Every PGA Tour Rookie Of The Year Since 1990

The PGA Tour Rookie of the Year title, known as the Arnold Palmer Award, has been won by a number of the game's modern day greats since its inception in 1990

Eric Cole with the Arnold Palmer Award after being named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year
Eric Cole became the second-oldest PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2023 at the age of 35
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Elliott Heath
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The PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award goes to the stand-out first-year PGA Tour player, with many of the game's greats stamping their authority on the tour straight of the gate.

The Rookie of the Year award has been handed out since 1990, like the PGA Tour Player of the Year award, and is known as the Arnold Palmer Award. Like the POY title, the Arnold Palmer award is voted for by PGA Tour members.

It's usually a very good indicator as to how successful their career will be.

A number of Major winners have been named Rookie of the Year including the likes of Ernie Els, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, and the likes of John Daly, Ben Curtis and Todd Hamilton won Majors in their rookie years on the tour.

Hamilton is the oldest recipient of the award at 38, with 2023 winner Eric Cole in second at 35.

Scottie Scheffler holds Rookie of the Year award in 2020

Scottie Scheffler was the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year in 2020

(Image credit: Getty Images)

This year's Rookie of the Year award looks likely to be a fight between Matthieu Pavon and Nick Dunlap, with the announcement set to come alongside the Player of the Year decision later this year or early into 2025.

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PGA Tour Rookie of the Year winners
YearPlayer
1990Robert Gamez
1991John Daly
1992Mark Carnevale
1993Vijay Singh
1994Ernie Els
1995Woody Austin
1996Tiger Woods
1997Stewart Cink
1998Steve Flesch
1999Carlos Franco
2000Michael Clark II
2001Charles Howell III
2002Jonathan Byrd
2003Ben Curtis
2004Todd Hamilton
2005Sean O'Hair
2006Trevor Immelman
2007Brandt Snedeker
2008Andres Romero
2009Marc Leishman
2010Rickie Fowler
2011Keegan Bradley
2012John Huh
2013Jordan Spieth
2014Chesson Hadley
2015Daniel Berger
2016Emiliano Grillo
2017Xander Schauffele
2018Aaron Wise
2019Sungjae Im
2020Scottie Scheffler
2021Will Zalatoris
2022Cameron Young
2023Eric Cole
Elliott Heath
Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV

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