Gong time for McIlroy

Boom. Rory McIlroy eagles the last in Singapore for a 65 that helped him clinch the European Tour’s Race to Dubai two weeks ahead of schedule.Newly-minuted European No 1 Rory McIlroy has been named as winner of the PGA of America Player of the Year award and Vardon Trophy. But they are just the first of many gongs the 23-year old will pick up over the next few weeks as he puts the final brushstrokes to the best season of his career.

The man from the north, who is expected to named  European Tour Player of the Year, has also be named as a nominee for Jack Nicklaus Award as the PGA TOUR Player of the Year alongside Jason Dufner, Brandt Snedeker, Bubba Watson and Tiger Woods.

McIlroy, whose record-breaking US PGA Championship triumph was the highlight of four victories this season, cruised to the PGA of America’s premier season-ending awards for excellence by a Tour professional.
 
He became the fourth youngest US PGA Champion on August 12 with a record eight-stroke triumph at The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island and went on to capture both the season money earnings and adjusted scoring average titles.

He finished with 100 points, while Woods – a three-time winner this season – finished runner-up with 66 points. Woods is the all-time leader in both season-ending awards, having captured ten PGA Player of the Year awards and eight Vardon Trophies since 1997.
 
The PGA Player of the Year was first presented in 1948, and the Vardon Trophy originated in 1937.
 
McIlroy earned 60 victory points for his victories in the Honda Classic, PGA Championship, Deutsche Bank Championship and the BMW Championship, and gained 20 points for the money earnings title and 20 more for adjusted scoring with a 68.87 average based upon the award minimum required 60 rounds.

Woods earned 30 points for victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Memorial Tournament and the AT&T National, and 18 points each for the season money list and season scoring average.
 
However, Woods was ineligible for the Vardon Trophy after withdrawing in the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship on March 11. The incomplete round resulted in a .10 penalty to his adjusted scoring average (from 68.90 to 69.00).
 
Jason Dufner and Masters Champion Bubba Watson tied for third with 50 overall points, followed by TOUR Champion Brandt Snedeker with 36, and Matt Kuchar with 34.
 
The PGA of America has honoured the game’s best players with the PGA Player of the Year Award since 1948. The award is presented to the top touring professional based on a point system for tournament wins, official money standings, and scoring averages.

Points are tabulated from January 1, through the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic, which concluded on November 11.
 
Since 1937, the Vardon Trophy, named by The PGA of America in honour of famed British golfer Harry Vardon, is awarded annually to the touring professional with the lowest adjusted scoring average. It is based on a minimum of 60 rounds, with no incomplete rounds, in events co-sponsored or designated by the PGA TOUR.

The adjusted score is computed from the average score of the field at each event.

As for the PGA TOUR awards, players were nominated by the PGA TOUR Player Directors and members of the Player Advisory Council (PAC).

The awards are determined by a member vote, with PGA TOUR members who played in at least 15 official money events in 2012 eligible to vote.

The balloting process ends on November 30, with the respective winners to be announced in early December.

The PGA TOUR Player of the Year nominees are Dufner, McIlroy, Snedeker, Watson and Woods for the following reasons.

Jason Dufner

• Entered 22 events and won twice: Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the HP Byron Nelson Championship.
• Finished 14th in the FedExCup.
• Finished fourth in adjusted scoring average (69.456).
• Finished fourth on final official money list ($4,869,304).
• Recorded a total of eight top-10 finishes.

Rory McIlroy

• Entered 16 events and won four times: The Honda Classic, PGA Championship, Deutsche Bank Championship and BMW Championship.
• Runner-up in the FedExCup.
• Winner of the Byron Nelson Award and Vardon Trophy for adjusted scoring average (68.87).
• Winner of the Arnold Palmer Award as the TOUR’s leading official money winner ($8,047,952).
• Recorded a total of 10 top-10 finishes, tied for most on TOUR with Bo Van Pelt.

Brandt Snedeker

• Entered 22 events and won twice: Farmers Insurance Open and the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.
• Winner of the 2012 FedExCup with three top 10s in the FedExCup Playoffs, including a victory at the season-ending TOUR Championship.
• Finished 15th in adjusted scoring average (69.84).
• Finished third on final official money list ($4,989,739).
• Recorded a total of seven top-10 finishes.

Bubba Watson

• Entered 19 events and won once: the Masters Tournament.
• Finished 13th in the FedExCup.
• Finished fifth on final official money list ($4,644,997).
• Finished ninth in adjusted scoring average (69.639).
• Recorded a total of seven top-10 finishes.

Tiger Woods

• Entered 19 events and won three times: Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide and AT&T National.
• Finished third in the FedExCup.
• Finished second in adjusted scoring average (68.90).
• Finished second on final official money list ($6,133,158).
• Recorded a total of nine top-10 finishes.

The nominees for PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year are Charlie Beljan, Jonas Blixt, Bud Cauley, John Huh and Ted Potter, Jr.

Charlie Beljan

• Entered 22 events and won once: Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic.
• Finished 160th in the FedExCup.
• Finished 63rd on final official money list ($1,373,528).
• Recorded a total of three top-10 finishes.

Jonas Blixt

• Entered 21 events and won once: Frys.com Open.
• Finished 71st in the FedExCup.
• Finished 34th on final official money list ($2,255,695).
• Led all rookies in adjusted scoring average (70.244) and ranked 34th overall.
• Recorded a total of five top-10 finishes.

Bud Cauley

• Entered 28 events and recorded six top-10 finishes, the most by any rookie.
• Finished 38th in the FedExCup.
• Finished 44th on final official money list ($1,774,479).

John Huh

• Entered 28 events and won once: Mayakoba Golf Classic.
• Was the only rookie to qualify for the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola; fifth rookie to qualify for the TOUR Championship since the inception of the FedExCup in 2007.
• Finished 29th in the FedExCup.
• Finished 28th on final official money list ($2,692,113).
• Recorded a total of four top-10 finishes.

Ted Potter, Jr.

• Entered 25 events and won once: The Greenbrier Classic.
• Finished 93rd in the FedExCup.
• Finished 62nd on final official money list ($1,383,170).
• Recorded one top-10 finish.