PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Tiger Woods, who captured a marathon U.S. Open on June 15 and announced a day later that he would sit out the remainder of the year to rehabilitate after reconstructive knee surgery, is the leader in the PGA of America’s 2008 Player of the Year point standings.
With Woods ending his season early and having completed only 26 rounds, he will forfeit his opportunity to collect scoring points and the race for an eighth Vardon Trophy, which marks scoring excellence. He has accumulated 80 points overall, including points for victories in the Buick Open, World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard and the U.S. Open. He has 20 points for leading the season money list.
Phil Mickelson is second overall with 58 points; including leading the Vardon Trophy race with a 69.45 adjusted scoring average through 53 rounds. He is second to Woods in the money list, gaining 18 points and has won two events.
Stewart Cink is third overall with 40 points, based on last weekend’s victory in the Travelers Championship, and sharing third in the Vardon Trophy race and 16 points for ranking third in money earnings. Sergio Garcia is fourth, with 38 points, based on 20 for winning the Players Championship, and 14 for sharing third in the Vardon Trophy race and four points for money earnings.
A runner-up in the Masters before capturing the U.S. in a 91-hole playoff, Woods had won the past three PGA Player of the Year Awards and was the Vardon Trophy winner two of the past three years. Mickelson has yet to win any of the premier PGA of America season-ending awards.
The PGA of America has honored the game’s best players with The PGA Player of the Year Award since 1948. The Award is currently presented to the top touring professional based on a point system for tournament wins, official money standings and scoring averages. Points are tabulated from Jan. 7, through the Children’s Miracle Network Classic, which concludes Nov. 9.
Since 1937, The Vardon Trophy, named in honor 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.
By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, the Association enables PGA Professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the $76 billion golf industry.
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2008 PGA Player of the Year Standings
Through the Travelers Championship
ending 6/22/08
Victory Money Scoring Bonus Total
Player Points Points Points Points Points
1. Tiger Woods 60 20 —* — 80
(Buick Invitational, WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational, U.S. Open)
2. Phil Mickelson 20 18 20 — 58
(Northern Trust Open, Crowne Plaza Invitational)
3. Stewart Cink 10 16 14 — 40
(Travelers Championship)
4. Sergio Garcia 20 4 14 — 38
(The Players Championship)
5 Trevor Immelman 30 — — — 30
(Masters)
6. Kenny Perry 10 10 9 — 29
(Memorial Tournament)
7. Justin Leonard 10 14 — — 24
(Stanford St. Jude Championship)
8. Geoff Ogilvy 10 12 — — 22
(WGC-CA Championship)
9. Adam Scott 10 — 9 — 19
(EDS Byron Nelson Championship)
10. Luke Donald — — 18 — 18
(* – Ended season June 15; not eligible for Vardon Trophy)
Since 1948, The PGA of America has honored the game’s best players with The PGA Player of the Year Award. The award is currently presented to the top touring professional based on a point system for tournament wins, official money standings and scoring averages. Points are tabulated from Jan. 1 through the Children’s Miracle Network, ending Nov. 9. In addition, 50 bonus points are awarded to players with more than one major championship in the same year, and an additional 25 points for each additional major championship.
2008 Vardon Trophy
Standings
(Through 6/22/08)
Player Rounds Avg.
1. Phil Mickelson 53 69.45
2. Luke Donald 35 69.58
T3 Bart Bryant 55 69.60
T3. Stewart Cink 59 69.60
T3 Sergio Garcia 44 69.60
T6 Kenny Perry 65 69.62
T6 Adam Scott 32 69.62
8. Padraig Harrington 32 69.63
T9 Ben Crane 49 69.71
T9 Vijay Singh 56 69.71
Since 1937, the Vardon Trophy, named by The PGA of America in honor 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.
Points are distributed based on the sum of the following:
A) Tournament victories
Points
PGA Championship 30
U.S. Open 30
British Open 30
Masters 30
The Players Championship 20
All other PGA Tour events, including
World Championships series — 10
B) Money winnings: PGA Tour official money list
Points
1st 20
2nd 18
3rd 16
4th 14
5th 12
6th 10
7th 8
8th 6
9th 4
10th 2
C) Adjusted scoring average:
min. 60 rounds
Points
1st 20
2nd 18
3rd 16
4th 14
5th 12
6th 10
7th 8
8th 6
9th 4
10th 2
Contact:
Julius Mason
561/624-8444
jmason@pgahq.com
June 27, 2008
