Jordan Spieth Receives PGA Player of the Year Award and Vardon Trophy

Jordan Spieth, who won the Masters and U.S. Open Championship while making a gallant run at completing golf's Grand Slam, received the PGA of America Player of the Year Award and Vardon Trophy today. Spieth accepted the honors in a presentation before his Spieth Shootout charity event at the home of the AT&T Byron Nelson.

The season-ending awards are presented by the PGA of America for excellence by a PGA Tour professional.

Spieth, 22, followed Tiger Woods as the second-youngest to capture both awards in the same year. Woods was 21 in 1997 when he won the first of his 11 PGA Player of the Year Awards and nine Vardon Trophies.

In addition to his two major championships, Spieth capped his season by winning the Tour Championship to go with victories in the Valspar Championship and the John Deere Classic. On his way to earning the Vardon Trophy, Spieth posted an adjusted scoring average of 68.911 through 91 complete rounds. He edged PGA Champion Jason Day (69.161), who completed 75 rounds, by 0.25 strokes.

Overall, Spieth collected 180 Player of the Year points, based upon 90 points for his five victories; 50 bonus points for earning two major championships; 20 points for leading the money list and 20 points for winning the Vardon Trophy. Day was runner-up in the Player of the Year standings with 106 total points; followed by Bubba Watson with 52; Open Champion Zach Johnson with 46; and Rickie Fowler with 44.

Since 1948, the PGA of America has honored the game’s best players with the PGA Player of the Year Award. It is presented to the top Tour professional based on a point system for tournament wins, official money standings, and scoring averages. Points for the 2014-15 season began with the Frys.com Open on Oct. 12, and concluded with the Tour Championship.

Since 1937, the Vardon Trophy, named by the PGA of America in honor of legendary 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.

The PGA Tour also recognizes its annual Player of the Year, with Spith also claiming that award earlier this month after a vote by his fellow players.

2015 PGA TOUR Highlights

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  It might have been Jordan’s first visit to Australia but not his first connection with Australia. His coach Cameron McCormack is from Melbourne and joined Jordan on the trip to Sydney

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  Starting off the day sharing the lead with Greg Chalmers and Brett Rumford, Jordan quickly pulled away from the Australians with the best round of the tournament — and his career.

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  Jordan sinks his birdie putt on 18 and celebrates his first title of 2014, becoming the first American to win the Australian Open since Brad Faxon in 1993, when the 21-year-old Spieth was four months old

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  Jordan holds the Stonehaven Cup, the trophy awarded to the winner of the Australian Open. Seeing that his name will go right under Rory McIlroy, last year’s Open winner, Jordan said, "If I had the follow-up year that Rory had this year, I'd be pleased this time next year”

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  Jordan flew directly from Australia to Florida for Tiger Wood's event at the Isleworth Golf & Country Club. The jet lag didn't seem to bother Jordan as he delivered a 26-under performance over the four days that earned him a 10-stroke victory over Henrik Stenson

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  Jordan's 26 under par total broke Tiger Woods’ Hero tournament record of 22 under in 2007. Jordan’s margin of victory also set a record at this tournament, and he was the first wire-to-wire winner

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  After the Hero World Challenge, Jordan said, “This caps off the best golfing year that I’ve ever had. Each year has been a little better than the last. Hope it continues in 2015”

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  Tiger and Jordan talk together at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Shooting a final round 65, Jordan would finish T7 at TPC Scottsdale

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  For the second year in a row, Jordan got to play with country superstar Jake Owen at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

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  Jordan was 16-under for the tournament and finished T7

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  Jordan had another Top 10 finish at the Northern Trust, barely missing a playoff after an aggressive pitch on the final hole.

