Members of the Golf Writers Association of America voted Scottie Scheffler and Lydia Ko as the 2022 Players of Year in their respective divisions. Ko, 25 years old, is the only one of the three who has won the award previously, having received it in 2015. All three players will receive awards at the 49th Annual ISPS Handa/GWAA Awards dinner on April 5, in Augusta, Georgia during Masters Tournament Week.
Scheffler, 26 years old, won 49.2 percent first-place votes. He beat Rory McIlroy (a three-time winner) and Cameron Smith (whose victories include The Players and The Open Championship).
Scheffler won his first PGA Tour win in February at WM Phoenix Open. He also won victories at Arnold Palmer Invitational and the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, where he climbed to No. He was ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking and won the Masters in April. In the FedEx Cup Playoffs, he finished second to McIlroy.
It was a wonderful year. Scheffler stated in a release that he was very happy with the year. “To be awarded such an award, to be recognized for being the best player of the year is truly special and something that I will look back on throughout my career.”
Ko won three times last year, including her first win on South Korean soil. She also set a new record at the CME Group Tour Championship Championship by taking first place. She was awarded the Rolex Player-of-the Year, the Vare Trophy (68.99) for low scoring averages and the money title.
The newlywed received 79.5 percent of the first-place votes. This beat Atthaya Thitikul and Minjee Lee.
Ko stated, “What an honor it is to be named the GWAA Player of the Year.” It means so much to be awarded the GWAA’s Player of the Year for the second time. It was an incredible year 2022. My life was filled with many amazing things, which culminated in my wedding. My wedding was the most special thing, but my game of golf was also amazing. “I am grateful to the GWAA for this prestigious award.
After winning the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida on November 20, 2022, Lydia Ko from New Zealand poses with her trophy. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images).
Alker, who like Ko hails from New Zealand and was 50 when he became a PGA Tour Champion, had to be elevated to that status in 2021. He was a dominant force in his 2022 first season.
Alker, 51 years old, was in the top three in 13 out of 23 starts. He won four times, including his first senior major, KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. He also captured the long-running Charles Schwab Cup. Alker won 50.3 percent of the first-place votes, beating Padraig Harrington (and Steve Stricker)
Alker stated, “That’s quite neat, especially with my company, with all of the names (of past winner),” That’s quite neat. It’s amazing to see the awards that go along with seasons like this. It’s fantastic.
“Obviously, I had the time to take a moment before Christmas to reflect on what I’d done. I am proud of the consistency I showed throughout the year. This was the most important thing. Padraig placed some pressure on me at the end, and I still had work to do at the Schwab Cup Championship. It was incredible, there were many big wins.
