Exploring top candidates for PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for 2022-23 season
There are just three tournaments left in the 2022-23 PGA Tour season, which has been extended through the end of the FedEx Cup Fall. That means it's almost "awards season" to recognize the best players on the circuit during the period, including the coveted Rookie of the Year.
According to PGA Tour rules, a player is considered a "rookie" if he becomes a member of the Tour (including special temporary members) during the season. In addition, the player must have played in 10 or more tournaments or finished in the top 125 on the FedEx Cup point list.
If the player meets the above requirements, he is eligible for the Rookie of the Year award. Otherwise, he will fall into other categories and in some cases may be considered a rookie the following season.
In the 2022-23 season, 28 rookies played on the PGA Tour. Let's take a look at the highlights.
Top candidates for the 2022-23 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Award
The most outstanding rookies of the season are as follows:
#1 Ludvig Aberg
Ludvig Aberg came in like a landslide on this list, as everything he has achieved has come in just five months as a professional. His first major result was earning his status on the circuit by winning the PGA Tour University.
It is true that the Swede has not won on the main American circuit, but he did win on the DP World Tour (Omega European Masters). Ludvig Aberg also played, contributed and won the Ryder Cup. These results do not officially count for the Rookie of the Year award, but they do carry weight in the perception of his impact as a player.
Limiting the analysis to the PGA Tour, his results were stellar. Nine tournaments played, two top 10s, four top 25s and only one missed cut. He is ranked 99th in the FedEx Cup and 58th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
#2 Eric Cole
Another player yet to win on the PGA Tour, but has posted impressive results throughout the season.
Two runner-up finishes and four other top 10s were his best results in 36 tournaments played. He missed the cut in 10 of them, but they all came in the first half of the season.
Eric Cole has not missed a cut since the Charles Schwab Challenge in May, a streak of 14 tournaments in which he has made the cut.
He is currently ranked 43rd in the FedEx Cup standings and 50th in the OWGR.
#3 Taylor Montgomery
Montgomery has had the opposite season of Cole. He started the season with 10 tournaments without a cut and only four cuts in 21 tournaments through May.
From there, he lost a little steam and has played nine events with five cuts, four of them in a row. Still, his overall performance should be (and is) very awardable.
So much so that Taylor Montgomery is ranked 53rd in the FedEx Cup and 76th in the OWGR.
#4 Vincent Norrman
Norrman is one of two rookies to win on the PGA Tour in the 2022-23 season. (The other, Nico Echavarria, has missed 15 cuts in 17 events after winning the Puerto Rico Open. That's why he's not on this list).
In the case of the Swede Norrman, he cannot be left out because he added two more top 10s and 17 cuts in addition to his victory in the Barbasol Championship. But his season was not without its ups and downs, as he was eliminated in 12 events.
Vincent Norrman is ranked 69th in the FedEx Cup and 73rd in the OWGR, thanks largely to his season win.
Rookies for the 2022-23 PGA Tour season
Here is the complete list of rookies for the 2022-23 PGA Tour season:
- Ludvig Aberg
- Tyson Alexander
- Erik Barnes
- Eric Cole
- Trevor Cone
- Thomas Detry
- Nico Echavarria
- Austin Eckroat
- Harrison Endycott
- Tano Goya
- Brent Grant
- Ben Griffin
- Harry Hall
- S.H. Kim
- Philip Knowles
- Brandon Matthews
- Taylor Montgomery
- Vincent Norrman
- Augusto Núñez
- Kevin Roy
- Matti Schmid
- Sam Stevens
- Davis Thompson
- Trevor Werbylo
- Kyle Westmoreland
- Carson Young
- Kevin Yu
- Carl Yuan