Jordan Spieth named PGA Tour Player of the Year

Jordan Spieth began the season with one PGA Tour title to his credit.

He ended it as the No. 1 player in the world.

With a five-win season, which included victories in the first two major championships of the year, the 22-year-old Texan earned the Tour’s Player of the Year award as voted by his peers, the organization announced Friday.

Daniel Berger won the Tour’s Rookie of the Year award.

“It is a season to remember,” Spieth said in a conference call. “It’s an honor to win the player of the year award because it’s our MVP, our most valuable player award. And to be recognized by your peers is truly special.”

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It certainly was an unforgettable season. Spieth, who capped one of the best campaigns in history by becoming the youngest to win The Tour Championship by Coca-Cola and the FedExCup last week, won the Vardon Trophy for lowest adjusted scoring average and the money title with a single-season record of $12,030,465. With the $10 million FedExCup bonus, he became the first $22 million man in Tour history.

He also became the youngest player since Horton Smith in 1929 to win five Tour titles in a season. In addition to his wins in the Masters, U.S. Open and the Tour Championship, Spieth won the Valspar Championship and the John Deere Classic. He had a Tour-leading 15 top-10s.

Spieth finished runner-up in the PGA Championship and one shot out of a playoff in the British Open when he was chasing history as he tried to join Ben Hogan as the only players to win the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open in the same season. He added wins during the 2014-15 wraparound season at the Australian Open in November and the Hero World Challenge in December. Spieth is the youngest to win the award since Tiger Woods won the award at the age of 21 in 1997.

“We had great years in 2013 and 2014 but certainly nothing was pointing to winning two majors and five tournaments,” Spieth said. “My goal was to win two to three times, compete in the majors and make the cut in all four majors, and make the Presidents Cup team.

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“So as far as the season went, it far exceeded our expectations.”

Berger, a 2014 graduate of the Web.com Tour, finished his season as the 45th-ranked player in the world. He was the only rookie to make it to The Tour Championship and finished 11th in the FedExCup. He made 17 cuts in 31 events, his best finishes being a second in the BMW Championship and losing in a playoff to Padraig Harrington in the Honda Classic.

“I’m just proud of the way this rookie class played this year,” Berger said. “I’m just excited to get the new season going.”