1948. That award, the PGA Player of the Year Award, was points-based. It was the only official award from 1948 through 1989.
In 1990, the PGA Tour (which fully broke away from the PGA of America only in the 1970s) finally created its own award, known as the PGA Tour Player of the Year Award. It is based on a vote by players. Once the PGA Tour launched its own award, the PGA of America's award slowly began losing relevance. It was discontinued after 2022. But from 1990 through 2022, both awards were given — usually, but not always, the same golfer won both.
From 2023 forward, the only official such award is the PGA Tour Player of the Year Award.
See also: List of every PGA Tour Player of the Year by year
Golfers Who Won 5 or More Player of the Year Awards on PGA Tour
11, Tiger Woods
- 1997: 4 wins including Masters, 1st on money list, 2nd in scoring average
- 1999: 8 wins including PGA Championship, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 2000: 9 wins including U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 2001: 5 wins including Masters, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 2002: 4 wins including Masters, U.S. Open, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 2003: 5 wins, 2nd on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 2005: 6 wins including Masters, British Open, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 2006: 8 wins including British Open, PGA Championship, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 2007: 7 wins including PGA Championship, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 2009: 6 wins, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 2013: 5 wins, 1st on money list, 2nd in scoring average
6, Tom Watson
- 1977: 5 wins including Masters, British Open, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 1978: 5 wins, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 1979: 5 wins, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 1980: 7 wins including British Open, 1st on money list
- 1982: 4 wins including U.S. Open, British Open, 5th on money list
- 1984: 3 wins, 1st on money list
5, Jack Nicklaus
- 1967: 5 wins including U.S. Open, 1st on money list
- 1972: 7 wins including Masters, U.S. Open, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 1973: 7 wins including PGA Championship, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 1975: 5 wins including Masters, PGA Championship, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
- 1976: 2 wins, 1st on money list, 1st in scoring average
Other Golfers with 3 or More Player of the Year Awards
There are three more PGA Tour golfers who won the Player of the Year Award at least three times:- Ben Hogan: 4 Player of the Year Awards, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1953
- Rory McIlroy: 3 Player of the Year Awards, 2012, 2014, 2019 (in 2019 McIlroy won the PGA Tour's award only, not the PGA of America's)
- Scottie Scheffler: 3 Player of the Year Awards, 2022, 2023, 2024 (in 2022 Scheffler won the PGA Tour award only, not the PGA of America award)
Additional Multiple Winners: 2-Time Players of the Year
- Julius Boros, 1952, 1963
- Billy Casper, 1966, 1970
- Arnold Palmer, 1960, 1962
- Fred Couples, 1991 (PGA Tour only, not PGA of America), 1992
- Nick Price, 1993, 1994
- Dustin Johnson, 2016, 2020 (PGA Tour only, not PGA of America)
- Justin Thomas, 2017, 2020 (PGA of America only, not PGA Tour)
- Brooks Koepka, 2018, 2019 (PGA of America only, not PGA Tour)
