Can Viktor Hovland win the 2023 PGA Tour Player of The Year title? Golfer’s season explored

On Monday, December 4, the PGA Tour announced the five nominees for the Player of the Year award. The nominees include Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Wyndham Clark.

Hovland is one of the strongest contenders for the Player of the Year award, given that he had one of the most memorable years of his short career, clinching three titles on the PGA Tour in the 2022–23 season. Overall, he finished fourth with a scoring average of 69.123

The 26-year-old Norwegian made cuts in all 23 appearances this season and finished in the top 10 nine times. Last December, he won the Hero World Challenge for the second time in a row. Earlier this year, he clinched the Memorial Tournament, beating Denny McCarthy in the playoffs.

In the season-ending FedEx Cup, Hovland won the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship to claim the season championship. He was also part of the European Ryder Cup squad that beat the US 16.5–11.5 in Rome, finishing as the second-highest scorer for Team Europe with 3.5 points. Overall, he ended the event with a 3-1-1 record.

Additionally, Hovland finished as the runner-up at the PGA Championship and secured a T7 finish at the Masters. Currently, he sits fourth in the OWGR (Original World Golf Ranking).

This season, Hovland earned $14,112,235 and finished third on the PGA Tour's official money list. Moreover, he received an $18 million bonus for becoming the FedEx Cup Champion, bringing his total earnings to $33,512,235.

Here's a look at Viktor Hovland's 2022–23 PGA Tour season:

2022

Zozo Championship: T5
THE CJ CUP in South Carolina: T21
World Wide Technology Championship: T10
Hero World Challenge: 1

2023

Sentry Tournament of Champions: T18
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: T13
WM Phoenix Open: T42
The Genesis Invitational: T20
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard: T10
THE PLAYERS Championship: T3
World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play: T31
Masters Tournament: T7
RBC Heritage: T59
Wells Fargo Championship: T43
PGA Championship: T2
Charles Schwab Challenge: T16
the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday: P1
U.S. Open: 19
Travelers Championship: T29
Genesis Scottish Open: T25
The Open Championship: T13
FedEx St. Jude Championship: T13
BMW Championship: 1
TOUR Championship: P1
Ryder Cup: 1
Hero World Challenge: 10

Who has won the PGA Tour Player of the Year award in the past season? Past winners explored

Here's a look at the previous winners of the PGA Tour Player of the Year:

2021-22: -Scottie Scheffler
2020-21: Patrick Cantlay
2019-20: Dustin Johnson
2018-19: Rory McIlroy
2017-18: Brooks Koepka
2016-17: Justin Thomas
2015-16: Dustin Johnson
2014-15: Jordan Spieth
2013-14: Rory McIlroy
2013: Tiger Woods
2012: Rory McIlroy
2011: Luke Donald
2010: Jim Furyk
2009: Tiger Woods
2008: Padraig Harrington
2007: Tiger Woods
2006: Tiger Woods
2005: Tiger Woods
2004: Vijay Singh
2003: Tiger Woods
2002: Tiger Woods
2001: Tiger Woods
2000: Tiger Woods
1999: Tiger Woods
1998: Mark O’Meara
1997: Tiger Woods
1996: Tom Lehman
1995: Greg Norman
1994: Nick Price
1993: Nick Price
1992: Fred Couples
1991: Fred Couples
1990: Wayne Levi