Signature Scroll: Who is Player of the Year frontrunner?

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Right back in the saddle …

Enthralling Player of the Year race

As I loaded my rental car to leave Hampton Bays and the U.S. Open earlier this week, a thought popped into my head: Is Wyndham Clark the Player of the Year frontrunner?

I nearly rejected the premise sight unseen, but with more time, it illuminated what I’ve found to be a controversial discussion. If not Clark, who?

Scottie Scheffler has won Player of the Year the last four seasons, and none have been particularly close. But right now, with roughly two months left in the FedExCup season, it’s one of the most wide-open races in recent memory.

I think there are five legitimate candidates: Clark, Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young, and Rory McIlroy. The discussion really depends on what you value. Total wins vs. quality of wins? Peak weeks or sustained success?

Here’s how I would argue the case if I were in each player’s shoes.

• Fitzpatrick: It’s simple, I’ve got three wins, more than anyone on the PGA TOUR. That’s why we play, right? I’ve won a Signature Event, Full Field Event, and helped the potential Rookie of the Year (Alex Fitzpatrick) get his PGA TOUR card at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. I’ve also got two runners-up, and I’m No. 2 in the FedExCup.
• Young: Nobody has a stronger collection of wins than me. I’ve got THE PLAYERS Championship, where I outdueled Fitzpatrick, and a runaway victory at the Cadillac Championship. Plus, I contended in the Masters.
• Clark: I’m the only major championship winner with multiple wins this season (shout out my 60 at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson). I was nearly close to a third at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. Forget the early-season stumbles; this last month is who I am.
• McIlroy: Simply, I’ve won the top event of the season: the Masters, and did it in incredible fashion, going back-to-back. I don’t play as often as the rest, so my counting stats are lacking, but it’s about showing up when it matters.
• Scheffler: I lead the PGA TOUR in scoring average, Strokes Gained: Total, top 10s and I’m the runaway No. 1 in the FedExCup. Nobody in the world is more consistent than I am. Yeah, I’ve won only once, but I’ve been the steadiest major championship player of anyone here. I nearly beat McIlroy at Augusta National, and I was in the final pairing at the U.S. Open. Don’t get caught up in wins. Use the eye test.

Playing through

• 🏆 Who are the experts picking this week?
• 5️⃣ Which big names are at risk of missing the postseason? I answered that and more topical post U.S. Open questions …
• 📺 Ben James, newest PGA TOUR rookie, breaks down his swing …

Change is coming

You’ve probably heard by now, but there are significant changes coming to the PGA TOUR’s competitive structure in 2028. I won’t lay out all the details; you can find the in-depth explainers all over our website, but here’s the TLDR that PGA TOUR CEO and Commissioner Brian Rolapp laid out on Tuesday.

There will be two tracks of competition – PGA TOUR Championship Series and PGA TOUR Challenger Series. The top players will play on PGA TOUR Championship Series (about 130 golfers, approximately), with the rest trying to play their way into it via PGA TOUR Challenger Series. All events will feature 36-hole cuts. The two tracks will be played concurrently, though there will be numerous weeks when the spotlight is solely on PGA TOUR Challenger Series while PGA TOUR Championship Series takes off weeks. There are also changes coming to the postseason, which will now include match play and rotate venues.

Since the announcement, I’ve received a ton of questions, and I figured if they are reaching out, chances are the questions are shared by many. So let’s answer a few.

Q: Will there be sponsor exemptions for PGA TOUR Championship Series events?

No

Q: Will there be Monday qualifiers?

Not for PGA TOUR Championship Series, but there will be for PGA TOUR Challenger Series

Q: Can PGA TOUR Challenger Series players get promoted midseason to PGA TOUR Championship Series?

Yes. Two different ways ...

• 1. Winning twice will earn automatic promotion. This is similar to the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR now. However, you need to win three times on the Korn Ferry Tour to jump up. Now it’s only two.
• 2. Win a major championship. (For example, J.J. Spaun would have fit this category in 2025)

Q: Do we know which events will be on the PGA TOUR Championship Series?

Not yet, but they are making progress. TOUR has lined up 10 of 15 initial PGA TOUR Championship Series events. New markets will help fill the rest.

Parting Shots

• 🔴 Defending champion Keegan Bradley could use a good week. He’s 76th in the FedExCup, outside the current playoff projections, and it won’t get easier. He has not played well at all across the pond. He’s missed five of his last six cuts at the Open Championship.
• 🧹 It remains remarkable how quickly Akshay Bhatia turned around his putting when he switched to the broomstick. He was one of the worst putters on TOUR in 2023, ranking 183rd. He’s ninth this season. It’s far and away the best part of his game, statistically.
• 😯 Three players who finished in the top 50 last year are currently outside the top 100 this season: Jhonattan Vegas, Brian Campbell and Lucas Glover. Will this be the last Signature Event this trio plays? They are a long way from the BMW Championship, which is where they would need to be to lock in Signature Event starts for 2027.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 There’s a new best ball-striker on the PGA TOUR (by the numbers). Matt Fitzpatrick now leads in SG: Approach this season. It’s by far his biggest improvement year over year.
• 📈 Really encouraging early signs from Ben James, who finished No. 1 in PGA TOUR University and turned pro two weeks ago. He led after 36 holes in Canada and made the cut at the U.S. Open. The finishes aren’t jaw-dropping – T54 and T23 – but that’s because he’s had one blow-up round in each, a 79 and 77, respectively. Bullish on his continued improvement, short-term and long-term.