The FedExCup Playoffs are on the horizon and our focus shifts to the end-of-season awards. While Scottie Scheffler seems set to win Player of the Year, the race for the Arnold Palmer Award for the top rookie remains wide open - here are the contenders.
🏌‍♀Matthieu Pavon: Pavon finished third at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, briefly reaching No. 1 in the FedExCup. He also placed T12 at the Masters, a notable achievement for a rookie. His current rank of 13th in the season-long standings makes him the Rookie of the Year frontrunner. With three rookie winners this season, his high ranking could be decisive.
🏌‍♀Nick Dunlap: Due to his amateur status, Dunlap didn't receive the 500 FedExCup points awarded to winners after his American Express victory. This is significant, as he's currently 87th in the standings but would be in the top 50 if eligible for those points. Rookie of the Year is decided by TOUR members, who value talent over pure results, potentially benefiting Dunlap as the season progresses.
🏌‍♀Jake Knapp: Knapp won earlier this year at the Mexico Open at Vidanta and finished T4 the next week at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. Ranked 44th in the FedExCup, Knapp projects to make the Playoffs and give Pavon a run for the top rookie in the standings.
🏌‍♀Michael Thorbjornsen: Thorbjornsen finished T39 in his pro debut at the Travelers Championship, highlighted by a second-round 64. It will only take one top finish from Thorbjornsen to elevate into the Rookie of the Year conversation. He also benefits from the awards running through the end of the calendar year, so Thorbjornsen will have the entire fall schedule to catch up.
🏌‍♀Alejandro Tosti: Tosti has come close to winning already this season - he finished T2 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, one shot shy of Stephan Jaeger. He has not quite emerged as a formidable contender though but there's still time for him to change that.