Smith wins PGA of America Player of the Year award
Lost in all of the news in recent weeks was the crowning of recent LIV Golf convert, Cameron Smith, as the PGA of America Player of the Year.
Ironically the Queenslander joins his new boss, Greg Norman, as the only other Australian to win the award. Norman won the title in 1995 amongst others including the Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer Awards and the PGA Tour Player of the Year.
In March, Smith became the latest in a long line of Aussies to find success at The Players Championship (Credit: PGA Tour)
Smith finished on 96 points to narrowly edge out 2022 PGA Tour Player of the Year, Scottie Scheffler, on 94 points and well ahead of third-placed Rory McIlroy on 62 points.
The award caps a breakthrough year for Smith in which he won the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the Players Championship and his first-ever major at the Open Championship in July. His ascendency to World No.1 stopped short only by Scheffler, who claimed four titles this year including the Masters.
WITB: Cameron Smith
- Titleist Pro V1x Golf Ball
- Titleist TSR3 Driver (10º)
- Titleist TSi2 (15º)
- Titleist TS2 (21º)
- Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi (3)
- Titleist T100 Black (5-9)
- Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (46º, 52º, 56º, 60º)
- Scotty Cameron 009M Prototype Putter
First awarded in its current form in 1988, the Vardon Trophy rewards the player with the lowest adjusted scoring average over a minimum of 60 rounds on the PGA Tour. Rory McIlroy took out this year’s gong with a 68.670 adjusted scoring average following his victory at the Tour Championship.
McIlroy, who also won the RBC Canadian Open in June, was half a shot in front of second-placed Smith on 69.203, followed by Fitzpatrick with 69.217, Scottie Scheffler (69.293) and Xander Schauffele (69.462).
Steve Elkington (1995), Greg Norman (1989, 1990, 1994) and Bruce Crampton (1973, 1975) are the only Australians to have won the Vardon Trophy since its inception in 1937.
