McIlroy tops Koepka in participant of the 12 months voting

Rory McIlroy beat Brooks Koepka within the ultimate spherical of the 2018-19 PGA Tour season, capturing 66 over the ultimate 18 holes to win a $15 million bonus on the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Membership in Atlanta in August.

After a considerably stunning vote by PGA Tour members, McIlroy additionally edged Koepka for PGA Tour Participant of the Yr honors on Wednesday. It’s the third time McIlroy has gained the Jack Nicklaus Award.

“I could not be extra pleased with what I achieved this 12 months,” McIlroy stated. “I wished to attempt to carry my greatest each single week that I performed, and I really feel like I did that to one of the best of my skill. I believe the best praise you possibly can obtain is that your friends really feel such as you’ve carried out one thing fairly particular. For this award to be voted on by my fellow gamers, I am very humbled and really honored. I believe it says lots about what I’ve put into this 12 months and among the choices I made beginning off the 12 months.”

Rory McIlroy was voted participant of the 12 months on the PGA Tour for the third time. David Cannon/Getty Photographs

Sung-jae Im, the one rookie who certified for the Tour Championship, was voted PGA Tour Rookie of the Yr.

PGA Tour members who performed no less than 15 official FedExCup occasions through the 2018-19 season have been eligible to vote for the awards. Voting ended on Sept. 6.

Final month, Koepka was named PGA of America Participant of the Yr based mostly on factors. It is just the third time participant of the 12 months honorees have been completely different: Nick Faldo (PGA) and Wayne Levi (PGA Tour) in 1990 and Corey Pavin (PGA) and Fred (PGA Tour) in 1991 have been the opposite events.

“Look, Brooks has had an unbelievable 12 months, an unbelievable two or three years, no matter it’s,” McIlroy stated. “He is the primary participant on the planet within the World Golf Rating. I believe this speaks volumes about what PGA Tour gamers really feel is necessary. I’ve harped on this somewhat bit over the course of the 12 months: I believe gamers do not simply really feel 4 weeks a 12 months are necessary, it is greater than that. We play for lots extra. Why will we play 25 instances a 12 months when solely 4 weeks are actually necessary?

“I believe it is an enormous vote of confidence from the gamers that we play for extra than simply what perhaps the narrative suggests. I assumed perhaps Brooks profitable the PGA Championship this 12 months was going to be the difference-maker, however the different gamers thought in another way.”

McIlroy and Koepka have been the one PGA Tour gamers to win three occasions this previous season. McIlroy gained the Gamers Championship, Canadian Open and Tour Championship. Together with his FedEx Cup and Wyndham Reward bonuses, McIlroy gained $24.three million final season, probably the most in Tour historical past.

McIlroy additionally gained the Byron Nelson Award for adjusted scoring common (69.057) for the third time in his profession and led the PGA Tour in top-10s (14) and complete strokes gained (2.551 common).

After one begin within the fall of 2018, McIlroy opened the 2019 calendar 12 months with top-six finishes in his first 5 begins earlier than profitable the Gamers Championship. He grew to become solely the third participant to win The Gamers, a serious championship, the FedExCup and a World Golf Championships occasion in his profession, becoming a member of Tiger Woods and Henrik Stenson.

However McIlroy wasn’t almost pretty much as good as Koepka in majors. McIlroy completed tied for 21st on the Masters, tied for eighth on the PGA Championship, tied for ninth on the U.S. Open and missed the lower at The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in his native Northern Eire, after capturing 79 within the first spherical.

Together with a second straight PGA Championship title, Koepka additionally gained the C.J. Cup and WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. He led the Tour cash listing with almost $9.7 million.

Koepka was probably the most constant participant in golf’s greatest occasions for the second season in a row. He has completed within the high 5 within the final 5 majors championships, together with all 4 this previous season. He completed tied for second on the Masters in April, gained the PGA Championship for the second straight 12 months at Bethpage Black in Might, completed solo second on the U.S. Open at Pebble Seashore in June and tied for fourth on the Open Championship in July.

Koepka is just the fifth participant to complete within the high 5 in all 4 majors in a single season through the Masters period (since 1934); Nicklaus (1971 and ’73), Woods (2000 and ’05), Rickie Fowler (2014) and Jordan Spieth (2015) have been the others.

Kopeka completed within the high 10 in 18 of the final 19 rounds in main championships. He shot within the 60s in 11 of 16 rounds in main championships this season, becoming a member of Spieth (2015) for second most within the Masters period. Solely Woods (12 in 2000) had extra in majors in a single season.

Im, from South Korea, was the highest Tour rookie in FedEx Cup factors final season and was the one one to advance to East Lake. He had 16 top-25s and 7 top-10s in 35 occasions.