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  Jordan got his first win of 2015 at the Valspar Championship. A clutch putt on the final hole put Jordan in a playoff with Patrick Reed and Sean O'Hair. He won the tournament with a 28-foot birdie putt on the third hole of the playoff

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  It was Jordan's second win in his PGA Tour career and fourth worldwide

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  Jordan is presented with his trophy after winning the Valspar Championship. Jordan became the fourth player since 1940 to win twice on the PGA Tour before his 22nd birthday

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  After Jordan's second place finish at the Valero Texas Open, Jordan moved to No. 4 in the Official World Golf Rankings

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  Jordan, the hottest player on the PGA going into the Masters, got into his second playoff and three weeks at the Shell Houston Open

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  After finishing T2 to Bubba Watson in last year's Masters, Jordan would get more than a green jacket at Augusta National. He would get redemption

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  He would also get a place in the history books by setting the 36-hole scoring record at the Masters

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  Jordan's full-swing flop shot off the 18th green captivated the gallery and media alike, allowing him to save par and maintain momentum. Joe Posnanski of the Golf Channel called it, "a shot that buckles the knees of every player of every skill level around the world." Read the story.
  

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  Jordan made 26 birdies, a Masters record, and was the first PGA golfer to get to -19 in a Major

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  In addition to his 36 hole scoring record, he also had the lowest 54 hole total and tied for the 72 hole scoring record. Jordan also became the first wire-to-wire winner in Masters history

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  "This was the ultimate goal in my golf life," Jordan said in his remarks to the members of Augusta National, patrons and media

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  Jordan reacts after making a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 1. Watch the putt.
  

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  Jordan hits his tee shot on the 15th hole.
  

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  Jordan watches a putt on the 12th green. Jordan started slowly on the front nine but the Masters champion compensated with a dramatic stretch, announcing his arrival with three straight birdies starting on No. 11 to put him squarely in the mix going into Friday. Read the story.
  

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  With his caddie looking on, Jordan reacts after his clutch par putt on the fourth green. For Michael Greller, a resident of nearby Gig Harbor, this was a Father's Day with special significance. 

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  With his third victory this year — fourth since embarking on his pro career in 2013 — Jordan will head to the British Open in St. Andrew’s, Scotland, in search of more history. Jordan's grand slam chances? As Ian O'Connor wrote in ESPN, don't bet against him.
  

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  The condition of the greens was a major topic of conversation on and off the course, but Jordan gives his respects to the grounds crew who worked relentlessly through the tournament.

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  Jordan follows up his hole-out eagle on 17 with a birdie on the final hole.
  

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  After taking his sand wedge and spinning it back into the hole for eagle on the par-5 17th, Jordan shares the crowd's excitement.
  

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  Jordan Spieth pats the back of Tom Gillis while walking off the 18th green after their pars on the first playoff hole.
  

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  Chad Everitt, Chairman of the Volunteer Board of the John Deere Classic, presents Jordan with the trophy during the final round of the John Deere Classic.

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  Jordan watches his drive from the second tee during his first round on the opening day of the 2015 Open Golf Championship on The Old Course at St Andrews. Conditions were perfect for low-scoring out on the Old Course on the first morning as play began.
  

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  Jordan plays out of a fairway bunker on the 5th hole.
  

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  Jordan reacts to his putt on the 7th green while Jason Day lines up his putt in the background.

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  Jordan acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green after missing a putt and a chance to join the playoff. 
  

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  Jordan lines up a putt on the first green. Jordan was first in putts per round during the four days at Firestone. He averaged 25.5 putts per round.
  

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  SHEBOYGAN, WI - AUGUST 14: Jordan Spieth of the United States lines up a putt on the 11th green during the second round of the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits on August 14, 2015 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
  

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  Jordan reacts to his birdie putt on the final hole. It capped a bogey-free round of 65 that vaulted him to second place behind Jordan.
  

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  Jordan and Michael celebrate a birdie on the 10th green.

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  Jordan watches his birdie drop on the 18th green. It would give him the outright tournament lead going into Sunday's final round.

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  Jordan gets a fist bump from Henrik Stenson after he sinks a 43-foot birdie putt on the 11th green.

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  Jordan walks up to the 18th green, two putts from a victory at East Lake.

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  Jordan celebrates on the 18th hole green as fans watch after his four stroke victory in the final round of the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.

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  Jordan poses on the 18th green with the FedEx Cup and TOUR Championship trophies.

2015 was a major breakout for Jordan with five PGA TOUR victories, including the Masters and U.S. Open, along with winning the FedEx Cup and ending the year as the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world